Windows – Mapped network drive unavailable on reboot until viewed in windows explorer (windows 7)

command linenetworkingsambawindows 7

I have an ubuntu 11.04 machine with a samba share, which I access from a Windows 7 machine. Both have same username and password. The network drive is mapped and remembered on Windows. When I reboot the Windows 7 machine and start 'cmd.exe' and type 'net use' I see the mapped share listed as 'unavailable'. When I try to access it by 'N:' is says ""the system cannot find the drive specified". When I look in Windows explorer there is a red X in it. As soon as I click on it in Windows explorer it becomes available and now works as expected from 'cmd.exe'. I really want to automate the startup instead of having to manually 'initialize' the share with Windows explorer after every reboot … help !

Best Answer

I would make a startup script and place it in the startup folder (see code below for location). Copy and modify the contents below into a text file, and save as a .bat

::C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
::http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/delay-mounting-network-drive-at-boot/e25538d4-6f85-442c-ac43-3f8ba2e9bf75
@echo off
::make sure you can see the interwebs
set ServerIP=www.google.com
:Loop
ping %ServerIP% -n 2 | find /i "bytes=" > nul && goto Connect
ping localhost -n 180 > nul
goto Loop
::once you can see the interwebs, run your net use batch
:Connect
net use /persistent:no
net use * /del /yes
::here you put your netuse command you want to run
net use w: \192.168.1.55\mascotdata /use:HOME\mtnchkn supersecretpassword /persistent:no

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