Map a drive letter to a remote server/share.
Syntax
NET USE [devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD] [/SAVECRED] [[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]
Map to the current user's home directory as specified in the users Active Directory record:
NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME
Set defaults:
NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]
To map a drive to a network resource, File and Printer sharing must be enabled on the remote (server) computer.
NET USE command can map a network printer to an LPT port (for DOS type applications that print to a port.) but this does not add the printer to the Control Panel.
By default all mapped drives have a 15 minute idle session timeout, you can modify this with the NET CONFIG command. This behaviour is designed to improve overall performance.
Windows explorer displays a drive description for each share, while this can be edited in the Explorer GUI. The text is stored in the registry.
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2\##ComputerName#ShareName _LabelFromReg=<description of drive mapping> (string REG_SZ)
Examples:
Join a file share (Drive MAP)
NET USE [driveletter:] \\ComputerName\ShareName /PERSISTENT:YES
NET USE [driveletter:] \\ComputerName\ShareName\folder1\folder2 /PERSISTENT:No
NET USE H: /Home
NET USE J: \\MainServer\Users\%Username%
NET USE W: \\MainServer\GroupShare /Persistent:No
NET USE \\MainServer\SharedPrinter
Make all future connections persistent (auto-reconnect at login)
NET USE /Persistent:Yes
or
NET USE /P:Yes
Make all future connections non-persistent (reconnect with login script)
NET USE /Persistent:No
or
NET USE /P:No
Join a file share (Drive MAP) - with a long share name
NET USE [driveletter:] "\\ComputerName\ShareName"
Connect a user to their HOME directory
NET USE [devicename | *] [password | *]] [/HOME]
This requires the users Home server/folder to be defined in AD
In a script, to map a drive and wait until the mapping has completed before continuing:
START /wait NET USE [driveletter:] \\ComputerName\ShareName
This will be a little slower, but ensures that files can be read from the mapped drive.
Join a Printer Share
NET USE [LPTx:] \\ComputerName\printer_share /PERSISTENT:YES
Join a Printer Share - with a "long" share name
NET USE [LPTx:] "\\ComputerName\printer_share"
Disconnect from a share
NET USE [driveletter:] /DELETE
Disconnect from a share and close all resources (undocumented)
NET USE [driveletter:] /DELETE /Y
Map a drive using alternate credentials - this will prompt for a password
NET USE G: \\Server64\Share1 /USER:SS64dom\user64
Map a drive using alternate credentials, passing a password credential (this must be run from PowerShell)
PS C:\> "s5QxXkwnOxt3MuNlgY6E" | ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force | ConvertFrom-SecureString | Out-File C:\temp\credential.txt
PS C:\> $SecString = get-content C:\temp\credential.txt | ConvertTo-SecureString
PS C:\> $cred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PsCredential('SS64dom\user64',$SecString)
PS C:\> New-PSDrive -name G -Root \\Server64\Share1 -Credential $cred -PSProvider filesystem -Persist
The password can be decrypted only by the user who encrypted it, on the same machine.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference” ~ Robert Frost
Related:
VB Script: MapDrive [ example ]
VB Script: Add Printer Connection [Examples]
NET - Manage network resources.
NET SESSION - List or disconnect open files.
NET SHARE - Create file share.
OPENFILES - List or disconnect open files, local or remote.
PRNMNGR - Add, delete, list printers and printer connections.
PUSHD - Map to a drive share.
RMTSHARE - List or edit a file share or print share (on any computer).
RUNDLL32 - Add/remove print connections
SHARE - List or edit a file share or print share.
WMIC NETUSE - WMI access to drive mappings.
fsmgmt.msc - List or disconnect open files (GUI)
Equivalent PowerShell command: New-PSDrive- Create a mapped network drive.
Equivalent bash command (Linux): lpc - line printer control program.