about Windows and network drive issues

General discussion related to "Everything".
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rs232
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:39 am

about Windows and network drive issues

Post by rs232 »

There is one well know Windows issue that has been there for years and as far as I can see is still there.
After a reboot a Network drive is always unaccessible from application until the user manually clicks on the device where the network share is mapped (e.g. N:). This is a pity and Microsoft should be ashamed not to have fixed this yet.

I was wondering if at least Everything could have some work-around implemented to mitigate the issue. Currently if after a reboot I open Everything and search for something (all my indexed data in stored on a mapped network share), anything I click on is "unaccessible" because the issue above. So long story short, could Everything bypass this after-boot network share limitation simulating a network drive click (or calling whatever MFC equivalent function) to force a drive browse call before opening the content?

Thanks
therube
Posts: 4985
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: about Windows and network drive issues

Post by therube »

a Network drive is always inaccessible from application until the user manually clicks on the device where the network share is mapped (e.g. N:)
Explain?
rs232
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:39 am

Re: about Windows and network drive issues

Post by rs232 »

therube wrote: Explain?
Say you have a network drive mapped to N: (\\192.168.1.2\share)

if you restart your windows 10 box it will not map the drive despite the "Reconnect at sign-in" option was selected when mapping the drive originally.

Windows will actually attempt to map the drive only if you click on the N: icon (which until that point is displayed with a red cross on top).
Until this "manual click" no application is able to access the mapped drive content.

So in the Enverything case, after a reboot, I can search content (because the database is local) but if I click on the content to e.g. open the file it will say "file not accessible" or similar. So I usually need to go to file manager and click manually on the N: icon to resolve.
therube
Posts: 4985
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: Everything 1.4.1.895.x64 stops Windows Explorer in Windows 10

Post by therube »

Not sure if this relates or not, Network not showing?



Edit: I originally posted this into the wrong thread, since moved.
NotNull
Posts: 5461
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: about Windows and network drive issues

Post by NotNull »

That can happen if the credentials you used when creating the mapping are different than the ones you use to start the application.

Note: same goes for other shares on the same server; you connect to a server more than you connect to a share (it will re-use credentials already used for connecting)
rs232
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:39 am

Re: about Windows and network drive issues

Post by rs232 »

I guess a workaround would be to point Everything to a full UNC path

so rather than have Everything indexing N: I would refer to \\192.168.1.2\share\ instead

with a bad taste in the mouth though...
NotNull
Posts: 5461
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: about Windows and network drive issues

Post by NotNull »

rs232 wrote:I guess a workaround would be to point Everything to a full UNC path

so rather than have Everything indexing N: I would refer to \\192.168.1.2\share\ instead

with a bad taste in the mouth though...
Don't think that will help with the credential issue..


A (possible, not tested) workaround:
  • Create somewhere on your N: a file like this:

    PreConnect.cmd

    Code: Select all

    REM Do nor delete this file;
    REM It is used for ...
    PAUSE
    
    (Let's say you created N:\MyFoider\PreConnect.cmd)
  • In CMD, execute this command (change N:\MyFoider\PreConnect.cmd to your actual path):

    Code: Select all

    reg.exe add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v "Preconnect" /d "\"c:\windows\explorer.exe\" \"N:\MyFolder\PreConnect.cmd\""
    
  • Log off/Log on

    After login, if you see a CMD window saying "Press any key to continue", the operation succeeded; Explorer created a connection to your N: drive.
    Everything should now be able to run files/programs from your N: drive.
  • Now you can remove the line with PAUSE from the script.
  • Done

    Please report back if this works or not. I'm very curious...
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