Windows Drive mapping is lost when netware password is changed

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Direwolf20

2[H]4U
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
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Well guys, I've got a wierd one here. Several of my users (Win XP, SP1) have persistent windows drive mappings going to other windows (2000 server) machines. However, whenever they change their novell (4.9) passwords, the drive maps have a red X on them. If they try to go to that drive, it tells them access denied, and doesn't even ask for a username/password (Actually, sometimes it does, sometimes not). You have to unmap, then remap the drive in most cases.

Any ideas? :)

Also -Changing the Novell passwords force-changes the local windows password. But they are mapped to the Windows 2000 servers with a completely unrelated username/password, which is set to be remembered. It seems like the process of changing the novell password, which also changes the local password, is causing the drive mapping's "remembered password" to be forgotten.
 
Haven't used Novell for years, but with drive mappings with Windows, the Windows User account has to exist on the Server also. My guess is that the Novell login is changing the login on the Windows workstation when the user logs into Novell so it doesn't correspond to the account on the Windows server anymore, which causes the mapped drives to disconnect.

Are the Novell accounts the same as the Windows accounts? If not, either change the accounts on the Novell server or the accounts on the Windows server. It will save you a large headache.

Another option, when you map a network drive, you can use different credentials. If you do it with Windows Explorer, in the map drive window, there is a link to change the login information. You can give that a try.

Or you can use the Net Use command in a batch file to map the drives:
http://www.computerhope.com/nethlp.htm#03
Connects or disconnects your computer from a shared resource or displays information about your connections.

NET USE [drive: | *] [\\computer\directory [password | ?]]
[/SAVEPW:NO] [/YES] [/NO]
NET USE [port:] [\\computer\printer [password | ?]]
[/SAVEPW:NO] [/YES] [/NO]

NET USE drive: | \\computer\directory /DELETE [/YES]
NET USE port: | \\computer\printer /DELETE [/YES]
NET USE * /DELETE [/YES]

NET USE drive: | * /HOME

drive Specifies the drive letter you assign to a shared directory.
* Specifies the next available drive letter. If used with /DELETE, specifies to disconnect all of your connections.
port Specifies the parallel (LPT) port name you assign to a shared printer.
computer Specifies the name of the computer sharing the resource.
directory Specifies the name of the shared directory.
printer Specifies the name of the shared printer.
password Specifies the password for the shared resource, if any.
? Specifies that you want to be prompted for the password of the shared resource. You don't need to use this option unless the password is optional.
/SAVEPW:NO Specifies that the password you type should not be saved in your password-list file. You need to retype the password the next time you connect to this resource.
/YES Carries out the NET USE command without first prompting you to provide information or confirm actions.
/DELETE Breaks the specified connection to a shared
resource.
/NO Carries out the NET USE command, responding with NO automatically when you are prompted to confirm actions.
/HOME Makes a connection to your HOME directory if one is specified in your LAN Manager or Windows NT user account.

To list all of your connections, type NET USE without options.
Click to expand...

Personally, I would prefer to change the Novell acounts to match the Windows accounts.
 
Sorry, I should have mentioned that the Novell userID's and Local userID's are in sync between novell and the local workstation.

However, I found the "Manage My Network Passwords" option: Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Choose User -> Manage my Network passwords.

It seems I can manually enter in workstations, usernames, and passwords. This MAY help, I'll let you guys know next time one of these guys changes their passwords.

NOTE: Stored usernames/passwords for network drives that I setup earlier were not here. So I don't think this is where it puts the user/pass when I click "remember my password".
 
Direwolf20 said:
Sorry, I should have mentioned that the Novell userID's and Local userID's are in sync between novell and the local workstation.
Click to expand...

What about on the Windows server? are the accounts present there also?
 
Nope, the windows server has a static username/password that I typed in when I made the drive mapping. I then checked the "Remember my password" button. That password never changes.
 
Do all the workstations have unique Login/Passwords? If so, the Server needs to have those same accounts. Just set them up with limits to what they can do. Then go into the folder you want to share and give the users rights to it. You can also give them each their own folder that is private for them to keep their My Documents and PFT files on them. That way you can have the server back up those files as well so that the user's files aren't lost sometime in the future if their systems crash and burn.
 
We have all that setup with our novell network. Perhaps you're mis-interpretting what the exact problem is :). They need to change their passwords once every 30 days, so if I made them all accounts on the server with the same login/pass, I would need to change their server password for them.
 
I see. I was mis-interpreting was I was reading. My fault. I will email someone in IT here and ask how we used to do that with Novel...if there is anyone left from the Novell days....:)
 
Found something for you over at the NNTP boards at Novell:

Not sure if this question is for the client newsgroup but here goes ...

On several workstations, some XP, some W2k, using different Novell
clients, 4.83, 4.90, drive mappings appear in 'my computer', to have a red
X on it. If you double click the drive, it lets you into the share, and
the x goes away.

This appears to be a drive mapping being dropped.

Is this a known issue where Novell and Microsoft Windows mappings
conflict, fight, or throw pies at each other?

George
Click to expand...

George,

The Update Agent in the 4.90 clients has been the most recent cause.

Does disabling power management on the NIC help any?

There is a CUSRVC.EXE update that appears to resolve the issue of losing drive
mappings soon after the login script runs when 4.9 SP2's Client Update Agent is
enabled...

Beta updates for 4.90 (beta can be better in some cases than production)
http://support.novell.com/filefinder/18193/beta.html

Lost Drive mappings after login script runs
http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10095727.htm

Assuming Workstation Manager is installed with the Novell Client, its also been
tied to the Update Agent being enabled...

Mapped drives disappear immediately after login with Update Agent enabled.
http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10094392.htm


Are all volume objects associated correctly and DS in good share?...

Clients are losing drive mappings
http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10061739.htm


Any additional components of the client installed (ie. ZFD agent services like
Workstation Manager, NMAS, NetIdentity, etc.)?
Is the client installed IP, IPX or both?

Event Viewer logs showing anything unusual?
Was Windows installed from scratch, a custom image, or an OEM image?

Security or any other driver-based software like firewall, VPN, remote
management or antivirus getting in the way?

--
Tony Pedretti
TransUnion LLC
Click to expand...


Here is a link to Novells support forums: http://support.novell.com/forums/2nw.html
 
Cool thanks for the info. Reading over it, it sounds like most of that is in response to Novell drive mappings (g: pointing to a novell server) being lost. But mine are windows drive mappings (g: pointing to a windows 2k server).

I'm hopeful that what I found above might help with it, and I'll let you guys know if it does. Thanks for all your help! :)
 
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