XP Network Drive Mapping - Requires Password Everytime

[JayLiv]

Good morning, all. Happy Halloween (for those that participate)

I hope there is a simple solution to this, and I thought I would post here before scouring Microsoft's site.

Environment:
1) TS119 w/WD 1.0 Terabyte, running firmware version 3.1.2 Build1014.
2) Verizon FIOS router Actiontec MI424WR
3) Laptop, wireless, Vista SP1
4) Desktop, wired, XP SP3

Situation:
1) Have several shared drives mapped by both machines (user directory, qmultimedia, etc).
2) Vista laptop has no issue. Everytime I reboot, it connects and I don't have to enter the password for the network drives.
3) Windows XP desktop connects, but if I want to access the drive, I have to reenter the password. After that, it works fine.

Attempts to Correct:
1) Tried dropping and readding from XP; same issue.
2) Obviously, when I was adding the network drive the first time, I selected 'reconnect at login'.

Normally it wouldn't be more than an inconvenience, but my wife's machine is the XP, and I want to make it as painless as possible for her.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[mthibodeau]

I'm having the same issue but with a TS639-Pro with firmware 3.1.2 Build 1014T, our office runs Windows XP service pack 3. The QNAP faq just claims that this a failing with Windows. If anybody has a useful suggestion, unlike the qnap faq, it would be appreciated.

[gwenolan]

Hello,

I think it is normal on Home Editions. Pro editions can store network passwords.

On you laptop, do you have vista pro ?

[petur]

Does it work when the same user/pass combo also exists on the NAS? Windows will typically try to login with the username/password of the current user.

[JayLiv]

Hi, all. Thanks for the replies.... See my responses below.

1) Gwenolan -- my laptop (Vista Business) works fine (other than an annoying issue I'll describe below).
2) Petur -- I did have same user & password identified both on NAS and on desktops. My problem was with XP SP3.

Over the last week, I've done a number of things that I believe have addressed the problem -- I put in a gigabit switch behind my Verizon router and have 'wired' the two heaviest users. I also dropped and readded the user on the NAS and changed the passwords. Not sure which of these addressed it, but it seems to have gone away.

The problem (not really a problem, more of an annoyance) is that Windows (both XP & Vista) attempt to connect the network drive seemingly relatively early in the startup process. Sometimes, it's too quick, and it is 'unable' to connect to the NAS. Eventually it straightens itself out, but I've been looking for a way to resequence or delay the attempt to connect to the drive in the startup script. If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know.

Thanks,

JayLiv

[gwenolan]

Ok, you have Vista Business (not Home Edition). And XP ? Pro or Home ?
You will see in your user credential's administration on Vista that you can store network password. In think that on XP Home you won't have this option.

Can you confirm that ?

Before modifying your configuration, that was working fine on XP ?

Gwenolan

[JayLiv]

Thanks, Gwenolan.

Yes... Vista Business (32 bit) and XP Home.

Regarding XP, wasn't working the way I wanted it to (had to reenter password) until the mods described below. I guess it's also possible that one of the many MS patches (that I have automatically applied) could have had an impact to... not certain. But now XP does connect w/out needing to reenter the password.

[gwenolan]

Sorry, I did not have read well your previous post. So you have solved your problem with same user/pass on NAS and OS.

I still think that is a workaround for Home Editions. (I had the same problem on Vista Home that do not have user credentials options whereas XP Pro have). Now we can find a lot of networks at home, I don't know why Microsoft do not "offer" this option to Home Editions.