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[MCE Retail] How can I re-connect to passworded network drive shares?


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I've got Media Center 2005 OEM installed, with all the latest patches. Since underneath it all, it's XP Pro, I'd love to know how, if possible, to re-connect the system with password-protected network drives on reboot. At the current moment, I'm stuck with re-connecting them manually, which is a hassle. I figure that there's probably a way to do so with a logon script.

If it matters, I'm using a linux-based file server, running Samba 3.0.17a, with packet encryption enabled. Everything works normally, it's just the re-connection issue that doesn't please me.

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Open my computer. Select tools - map network drive and check the box that says reconnect at logon. If you need to use a particular username and password choose connect using a different username.

Edited by dhdan
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Create a batch file and add it to your startup folder.

net use z: \\computername\sharename /user:Username password /persistent:no

Ah, that looks like it works. I'll test it out in a sec. ;)

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If you create this batch file on your desktop and run it, does it make the connection? If it doesn't make the connection then copy your command into a command prompt and see what the error is. If it does make the connection then all you should have to do is move the file to %userprofile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and it should run just fine. If it works from the command line after windows is fully booted but not when you put it in the startup folder. Try having the batch file "sleep" to make sure windows networking is fully up before the command executes.

Edited by dhdan
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What exactly is this limitation? I just used the following batch file in my startup folder and it works perfectly fine in media center 2005.

connect.bat

sleep 20
net use z: \\server\shared /user:Administrator password /persistent:no

sleep.exe I got from the windows server 2003 resource kit.

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At the very least, MCE should support Peer to Peer workgroups. I cannot be the only person who wants to store their media on another system, and stream it from there. At the moment, I'm using dhdan's script, which works ok for now.

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What I do at home is just have media center play directly from the network but I use simple file sharing for this. I don't have it map out the drive at all. You may have an issue since it's using a username and password on your samba share. You could try running the command I gave you and add /savecred. Then edit your registry where the folder names are stored for your "my videos" or "my music" section. Add the computers share there and see if mce will play those files using the stored credentials.

If I remember right windows will try to log in to the samba server using the login info of the currently logged on user. If you create a user on your samba server using the same name and password of the name and password that you use to log into mce then it should allow you to connect anytime through network neighborhood or using the share folder connection in mce.

If you have any questions about what I'm saying, let me know and I will elaborate further. From your statement earlier it sounds like you want to do what I do which is stream your music and movies over the network. Samba complicates this some due to permissions/credentials but should be relatively easy to do.

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