reconnect a disconnected drive

[jenntaylor728]

Hello,
I have a separate drive for my programs.  Occasionally (once or twice a month), I get this message " c:\f-drive\JR>cd\jr The system cannot find the path specified". 

If I hit cancel and reboot it will operate as normal.  This time no such luck.

Looking at My Computer shows that the drive is disconnected. 
When I type "start, run, command f: \\the actual computer name\f-drive" , it asks me if I want to overwrite the remembered connection. I did not do so..was hesitant.

When I click on My computer, highlight the drive and select Map, for Drive it's set at Z, I changed it to F: \\computer name....for folder, the only choice is the name of the computer...then I check "Reconnect at logon", when I click on Finish, it says "The mapped network drive could not be created because the following error has occurred: The network location cannot be reached."

Any help, comments, or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jennifer

[Geek-9pm]

Welcome!
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When I click on My computer, highlight the drive and select Map, for Drive it's set at Z, I changed it to F: \\computer name..

Did it not wonk a drive Z in you application? Drive Z: is an alias for the full network name. Some programs can not use a network name, so the solution is to map a network folder as a local drive.

Do you know what you are  doing?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_mapping

Drive mapping means a network folder becomes a single drive letter. For the simple case. Is there a reason to make it more complex?

[jenntaylor728]

Hello,
I neglected to tell you that I tried Z first and it did not work..not sure what else to do ?
Thanks for reading & helping.
Jennifer

[Geek-9pm]

Let me suppose you are using Windows XP.
The remote computer must be on line, on the local network,  when you turn on your computer. If not, the drive map will fail.

Article ID: 308582 - Last Review: June 7, 2004 - Revision: 2.4

How to connect and disconnect a network drive in Windows XP

Note Network drives are mapped by using letters starting from the letter Z. This is the default drive letter for the first mapped drive you create. However, you can select another letter if you want to use a letter other than Z.

Please notice that this article does not suggest that you need to use a different method if the drive map fails. Nor does it suggest that using a different drive letter will solve the problem. There is no apparent reason to use a drive letter other than just the letters eating, which is the default letter or a mapped drive.  whenever a network drive fails to connect, you can use this procedure as follows.
Go into my network places, locate the area where you can dismount or disconnect any network drive. After doing a disconnect of the drive, see if you are able to locate that particular shared folder again in network places. If it is not available on the network, you're not going to be able to map it to a drive letter. You may have to use the find feature to find remote computer on the network.
In other words, if the computer and its shared folders are not visible on the network, the drive mapped is bound to fail.
Once you have located the resource again, you should have no trouble doing the drive map.
That is about as much as I can say. Using different methods map the drive is not the way to solve the problem. All of the methods work. Or they all do not work. If network places cannot find the resource on the network, the map will fail.

please seek nor the mistakes in my grammar. Nobody's perfect

[jenntaylor728]

Hello,
I might not be using the correct terminology.  This is a stand-alone PC using Windows XP.  The F drive has always been where my files & programs are.  When I try to access anything on the F drive it's telling me that it can't find the path.  When I go in to check the mapping it's called the F drive but it says that it's disconnected..I've tried remapping it to Z and to F, but still it's telling me that it can't find the path.

Is that a little clearer...sorry..hope I'm not confusing everyone!

Thanks
Jennifer

[Geek-9pm]

OK. The term "map" is commonly used for a network drive.
If the drive is not visible in My Computer, there are stow possibilities1. )
1.)  A he system administrators has gone into the administrative tools and worked done the menus into the drive management  thing. There he could  assign drive letters, or 'dismount' drives.
2.) A cable has come loose on the  drive itself. Or the drive is not getting power. Or the drive has 'froze' because of a bearing is stuck. Or the drive is failing.

The #1 is not something that comes and goes. The #2 is a mechanical thing and would be the likely answer. Turning the power on and off many times may 'wake-up' the drive. Somethings just giving the drive a little bit of motion is enough to start it to spin up. But I know that others here will gasp as that idea. The drive is able to take moderate shock, so giving it a thump may do the trick.  Of course, check the cables first.Then give it a spank.