Map a drive letter to a shared printer or file share (Drive Map).
Syntax
NET USE [devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:username[@dotted domain name]]
[/SMARTCARD] [/SAVECRED] [[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]
Map to the current user's home directory as specified in the users Active Directory record:
NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME
Set defaults:
NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]
Key
Devicename A local drive letter or printer device e.g. S: Z: LPT2:
Specifying an asterisk (*), will use the next available drive letter.
Sharename A printer or file share on the network (UNC path).
/USER A different user name with which to authenticate the connection.
Default=current user.
DomainName A different domain to connect to for authentication.
If you omit DomainName, NET USE will use the current logged on domain.
/SAVECRED Store the provided credentials for reuse.
/SMARTCARD Use the credentials on a smart card for the network connection.
If multiple smart cards are available, you will be prompted for a credential.
/PERSISTENT Controls the use of persistent network connections.
The default is the setting used last. Deviceless connections are not persistent.
Yes saves all connections as they are made, and restores them at next logon.
No does not save the connection being made or subsequent connections.
Use /delete to remove a persistent connection.
/HOME Connect a user to their home directory.
/DELETE Disconnect the specified network connection.
Specifying an asterisk (*), will remove and disconnnect all network mappings.
To map a drive to a network resource, File and Printer sharing must be enabled on the remote (server) computer.
NET USE command can map a network printer to an LPT port (for DOS type applications that print to a port.) but this does not add the printer to the Control Panel.
By default all mapped drives have a 15 minute idle session timeout, you can modify this with the NET CONFIG command. This behaviour is designed to improve overall performance.
Windows explorer displays a drive description for each share, while this can be edited in the Explorer GUI. The text is stored in the registry.
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2\##ComputerName#ShareName _LabelFromReg=<description of drive mapping> (string REG_SZ)
Join a file share (Drive MAP)
NET USE [driveletter:] \\ComputerName\ShareName /PERSISTENT:YES
NET USE [driveletter:] \\ComputerName\ShareName\folder1\folder2 /PERSISTENT:No
NET USE H: /Home
NET USE J: \\MainServer\Users\%Username%
NET USE W: \\MainServer\GroupShare /Persistent:No
NET USE \\MainServer\SharedPrinter
Make all future connections persistent (auto-reconnect at login)
NET USE /Persistent:Yes
or
NET USE /P:Yes
Make all future connections non-persistent (reconnect with login script)
NET USE /Persistent:No
or
NET USE /P:No
Join a file share (Drive MAP) - with a long share name
NET USE [driveletter:] "\\ComputerName\ShareName"
Connect a user to their HOME directory
NET USE [devicename | *] [password | *]] [/HOME]
This requires the users Home server/folder to be defined in AD
In a script, to map a drive and wait until the mapping has completed before continuing:
START /wait NET USE [driveletter:] \\ComputerName\ShareName
This will be a little slower, but ensures that files can be read from the mapped drive.
Join a Printer Share
NET USE [LPTx:] \\ComputerName\printer_share /PERSISTENT:YES
Join a Printer Share - with a "long" share name
NET USE [LPTx:] "\\ComputerName\printer_share"
Disconnect from a share
NET USE [driveletter:] /DELETE
Disconnect from a share and close all resources (undocumented)
NET USE [driveletter:] /DELETE /Y
Map a drive using alternate credentials - this will prompt for a password
NET USE G: \\Server64\Share1 /USER:SS64dom\user64
Map a drive using alternate credentials, passing a password credential (this must be run from PowerShell)
PS C:\> "s5QxXkwnOxt3MuNlgY6E" | ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force | ConvertFrom-SecureString | Out-File C:\temp\credential.txt
PS C:\> $SecString = get-content C:\temp\credential.txt | ConvertTo-SecureString
PS C:\> $cred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PsCredential('SS64dom\user64',$SecString)
PS C:\> New-PSDrive -name G -Root \\Server64\Share1 -Credential $cred -PSProvider filesystem -Persist
The password can be decrypted only by the user who encrypted it, on the same machine.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference” ~ Robert Frost
VB Script: MapDrive [ example ]
VB Script: Add Printer Connection [Examples]
NET.exe - Manage network resources.
NET SESSION - List or disconnect open files.
NET SHARE - Create file share.
OPENFILES - List or disconnect open files, local or remote.
PRNMNGR - Add, delete, list printers and printer connections.
PUSHD - Map to a drive share.
RMTSHARE - List or edit a file share or print share (on any computer).
RUNDLL32 - Add/remove print connections
SHARE - List or edit a file share or print share.
WMIC NETUSE - WMI access to drive mappings.
fsmgmt.msc - List or disconnect open files (GUI)
Equivalent PowerShell command: New-SmbMapping - Create an SMB mapping.
Equivalent bash command (Linux): lpc - line printer control program.