Drive mappings

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This is probably a simple question, but its something Im stuck on in work.
I need to map more than 26 drives, but windows only allows me to map up to 'Z'.
How can I go beyond this? Net use only allows a single letter, and the options within windows do the same thing.
There is no flexibility in the problem.
Obviously its drives mapping to shared folders, but there are about 50 shared folders that require mappings.

Anything at all would be helpful

Thanks

 

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yowzers how many? ...thats alot...to be honest i dont think its remotely possible... but i dont know if anyone else has come across this..but hey u never know...but seems odd...is there any reason you want to get more than the desired 26?

 

Can't be arsed to answer!

 

Its to do with internal applications, log on scripts and access to data for users.
The set up was originally worked out for a novell server, but they now want to migrate all data to windows with minimal disruption to daily operation of the business.
Most users only require access to 5 or 10 drives, but some are using 20 or 30.
About half the drives have data that is populated by in house apps which were developed in such a way that they need a static drive spec rather than just a share.
They're not prepared to rejig the file structure at the mo, so an imaginative solution is being desparately sought!

 

i believe its not possible. Of course, you could map a single drive to a DFS server which contains folders for each of the drive mappings they want to open.

To be honest though, Thats not a very good setup, and to me shows poor planning on the network system. Having too many drives will have a tendency to confuse users, particularly those who dont use them.

if you cant change the file structure, you should at least consider using logon scripts to map drives based on whether the user needs the drive or not (for instance based on groups in their account). That way if they have no need to see the drive then they just dont! This doesnt get around the issue of those who genuinely require more than 26 drives, but you can use mounted drives or DFS to solve this.

 

Ive already written log on scripts which dynamically assign drive mappings, all based on group membership, which work ok for most users, but its like trying to pull teeth to get anyone to let me change the file structure.

I was thinking of just blagging it from a security perspective and say that the access to data is too open and people should have more limited access.
That way no-one would be allowed more than 26!

I was just hoping someone had come across this before and knew of the fix.

 

The other way to look at it is to ask "why??"

I was thinking of just blagging it from a security perspective and say that the access to data is too open and people should have more limited access.

That really says it all....plus there is the records management best practices to consider - if you need further justification...

You really could end up with real access and revision control issues if you let users set the agenda. I have had users copy 10 or 15 GB across from one mapped drive to another "to make it more convenient" when I give them too many mapped drives.

Generally the industry standard is to made job specific drives like marketing and accounts available at a general level with appropriate permissions, so that gives 2 to 3 drives at most.

Then the users may have a home or users area..say 2 mappings at most

Then one for email folder...

One for Office templates...

One for source images....

A total of 8 or 9 mappings, and that is for a power user!

Most office types wil get by on 4 or 5 mappings of network drives.

HTH

supag33k

 

Lugosi,

Is your work using a domain structure?

 

last resort, couldn't you mount some of the other drives to ones within the alphabet?