How To Connect to Shared Folders Over the Network (on a Domain) in Windows 2000

This step-by-step guide describes how users can connect to shared folders on a computer in a Windows 2000-based domain. A Windows 2000-based computer can function in either a domain environment with centralized security and management or as a stand-alone computer. If a Windows 2000-based computer is configured as a stand-alone computer, it can join other stand-alone computers in a workgroup. One of the main reasons for doing this is to share files and folders over the network. This document assumes that the computers are running TCP/IP as the network protocol.

Connecting to Network Shared Folders

After a folder has been shared, users on other computers can connect to the folder over the network. When users connect to a share, they can:

• Open files
• Save files
• Delete files
• Create, modify and delete folders
• Perform other tasks

The operations that users can carry out depend on the level of permissions they have been granted. There are several ways of opening shares on another computer:

• My Network Places
• Universal Naming Convention (UNC)
• Mapped network drive

To Connect to a Shared Folder with My Network Places

1. On the desktop, double-click My Network Places.
2. Double-click Entire Network.
3. Double-click Microsoft Windows Network, and then double-click your domain.
4. Double-click the computer with shared files that you want to access. Windows 2000 displays all of the shared folders and printers on the computer.
5. Double-click the appropriate shared folder.
6. If your user account has permission to access this share, you can see all of the folders and files in the shared folder. The level of permissions you have been granted determine what you can do with those folders and files.

To Connect to a Shared Folder with the UNC Format

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type the share name by using the UNC format (\\servername\sharename), and then click OK. Windows 2000 displays all of the shared folders and printers on that computer.
3. Double-click the shared folder to access the shared files.

To Connect to a Shared Folder with a Mapped Network Drive

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Map Network Drive.
3. In the Drive box, click the drive letter to map to the shared resource.
4. In the Folder box, type the server and share name of the resource, in the form of \\servername\sharename. Or, click Browse to locate the resource.

Notes About Connecting to Shared Folders

• By default, Windows 2000 attempts to reconnect any mapped drives the next time you log on. If you do not want this to happen (for example, if you want this mapped drive to be effective only for your current logon session), click to clear the Reconnect at Logon check box.
• By default, you are connected to the other computer with the logon credentials that you are currently using. If you want to use other credentials, click Connect using a different user name, and then type the appropriate user name and password to connect to this network resource.
• The mapped drive that you create is visible in the Folders pane in Windows Explorer, along with all the other drives on your computer. You can access the files in the shared folder through any program on your computer by using the mapped drive letter.

Troubleshooting

You Cannot Connect to a Server by Using a Computer Name

When you type \\computername in the Open box, you may receive an error message that indicates that the network path was not found. This behavior can be caused by a number of issues that are related to network connectivity and name resolution.

Try these steps to determine if your computer can communicate on the network:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
2. At the command prompt, type ping computername, and then press ENTER. You should see one of the following responses:
   • Unknown Host: This indicates that your computer was not able to determine which TCP/IP address to communicate with from the computer name that you typed. Check the configuration for your WINS and DNS services to make sure that you are able to use these services to translate computer names to TCP/IP addresses.
   • The TCP/IP address of the computer you are connecting to followed by four "Request timed out" messages: This indicates that name resolution is working, but you are unable to communicate with the remote computer. Check for problems in connections between your computer and the computer you are communicating with, such as broken or disconnected cables or problems with hubs and switches. There might also be problems with the TCP/IP address configuration on either your computer or the one you are connecting to.
   • The TCP/IP address of the computer you are connecting to followed by four "Reply from IP Address" messages: This indicates that TCP/IP communication between the two computers is working. Check to determine if the Server service is running on the computer you are trying to reach.

You Do Not See the Computer You Are Attempting to Connect to in My Network Places

My Network Places collects its data from the Browser service, which relies on periodic announcements from computers on your network. If you do not see a computer in My Network Places, the computer might have been recently rebooted, causing that computer not to appear on the browse list. You can either wait for the browse list to be updated automatically (typically within a few minutes), or use one of the other methods to connect to the other computer.