Drive mapping without logging

Due to weird application needs I have to map a network drive on a 2003 server.
It should be automatically done at the server start without the need of a
login, so it cannot be done in the easy way of mapping a network drive for a
specific user.
After a long internet search the only solution I have found is to use:
Installing the AutoExNT Service
and make it launch a batch with a net use ... inside.

I'm going to try but I'm wondering if there is a better solution.

Thanks
Filippo

setecastronomy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Due to weird application needs I have to map a network drive on a
> 2003 server. It should be automatically done at the server start
> without the need of a login, so it cannot be done in the easy way of
> mapping a network drive for a specific user.
> After a long internet search the only solution I have found is to use:
> Installing the AutoExNT Service
> and make it launch a batch with a net use ... inside.
>
> I'm going to try but I'm wondering if there is a better solution.
>
> Thanks
> Filippo

You don't need that. Just use a computer startup script and provide
credentials therein (you can use net use in there, I believe).

Frankly, though, I'd be mighty suspicious of a server-based app that
required this - can't it use a UNC path?

The scripting at the startup containing a "Net use" command works great but
I'm still wondering why there isn't a cleaner solution.
A user can choose to autonatically reconnect at startup a network drive.
The relevant informations are stored in the registry under the HKCU and
HKEY_USER hives. Perhaps, to obtain the same effect of the script, it is
possible to write something under HKLM or HKEY_USER for .default or S-1-5-18
(System).

Thanks again

setecastronomy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> The scripting at the startup containing a "Net use" command works
> great but I'm still wondering why there isn't a cleaner solution.

Because drive mappings are for the human using the computer, *not* for the
computer itself. Any application designed to work on a server shouldn't
require a drive mapping to function, because drive mappings work when
*users* are logged in - and any server app should not require that a user be
logged in.

> A user can choose to autonatically reconnect at startup a network
> drive.

See above.

> The relevant informations are stored in the registry under the
> HKCU and HKEY_USER hives. Perhaps, to obtain the same effect of the
> script, it is possible to write something under HKLM or HKEY_USER for
> .default or S-1-5-18 (System).

Again, see above. Even in using the net use command/startup script, all
you're doing is effecting a kludge, which may work, but is not ideal.

>
> Thanks again