Network drives - Windows XP Pro, user names and passwords

[harrkev]

Hi. I have a NAS box that shares a bunch of critical files. Previously I had the box wide-open: no usernames or passwords. Anybody could come in and do anything that they want. I want to change that.

So, I added usernames and passwords to the NAS box. It works great with Linux. But now my problem is with windows...

If I simply browse to the drive, Windows want to use the username of "Guest" (which I don't like), but at least it offers to remember the password.

On the other hand, if I try to map the shared folder to a drive letter, I can happily enter any username that I want, but it NEVER remembers the password the next time anybody logs on.

OK. Here is what I would like. I would like to have a user account on XP automatically map the network drive when I log in. This means that stupid XP Pro will have to remember the shared password. How do I do this?

Thanks

 

[Atheus]

You could map the drives with a bash script like "net use \\192.168.0.101\share1 password user:foo" or something. I forget the exact syntax.

 

[harrkev]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You could map the drives with a bash script like "net use \\192.168.0.101\share1 password user:foo" or something. I forget the exact syntax.

I have absolutely no problems in Linux. It is Win Xp-Pro that is giving me fits. I don't remember "bash" in windows

Yes, I know that I could install Cygwin, but somehow I don't think that would help.

 

[nweaver]

think he means (command) shell script, like cmd.exe. That is close to right, but not quite

net use Z: \\server\share /user:username password

that would map the share to Z: drive. do you have a matching username/password on the the NAS as your XP Pro login/password? That would probably do the trick.

 

[eDRoaCH]

I am guessing you dont use a password at logon of windows.

Set one, and make the user/pass the same on both the computer and the share and you should be good with the mapped drives.

FYI: having windows remember passwords really isnt the best of security

 

[harrkev]

Originally posted by: nweaver
think he means (command) shell script, like cmd.exe. That is close to right, but not quite

Wow. Thanks. I was able to make that work. I just threw it after a "if not exist z:" and it worked like a champ.

Still, not as elegant as I was hoping... Using a batch file seems rather clumsy, but then again Windows is clumsy.

BTW: are there any good tutorials on the stuff added to the scripting language since XP came out? I used to be pretty good at batch file programming. I once made an 8K batch file to keep three separate compilers running: one x86, one i860, and one DSP, all in one box, but this was about a decade ago. This "net use" is a new command to me.

Originally posted by: eDRoaCH
I am guessing you dont use a password at logon of windows.

Set one, and make the user/pass the same on both the computer and the share and you should be good with the mapped drives.

FYI: having windows remember passwords really isnt the best of security

I am not THAT worried about security. This is in my home. This security is meant to protect against five-year-old children and elderly grandparents. Not a very challenging environment. A simple two-character password would be enough to keep then from causing accidental damage

 

[rasczak]

i think if you took this route, rt click my computer > map network drive > there's an option to connect with user name and password.

this should work as well.

although i like nweaver's way much better.

 

[harrkev]

Originally posted by: jpbelauskas
i think if you took this route, rt click my computer > map network drive > there's an option to connect with user name and password.

This was the first thing that I tried, and it worked like a charm ... until I turned off the computer. The next time I re-started, it tried to restore the connection, but could not remember the password. If you know of a way to have it remember the password, that would be very helpful.

 

[nweaver]

not much added to cmd.exe, but lots of decent add ons out there, pstools is one I use alot. Netsh also adds quite a bit. I use perl to write mass netsh scripts, since MS is retarded with some server stuff. wth wouldn't you allow import of reservations/addresses into DHCP or DNS!!1!

 

[spikespiegal]

Anybody could come in and do anything that they want. I want to change that

But you want network passwords hard coded into logins. I guess a thousand pounds of feathers is lighter after all.

 

[harrkev]

Originally posted by: spikespiegal
But you want network passwords hard coded into logins. I guess a thousand pounds of feathers is lighter after all.

You have to have the right security for the right problem. I have a few computers in my network. One is going to be dedicated to my father-in-law. He barely knows how to turn a computer on. What I am trying to accomplish is to allow him to have his own PC, but not give him access to the shared files. Period. He is not going to try to hack in. He is not going to try to guess the passwords. If he does any damage, it will be accidental, so I am trying to add enough security to prevent accidents. So the security that I need is minimal. His machine is also going to be running Ubuntu, so the odds of him picking up spyware/viruses is almost nill. We are behind a NAT firewall, so outside attackers cannot get in.

Every problem does not need industrial-grade security.

 

[Woodie]

New CLI shell available from MS in RC1 form: PowerShell

(I don't have the URL handy, so search MS downloads for it.) It's their answer to bash, bourned, etc... shells. Built on .NET, so has "object" access, not just syntax. I've had it for 3 days, so I'm just starting to figure out how to use it.

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: harrkev

Originally posted by: jpbelauskas
i think if you took this route, rt click my computer > map network drive > there's an option to connect with user name and password.

This was the first thing that I tried, and it worked like a charm ... until I turned off the computer. The next time I re-started, it tried to restore the connection, but could not remember the password. If you know of a way to have it remember the password, that would be very helpful.

Then the issue is the username and pwd need to be the same on each box (including the NAS) if this is a workgroup situation.