Error Mapping or Reconnecting Network Resource

You may receive one of the following error messages when Windows is trying to reconnect a mapped network drive or when you try to map a drive to a network resource in Windows Explorer:

• The following error occurred while reconnecting X: to \\<server>\<share>
  Invalid local device.
  Do you want to restore this connection the next time you log on?
• The following error occurred while reconnecting X: to \\server\sys
  Permanent connection not available
  Do you want to restore this connection the next time you log on?
• The following error occurred while trying to connect X: to \\<server>\ <share>
  Invalid local device
• The following error occurred while trying to connect X: to \\server\sys
  Device not connected.

where \\<server>\<share> is a shared Microsoft resource and \\server\sys is a shared resource on a NetWare server.

This error can occur if the drive letter you are trying to map is higher than the last drive available to Windows. The last drive available to Windows is defined in the LASTDRIVE= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file. For example, this error occurs if you try to map drive Q, but the CONFIG.SYS file contains the statement LASTDRIVE=P.

To work around this problem, use any one of the following methods:

• Remove the LASTDRIVE= statement from the CONFIG.SYS file.

• Modify the LASTDRIVE= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file so that the last drive available to Windows is greater than the last drive letter you want to map.
• Map a drive letter that is less than the last drive available to Windows instead of the drive letter you are trying to map. For example, if the last drive letter available to Windows is drive P, map drive O to the network resource.

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

When you use the protected-mode network clients included with Windows (VREDIR.VXD and NWREDIR.VXD), avoid using the LASTDRIVE= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file. If you use a LASTDRIVE= statement, avoid mapping a drive letter that is greater than the drive letter in the LASTDRIVE= statement.