[Question] How Do I determine if a networked computer is on?

[Joe_Sextus]

I have a home network consisting of a server with 3 shared directories and a computer that will map those directories to D,E,Z drives. This machine is dual homed so auto reconnecting is not an option.

I want to create a batch file that will mount the drives if the server is on. I know how to mount the drives from the shell, but I haven't seen a way to determine if the remote machine is on. Does anyone know of a way to do this?

Thanks in advance,

Joe

[edit] Drives should have been D,E,Z not C,D,Z[/edit]

Edited March 4, 2006 by Joe_Sextus

[CptMurphy]

Ping?

[gunsmokingman]

Here is a VBS script I cannot test it but in theroy it should work

Save As MountDrives.Vbs

strComputer = "."
	Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
	Dim MapDrv : MapDrv = Array("C:\\","D:\\","Z:\\")
	 Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * From Win32_Volume Where Name = '" & MapDrv & "'")

   For Each objItem in colItems
	 objItem.Mount()
   Next

This VBS script detemines what drives are mapped

Use this link to read more about this script

Where I Found This Script

strComputer = "."
   Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
   Set colDisks = objWMIService. _
	ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_MappedLogicalDisk")
	For Each objDisk in colDisks
	 Wscript.Echo "Device ID: " & objDisk.DeviceID
	 Wscript.Echo "Name: " & objDisk.Name
	 Wscript.Echo "Free Space: " & objDisk.FreeSpace
	 Wscript.Echo "Size: " & objDisk.Size
	Next

Edited March 4, 2006 by gunsmokingman

[cluberti]

Going with gunsmokingman's vbscript bonanza, here's a vbscript I wrote for RIS that waits until a network share is available, then maps the drive once the remote share is accessible. The script times out after 20 minutes (and tells you so), but this can be modified as necessary for your needs:

Dim sTestPath
Dim intCount
Dim objnet

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objVolatileEnv = objShell.Environment("VOLATILE")
Set objnet = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")

' An UNC path here that will be available when network connection is in place
sTestPath = "\\server\share
intCount = 1

' test on volatile environment variable to avoid running logon script
' if the user has already run the logon script.
If Not objVolatileEnv("LogonScript") = "Done" Then

   Do Until objFSO.FolderExists(sTestPath)
	' sleep 5 seconds
	 WScript.Sleep 5000
	 intCount = intCount + 1
	 If intCount = 240 Then
	MsgBox "Unable to connect to network share for 20 minutes.  Please notify your network administrator."
	Exit Do
	 End If
   Loop

   ' share/folder available on server now, so continue
	 objnet.MapNetworkDrive "Z:", "\\server\share","True","domain\user","password"

End If

[gunsmokingman]

cluberti that a nice script

Here is the first 2 scripts I posted combined into one script

Now I cannot test this as I am testing Vista and have not added my other computers to Vista.

In therory they should work

strComputer = "."
 Dim Act : Set Act = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
 Dim MapDrv
  Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
  Set colDisks = objWMIService. _
   ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_MappedLogicalDisk")
   If colDisks.count = 0 Then
	Act.Popup "Cannot Not Find A Computer To Map The Drives", 15,"No Computer", 0 + 32
   Else
	For Each objDisk in colDisks
	 MapDrv = MapDrv & vbCrLf & objDisk.DeviceID 
	For Each strMP In MapDrv 
	Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * From Win32_Volume Where Name = '" & MapDrv & "\\'")
	 For Each objItem in colItems
	  objItem.Mount()
	 Next
	Next 
   Next 
  End If

[cluberti]

Thanks! VBScript that runs in XP should run on Vista - all of my current scripts do, including the above, and yours looks like it should be fine.

[gunsmokingman]

The problem is I am having problems connecting from Vista to my XP computers, I have filled a bug.

I have had Vista running for over 2 days and I want to see how long I can keep it going with out rebooting.

This is the first Vista version that has been able to do that with out a blue screen. the earlier ones 4 to 12 hours.

[Joe_Sextus]

Going with gunsmokingman's vbscript bonanza, here's a vbscript I wrote for RIS that waits until a network share is available, then maps the drive once the remote share is accessible. The script times out after 20 minutes (and tells you so), but this can be modified as necessary for your needs:

Dim sTestPath
Dim intCount
Dim objnet

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objVolatileEnv = objShell.Environment("VOLATILE")
Set objnet = CreateObject("Wscript.Network")

' An UNC path here that will be available when network connection is in place
sTestPath = "\\server\share
intCount = 1

' test on volatile environment variable to avoid running logon script
' if the user has already run the logon script.
If Not objVolatileEnv("LogonScript") = "Done" Then

   Do Until objFSO.FolderExists(sTestPath)
	' sleep 5 seconds
	 WScript.Sleep 5000
	 intCount = intCount + 1
	 If intCount = 240 Then
	MsgBox "Unable to connect to network share for 20 minutes.  Please notify your network administrator."
	Exit Do
	 End If
   Loop

   ' share/folder available on server now, so continue
	 objnet.MapNetworkDrive "Z:", "\\server\share","True","domain\user","password"

End If

Thanks, this works great.

Joe