I have a home network using three machines on Windows XP Home Edition, with an older machine acting as a central file server, running Windows 98SE, rekitted with a large hard drive.

All the machines network OK. I have set up shared directories on the central (WIN 98) machine for all the family to use. However, I want to apply differential read/write passwords to these directories, so that only I can edit or delete files on them. (I don't want the kids deleting our photo albums or music library.) Thus, the default access is for read-only, with separate password controlled write access.

Previously, all the machines were running WIN98, and this arrangement worked fine. The central machine is left running permanently, so that when another machine boots up it should automatically reconnect to the central machine to get access to the shared files. Thus, when all machines ran Win 98, I could store the read-only password in the "Map network drive" settings, check the "Reconnect at login" and the machines would reconnect at login without the user needing to do anything or know any password.

Now that the machines are on Win XP HE, they do not reconnect automatically. At login, the taskbar shows "Could not reconnect all network drives". On opening Windows Explorer, the drives are shown with a red cross as disconnected. Double clicking on an icon prompts a request for the password. Entering this (even if it is blank - as I use for the read-only password) opens up the shared directories.

Is there any way I can give automatic reconnection to the shared directories, in the way that I enjoyed when all my machines used Win 98?

I too run XP on all 4 of our networked pc's, as you one as a central server. I also get this problem too so would be very interested if someone else comes up with the answer as I have tried everything!

Open My Network Places, click tools, click Map Network Drive, choose the drive and make sure Reconnect at Logon is checked. Please see attachment.

Thanks Bear - I had already done that. The machines all know that they should reconnect at login. But the problem is that when a machine boots up and tries to reconnect it fails to do so, as it does not remember the passwords for the shared drives. Therefore the drives show in My Computer with a red cross because they have failed to reconnect. The taskbar also gives a popup bubble saying "Could not reconnect all network drives".

The problem is how to get the machines to remember the password for each shared drive.

Any more ideas?

Thanks to help from this and other forums, I have now found the answer. It requires a batch file to run every time a user logs in.

I am a novice to writing batch files and had a few problems getting it to work. Lest any other novices come to this thread seeking help on getting XP home machines to reconnect at login, I am setting out below the details of how I have eventually got the machines to login successfully to shared drives with passwords.

1. Working from one of the users' PCs (i.e. not the central machine which has the shared drives), disconnect the network drives using Windows Explorer. (Even though Explorer shows a red cross through the drive and it is inaccessible because it has not been given the right password, it is still regarded by Explorer as connected and will give an error when the new connection is attempted from the batch file. You need to disconnect the drive such that it does not show in Explorer at all.)

2. If necessary, rename the shares on the central machine so that they have no spaces in their names. (This took me ages to figure out. I had a share name "SHARED FILES". The syntax for the batch file cannot cope with spaces in names. Renaming the share name to "SHARED_FILES" solved the problem.)

3. Ignore all the advice from elsewhere about having to set up new identities on the WIN98 machine. That is a red herring. (At least, I have not had to set up any new identities for this to work.)

4. Create a batch file (like the one attached). Be careful with the syntax. Despite the advice that will appear when you get it wrong:

***********************************

The syntax of this command is:

NET USE
[devicename : *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password : *]]
[/USER: [domainname\]username]

************************

....you will find that the "/USER:" command needs to precede the password (as in the attached file).

I also found that I have to specify a user name, even if it is one that appears neither on the central file server PC nor on the user's PC. Otherwise, WIN XP tries to login to the shared drive as "Server/Guest" and isn't recognised. I confess to not understanding this fully but what I have set out here seems to work.

5. Paste the new batch file (like the one attached) into:

C[or whichever other drive letter from which Windows is run]:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

6. Log off and then log on again. The batch file will run in a window.

7. If it is not working, you have to grab it quickly while it is running to see the error messages. Pressing Shift-Pause stops the scrolling and allows you to read what is going on. Spacebar lets the batch continue.

8. If it has worked, you will see the drives connected in Explorer (i.e. without the dreaded red cross).

That's how I got it to work anyway. I am sure that there are more professional ways, but it has done what I need.

With thanks again for your help.

You're using a peer-to-peer set up, which means decentralized control of resources. You may have less access control than you might like as the 98 box is using FAT, rather than NTFS. I'd recommend upgrading the OS.

JUst a thought.

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