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Windows 2K and network mappings

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10 replies

by techie401

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Windows 2000 has several different states for mapped network drives. One of these states is inactive. After some time of inactivity a mapped drive will have a red x on it, while still being connected. All you have to do is open the drive in my computer to reactivate the drive. This is causing problems for one of the apps I support. I have gone to the MS site and gotten several "fixes" none of which solves the problem regularly. Do anyone have any idea how I can configure these drives to never go inactive?

10 replies

by kalpraju

Hi,
Did you set the registry, Microsoft has the fix for it. But it works only for few days. But if you research more you will get more solution.

by techie401

Yes I have tried the registry. Actually two different keys, both recommended by Microsoft. And both have met with limited success. Sometimes they do the trick sometimes not.

by techie401

Yes I have tried the registry. Actually two different keys, both recommended by Microsoft. And both have met with limited success. Sometimes they do the trick sometimes not.

by lordinfidel

Can you specify a UNC path instead?

I have the same issue with some replication software, but it works with UNC paths to the remote system.

by techie401

I thought of that. And on the newer version of this software that is an option, but on the older versions it is not, there I need to use mapped drives. Thanks for the input.

by james.wilson

If no other solution can be found:

use the task manager to run a modified login script every 10 min or so(or whatever timeout you wish.) Use the NET USE z: /D command to disconnect the drive, somthing like so:

NET USE E: /D >NUL
NET USE E: \\server\share

running this script minimized will ensure that your users dont have time to kill script and your connections will be refreshed automatically.

by rvfrueh

What happens if the end user has open files on the drive you just disconnected, but they are idle? That's a problem we are having right now- if you have a file open in Word, and XP disconnects from the network, as it does periodically, the file shows up as still open, but when you go to save it, you get a file in use error.

by techie401

I was thinking about running a bat file "using task manager" that would do a series of change dir commands running through all the drives. Do you think that would simulate drive activity and keep the mapped drive in an active state?

by lordinfidel

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - Q297684
Drive Mapping May Time Out on a Windows 2000-Based Computer
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

SYMPTOMS
When you perform drive mapping from a Windows 2000-based client computer to either a Microsoft Windows NT or Windows 2000 network share, the drive mapping may be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity and Windows Explorer may display a red "X" on the icon of the mapped drive. However, if you attempt to access or browse the mapped drive, it reconnects quickly.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur because both Windows NT Server version 4.0 and Windows 2000 Server can drop idle connections after a specified time-outperiod, which by default is 15 minutes, so that server resources are not wasted on unused sessions. The connection can be re-established very quickly at a later time, if required.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, use a command to change the default time-out period on the Windows NT Server 4.0 or Windows 2000 Server: At a command prompt, type: net config server /autodisconnect:30.

The valid value range to configure this setting from a command line is from -1 through 65,535 minutes. To disable Autodisconnect, set it to -1.

NOTE: This step must not be confused with the remote access Autodisconnect parameter that is turned off if you set it to a value of zero (0).

If you set Autodisconnect to zero (0), this setting is not turned off and after a few seconds of idle time very fast disconnections can occur.

by techie401

I have tried this and it works sometimes but not always. From what I have seen the fixes work best in a domain setting. THese systems are generally in a work group.

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