Question

Windows XP laptop keep losing mapped drives

Asked by: ILSI

I have one XP Pro machine that for the past 2 weeks keep losing the mapped drives. I always have to manually add them, but the system may freeze or need to reboot and they disappear. This is happening to no other machines on the network. What are some of the things that I can look at to fix this permanently.

Note: A kixtart script is run during login.

Edit: One mapped drive not part of kixtart is not affected.

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Asked On
2009-11-03 at 17:37:38ID24869530
Tags

Windows XP

,

Network

,

Mapped Drives

,

Kixtart

Topics

Windows XP Operating System

,

Miscellaneous Networking

Participating Experts
3
Points
125
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: Spec01Posted on 2009-11-03 at 18:06:01ID: 25735791

Take a look at this PAQ that I have already answered regarding loosing mapped drives...
http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q_24844653.html

 

by: jackiemanPosted on 2009-11-03 at 18:09:24ID: 25735808

Does the user use any USB card reader to the computer? The drive letter assignment may be in conflict.

Any error log in event viewer?

 

by: dbruntonPosted on 2009-11-04 at 00:10:12ID: 25737291

You've got two methods of doing the mappings?

Can you post those scripts here or the lines that do the mapping.  Probably start with something like

net ...

I'm looking for the difference in making the connection.

The freezing or rebooting should be looked at as well.  Do a memory test for starters.

Get the UBCD http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

Download links are the icons at the top of the page above Overview.  Browse the page and see what utils are there for you.  Check the memory utils especially.

Make the CD and boot from it.  Run the memory tester first - memtest -  and let it do two to three passes through your memory.  Memory could be the problem so get that test done first.

 

by: ILSIPosted on 2009-11-04 at 06:36:23ID: 25739655

@ jackieman - I did not see any additional USB devices although I might add that the laptop is connected to a docking station.

@dbrunton - as you can tell from the script below we do not use the 'net use' syntax for the script (possibly b/c of kixtart syntax??). The one thing that I see that is glaring however, is that the "V" mapped drive is not deleted first like the others and it is the only drive that consistently shows up. Also, note that it is mapped on a different server as well ("ServerB"). Should the mappings also have the "/PERSISTENT" switch as well (not just when deleting them)?

Kixtart Script:
      ? "Mapping network drives"
      IF INGROUP("Domain Users")
            use G: /DELETE /PERSISTENT
            use H: /DELETE /PERSISTENT
            use P: /DELETE /PERSISTENT
            use G: "\\ServerA\DATA\DATA\DATA"
            use H: "\\ServerA\DATA\DATA\USERS"
            use P: "\\ServerA\DATA\DATA\APPS"
            use V: "\\ServerB\Email_Archive\%UserName%"

 

by: dbruntonPosted on 2009-11-04 at 08:27:18ID: 25740969

Usually it should be more like

use G: /DELETE
use G: "\\ServerA\DATA\DATA\DATA"  /PERSISTENT

The first one breaks the connection if it exists and the second makes the connection and retains it.

Try it on just the G: and see what happens.

 

by: ILSIPosted on 2009-11-06 at 08:08:15ID: 25760340

@dbrunton - that is what I figured. I made the changes and will see what happens. The user is traveling so will have to verify when she returns. Everyone else seems to be fine though (but they did not have the same issue).

 

by: ILSIPosted on 2009-12-16 at 06:24:19ID: 31649795

We are still having some inconsistencies with the mappings, but I dont think it has to do with the syntax of the script now that I have changed it. Perhaps the version of Kixtart is the issue? Windows XP Pro and Vista play a role too.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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