Hi I dont know if I am doing this the right way. But I am having difficulties connecting to a Mapped Drive.

1. I created a user named JD in AD.
2. Created a shared folder in AD.

3. Logged into a Workstation using JD,s credentials.

4. Tried browsing MyServer from MyNetworkPlaces.

This is where the problem starts.

JD is unable to browse MyServer. Each time he clicks on it he is presented with a CONNECT TO SERVER DIALOG BOX.

If I enter MyServers administrators details in the box I get full access to the shares. So from here I simly mapped the folder as eg Z:\ and checked reconnect at login.

After restarting and logging back in as JD I was unable to access the mapped drive. It kept presenting me with the CONNECT TO SERVER LOGIN BOX.

I want JD to be able to login into the pc and access the Mapped Drive fluidily without being promted to enter any credentials.

How can I do this? And where am I going wrong?

Thanks

Try using the ip of the computer you are trying to map too. ex: \\192.168.1.15\d:\blah would map a drive to the computer's d:\blah directory.

If you create a user on JD with the same credintials as your login on the workstation, and your workstation is in the same domain as JD, you shouldn't have a problem the next time you try to connect to the mapped drive. It should log in automatically.

Midiman, go to the AD and go to the profile tab of JD. Here you can select to map the folder to that user when he/she logs on.

You choose what letter you want to assign and then just paste the path to the folder that you want mapped. You have to of course, set the appropriate permissions on the folder that you are mapping.

The next time that JD logs onto the domain, you should see their folder mapped.

Hope that helps.

John

Thanks I will try this method. But I also done this earlier and had little success.

1 Created a new share on my C:\

2. Logged into workstation as JD

3. Right Clicked on MyNetwork Places and clicked on Map Network Drive.

Now when I click the browse button and navigate the tree it dosnt allow me to expand MyServer. It prompts me with CONNECT TO SERVER DIALOG BOX.

if I enter my server admin details and check remember me. It then proceeds to allow me to expand MyServer and navigate the shares.

Something isnt right here. And I cant work it out.

Thanks

is your administrator also a local user on the Windows logon server? You may be authenticating with old-fashioned, non Active Directory authentication. If JD isn't a local user, then that would explain the dichotomy

Active Directory makes use of an authentication system called Kerberos.

Kerberos is a service on every domain controller. Basically, when you log on to a domain (make sure that is selected in network properties of the client rather than workgroup), your client contacts the nearest Domain Controller (logon server in basic words) and that server hands out a "ticket" - a kind of key - which can be used to access resources on any computer in the domain.

Without this logon process to the logon server, you won't have the right key.

If you are logging onto to the domain fine as JD, then first check event viewer for some clues.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON

Thanks for the replies. But I am still having problems. Let me start from the beginning. So you can get a clear picture.

My home domain is called : HOMENET
The administrator account is a Domain User account in AD.
JD is a Domain User account for logging onto Workstations

1.I usually add a Workstation to my domain. By right clicking on MyComputer, clicking on Network Identification and clicking on Properties. I then check Member Of Domain and enter HOMENET. Then I click on More and enter HOMENET as my Primary DNS Suffix. Finally I go to the NIC bindings and click on the Properties tab for TCP/IP and then the Advanced button. Under the DNS tab I enter the suffix as HOMENET.

2.If I click on ok I am prompted with a Dialog Box to enter credentials of a user who can add this computer to the DOMAIN. Usually I enter my Domain admin details and I then get a msg box that says the workstation has been successfully added to the Domain and I need to restart the PC.

3. I log into the Domain using a Domain User Account. Eg JD.
[PROBLEM] It usually takes around 5minutes to log into the Domain[/PROBLEM]

4.I attempt to Map A Folder as a drive on the workstation. I right click on MyNetwork Places and click Map Network Drive. Then drill down and try and expand MyServer. This is where I am prompted with CONNECT TO SERVER dialog box. Esentially my Domain User cant browse anything on the DC.

I have checked the Event Logs and all I can find under the Application Log is this :

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Userenv
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1054
Date: 4/27/2006
Time: 12:34:27
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer: WORKSTATIONPC
Description:
Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name for your computer network. (The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. ). Group Policy processing aborted.

Where am I going wrong.

Thanks

Could be a DNS problem.

You see, DNS is like "power behind the throne" in an AD network. What this means is that all clients use DNS to locate Domain Controllers.

More specifically, SRV records.

A client must locate a DNS server. Then in the relevant zone file for that network domain, there should be an SRV record specifying a Domain Controller. The SRV record specifies a Kerberos service running on TCP/IP port 88. That's the essential bit for the client on a domain: Kerberos service on port 88.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256289/en-us

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266324/en-us

Because of the critical nature of DNS in a Windows Domain network, it can be a smart move for even a small company to have a backup (secondary) DNS server on the network.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON