I have a laptop that is being used in two modes, on a network and standalone. When on the network a mapped drive is used which must to reconnected on logon. When standalone, I need to use the same drive letter for the application.
I've tried NET USE K: /DELETE but that disconnects the network drive so it isn't reconnected on logon.
Is there a way to delete the drive letter without disconnecting the mapped drive or changing the letter of the mapped drive but have it return to the original letter on next logon?
All this needs to be done in a batch file so unskilled operator can use the computer.
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I guess my problem description was too vague. I have a headless domain controller and I use the laptop to start an application, (TrueCrypt) via Remote Logon. TrueCrypt creates a shared 'drive' that contains an application that can be run from all domain clients, including the laptop. On the clients, a network drive is mapped to the shared 'drive' that TrueCrypt creates. The advantage of using My Computer/Tools to map the drive is that the drive is mapped on startup, even if the shared drive has not yet been created.
The difficulty arises when I use the laptop in standalone mode. The mapped drive letter is being used even though the mapped resource doesn't exist. When I run TrueCrypt on the standalone laptop, it can't create the same drive letter because it's taken.
I need a way to free up the drive letter without disconnecting the drive. I want to avoid extra steps for the operator by having them run command files to map the drive when on the network after using Remote Logon to run TrueCrypt on the domain controller.
Not feasible. Either the network drive is mapped all the time, and hence occupying the drive letter, or it is not, and has to be created on each log on.
The only workaround I see is to use a mount/dismount batch file for the standalone mode, which will remove the network mapping on mount, and restore it on dismount.
Standalone mode is not a problem as a drive letter isn't assigned, so I tackled the problem for the network mode. I have an icon on the desktop to initiate Remote Connection, so changed the target to the following command file:
@echo off
c:\windows\system32\mstsc.
net use K: \\server\share \p:n
As the operator has to go to the server to mount the drive, it's mounted after the Remote Connection terminates and then gets mapped.
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by: leewPosted on 2009-11-05 at 06:00:18ID: 25749468
Check for the existence of something on the network. For example:
if exist "\\server\share\path\to\ch
net use k: \\server\share\path\to\map
) else (
REM else the server is unavailable for some reason so use the letter locally
REM enter commands here that you would use for the local application.
)