Windows NT4: Mapping A Network Drive

These instructions are for mapping other shared network space, onto your computer for Windows 2000 Professional users only. SNS does not support any other version of Windows NT4.

These instructions assume your computer is in good working order. If it is not, following these instructions may not produce the results you desire and will make your computer ineligible for support from Student Network Service.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPORT:

1. A Pentium class computer or laptop with Windows NT4 Workstation with Service Pack 3 installed
2. An installed, configured and properly working Ethernet Card

Your computer must meet or exceed the above requirements to be eligible to receive technical support from Student Network Service.

You must be logged in as an administrator to perform this action. It only needs to be completed once. If you are not intending to access , you can go directly to step one.

To connect to , you must first enable "plain text passwords." To do this, download this file.

Once the file is downloaded, right click on it and select "Merge" form the menu that pops up. Then restart your computer. You have now enabled plain text passwords.

Step One: Mapping The Network Drive.

Log into Windows, right-click your Network Neighborhood icon located on your desktop and select "Map Network Drive..." form the menu that pops up.

Step Two: Setting up the Drive and Path of the Network Drive:

A window will appear titled "Map Network Drive" prompting you to select a drive letter to map the network space as, and the path to the network space you are connecting to.

You can select any drive letter your computer is not currently using. If you are mapping your , you may want to use the "P:" drive. Select the drive you want to use at the "Drive" menu.

You must also specify a "Folder" on the network to map that drive to. To connect to your , use one of the following:

\\\homes
\\\PilotID

To connect to the main  directory, use the following:

\\\root

If you are connecting to a different computer on the campus network, the path you would use will be in the following format:

\\(Computer Name)\(Share Name)

Next, make sure the box "Reconnect at logon" is unchecked. SNS recommends that you do not attempt to have network drives reconnect at logon because it slows down the network and your own computer.

Once you have entered in the required information, press the "OK" button.

NOTE: If you are unsure of the share name, you may be able to find it provided you know the name of the computer you are trying to connect to. For information on how to do this, see the bottom of this documentation.

Step Three: Entering A Network Password.

After a moment or two, a window titled "Enter Network Password" will appear. If you are connecting to , enter in your PilotID at the "Connect As:" prompt and enter your Pilot password at the "Password:" prompt.

If you are connecting to another computer, enter in the required username and password combination for that shared space. If you are connecting to a Windows 95 or 98 machines, simply enter your username at the "Connected As:" prompt. If no password is needed, skip to step five.

Your password will not be displayed, but instead will be represented by asterisks (*) There should be one asterisk for each character in your password.

Once you have done this, press the "OK" button.

Step Four: Using Your Network Space..

Provided that you entered in the correct password, your  network volume will now be mapped onto your computer.

A new window may open, this will be the network space you just mapped. If no window is opened, or you close this window, you can still access the drive.

To access the network drive, simply double click your My Computer icon. The network drive icon will look like a regular hard drive icon with a wire underneath it. In our picture on the right, the network volume we connected is called Homes on '' (E:).

You can now use this network drive like a regular hard drive. Depending on the amount of network traffic, and your connection speed to the campus network, the speed that you can access this space will vary.

Step Five: Disconnecting A Network Drive. (Part 1)

When you are done using your network drive, you should disconnect it. To do this, right-click on your My Network Places icon located on your desktop. Select "Disconnect Network Drive..." from the menu that pops up.

Step Six: Disconnecting A Network Drive. (Part 2)

A window titled "Disconnect Network Drive" will appear. Inside this window will be a box listing all network drives currently connected to your computer. Simply select the drive, or drives, you wish to disconnect and press the "OK" button.

Once you have disconnected all the network drives you want to, simply close this window.

The following are instructions for finding all the available shares on a specific computer. You can browse computers on your local network through your Network Neighborhood, but the following three steps can help you locate any computer with share access on the campus network.

Finding A Network Share: Step One: Find A Computer. (Part 1)

Right-click on your Network Neighborhood icon located on your desktop and select "Find Computer..." from the menu that pops up.

Finding A Network Share: Step Two: Find A Computer. (Part 2)

A window titled "Find: Computer" will appear. Type the name of the computer you are trying to connect to at the "Named:" prompt. Once you have done this, press the "Find Now" button.

NOTE: You must type the computer's name exactly or your search will not turn up any results. You cannot use this to find random computers on the network, you must know the exact name of the computer you are trying to connect to.

Finding A Network Share: Step Three: Find A Computer. (Part 3)

After a few moments, the results of your search, if any, will appear at the bottom of the window. Simply double-click the name of the computer and a window will appear listing all the network shares on that computer.

You will only be able to connect to these shares if you have any needed passwords. This search will not find hidden shares on any computer.