Windows 10 Mapped Network Drive always has to be disconnected and re-mapped

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Marc J
Getting the hang of things
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:36 am

Windows 10 Mapped Network Drive always has to be disconnected and re-mapped

Post by Marc J »

I have a QNAP NAS called "ts-439-pro" on my network, with a share on it called "Qweb".

I can map it as a network drive (Windows 10 Pro 20H2), either by it's name (\\ts-439-pro\qWeb) or IP (\\192.168.0.3\qWeb), and it works fine.

But, if I reboot, trying to access it gives me an error: -
An error occurred while reconnecting w: to \\192.168.0.3\Qweb
Microsoft Windows Network: The local device name is already in use.
This connection has not been restored.
If I then disconnect the network drive then re-add it, it works perfectly well again. Until the next reboot.

Any help / pointer much appreciated - it's driving me mad!
Mousetick
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Re: Windows 10 Mapped Network Drive always has to be disconnected and re-mapped

Post by Mousetick »

I suspect at some point you mapped the share using the IP address and another time you mapped the share using the name, and in both cases you had the 'Re-connect at sign-in' option checked. Or maybe only for one of those. Or maybe you used a different username in one case.

Anyway, you need to clear up the auto-reconnect at logon snafu.

Google "Microsoft Windows Network: The local device name is already in use. This connection has not been restored.". You'll find many answers, some more pertinent and valid than others.

I'd recommend reading this one first:
https://superuser.com/questions/240383/ ... ady-in-use

This one basically rehashes the previous but maybe in a nicer clearer way:
https://windowsreport.com/local-device- ... dy-in-use/

Recommendation: never use 'Re-connect at sign-in', or if you do, make sure to use it only once and for all, and that nothing else is trying to automap the share.
Marc J
Getting the hang of things
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:36 am

Re: Windows 10 Mapped Network Drive always has to be disconnected and re-mapped

Post by Marc J »

Thanks for the reply.

I tried everything mentioned, nothing works :(

The network drive can be mapped but always fails after reboot. Strangely, if I add it as a network location (but not a mapped drive) there is never an issue.
Mousetick
Experience counts
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Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 10:28 pm

Re: Windows 10 Mapped Network Drive always has to be disconnected and re-mapped

Post by Mousetick »

Marc J wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:00 am I tried everything mentioned, nothing works :(
Yikes. Oh I've got another idea: how about you reinstall Windows, that should clear up the error? Nah... joking.
Strangely, if I add it as a network location (but not a mapped drive) there is never an issue.
That's what I do too (use network locations). Works fine all the time, and there are none of "Re-connect at sign-in" shenanigans. I very rarely map shares to drives these days. And there is really no need to, unless you use some antiquated application that only works with drive letters.

In your case the issue is with the drive mapping itself. So it's not that strange that network location works, since by design it doesn't doesn't use drive mapping.
Marc J
Getting the hang of things
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:36 am

Re: Windows 10 Mapped Network Drive always has to be disconnected and re-mapped

Post by Marc J »

Mousetick wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:28 amIn your case the issue is with the drive mapping itself. So it's not that strange that network location works, since by design it doesn't doesn't use drive mapping.
You'd think, but in this case the share used to map OK along with half a dozen other shares, to different drive letters. For years. Then I got a new QNAP, shifted a lot of the shares to that, and re-mapped them. Decided to keep just this one on the old one, attempting to add it back and the issues started.

So, drive mapping used to work, still does for the 2nd QNAP, but no longer for this old one. The thing is I did do a bit of an audit on settings in the old QNAP but as far as I know that isn't the cause, as it does map successfully, just doesn't survive a reboot :?
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