How to fix mapped network drives problem on Windows 10?

After fixing the data deletion issue earlier this month, Microsoft rereleased the Windows 10 October Update, saying the rollout would be slower and targeted to devices that were ready.

But, within the same week, IT professionals discovered another bug. While this is not new while upgrading Windows 10, this time the mapped network drives fail to reconnect after restarting a PC.

So, what are the causes of network drive problems in Windows 10 October 2018 update? You’ll also notice a red “X” on the mapped network drives in File Explorer which makes the drives appear as if they are disconnected. Users reported that trying to open a file on one drive might take you to a completely different file.

Running the net use command displays the mapped network drives as unavailable and there’s a notification displaying the “Could not reconnect all network drives” message.

Acknowledging the problem, Microsoft warned that a permanent fix was not coming soon, at least not until 2019. Well, that is an awfully long time to wait and the company provided a resolution to solve the issue.

Here is a step by step guide on how to resolve mapped network drives problem in Windows 10 October Update.

How to resolve Mapped Network Drives Problem on Windows 10?

The mapped network drives are mainly used by network administrators and if you’re an average home user, you’re not likely to notice the bug.

To fix the issue, you can run scripts to automatically reconnect the mapped network drives when you restart and log on to your computer. You need to create two scripts, – namely the Command Prompt script and the PowerShell script.

Additionally, reconfiguring the Group Policy settings could solve the problem, especially for those in an Active Directory domain. If you find these solutions to be too complicated, you can pause automatic updates until a stable feature update is released.

How to create scripts?

Follow these instructions to create the scripts to use with the appropriate workaround.

Creating a Command Prompt script

1. Launch Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the script below on a blank page.

PowerShell -Command “Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser Unrestricted” >> “%TEMP%\StartupLog.txt” 2>&1

PowerShell -File “%SystemDrive%\Scripts\MapDrives.ps1” >> “%TEMP%\StartupLog.txt” 2>&1

3. Click the “File” menu, and select Save As.
4. Use MapDrives.cmd as the file name and extension.

Creating the PowerShell script

1. Launch Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the script below on a blank page.

$i=3

while($True){

$error.clear()

$MappedDrives = Get-SmbMapping |where -property Status -Value Unavailable -EQ | select LocalPath,RemotePath

foreach( $MappedDrive in $MappedDrives)

{

try {

New-SmbMapping -LocalPath $MappedDrive.LocalPath -RemotePath $MappedDrive.RemotePath -Persistent $True

} catch {

Write-Host “There was an error mapping $MappedDrive.RemotePath to $MappedDrive.LocalPath”

}

}

$i = $i – 1

if($error.Count -eq 0 -Or $i -eq 0) {break}

Start-Sleep -Seconds 30

}

3. Click the “File” menu, and select Save As.
4. Use MapDrives.ps1 as the file name and extension.

Solution 1: Run scripts at startup

Use the Command Prompt and PowerShell scripts you created above to reconnect the mapped network drives.

Note: This fix only works if the device has an established network connection at login.

1. Launch File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the following location:

%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

3. Copy the MapDrives.cmd script file into the Startup folder.
4. Navigate to the following location:

%SystemDrive%\Scripts

5. Copy the MapDrives.ps1 script file into the Scripts folder.

Important tip: If you don’t see the Scripts folder, you can quickly create one. Open the C drive in File Explorer, and click on New Folder (or use Ctrl + Shift + N). Name the folder “Scripts”

6. This creates a log file (StartupLog.txt) in the %TEMP% folder showing the log information.
7. Sign out of your system, and then sign back in. The mapped drives should work normally.

Solution 2: Run the scripts using Task Scheduler

Using the Task Scheduler, create a task to reconnect the mapped network drives while logging into your device.

1. Launch File Explorer.
2. Follow this path to open the Scripts folder:

%SystemDrive%\Scripts

Important tip: If you don’t see the Scripts folder, you can quickly create one. Open the C drive in File Explorer, and click on New Folder (or use Ctrl + Shift + N). Name the folder “Scripts”

3. Copy the MapDrives.ps1 script file into the Scripts folder.
4. Click Start or press the Windows Key.
5. Type the words ‘Task Scheduler’ and hit Enter.
6. In Task Scheduler, go to Action > Create Task.
7. Make sure you’re on the General tab.
8. In the Name dialog box, assign a relevant name to the task, for instance, Map Network Drives, and add a description.
9. Select the “Change User or Group” button, and select a local user or group, for example, Users or Guests.
10. Click OK.
11. Check the box next to “Run with highest privileges.”
12. Under the “Triggers” tab, select New.
13. Click Begin the task > At log on.
14. Click OK.
15. Open the “Actions” tab, and click “New.”
16. Using the “Action” drop-down list, select “Start a program.”
17. Type Powershell.exe in the “Program/script box.”
18. In the “Add arguments (optional)” field, type:

-windowsstyle hidden -command .\MapDrives.ps1 >> %TEMP%\StartupLog.txt 2>&1

19. In the “Start in (optional)” field, type the location of the script file as follows:

%SystemDrive%\Scripts\

20. Click OK.
21. Next, go to the “Conditions” tab.
22. Check the box next to “Start only if the network connection is available.”
23. Select “Any connection,” and click OK.

Sign out and then sign back into your account to run the mapped drives without issues.

Solution 3: Modify the Group Policy Settings

As a network administrator, you can edit the Group Policy Object (GPO) by choosing “Replace” in the “Action” drop-down list. Use the following steps:

1. Right-click your policy object and select “Edit”
2. Open User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Drive Maps.
3. Right-click “Drive Maps.”
4. Select New > Mapped Drive.
5. Select the “General” tab, and then click Action > Replace
6. This deletes the specified mapped drive, if it exists, and then recreates a new one. If the mapped drive doesn’t exist, this action creates a new mapped drive when the user logs back into the account.
7. Restart the machine and you should see the mapped drives in File Explorer.

Solution 4: Delay Windows 10 October Update

If you’ve not yet upgraded to Windows 10 October Update, you can defer new feature updates for several months.

Follow these steps:

1. From the Start Menu, go to Settings.
2. Scroll down to Update & Security.
3. In “Windows Update,” click “Advanced options”
4. Navigate to “Choose when updates are installed”
5. Select either:

• Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) to defer the new release for up to 365 days.
• Semi-Annual Channel to defer the new release for organizations.
• Specify the number of days you intend to defer the feature update for.

This pauses installation of new updates. However, security and maintenance updates will still be delivered regularly.

Despite the isolated glitches in the Windows 10 October Update, running an efficient system helps to avoid some common installation issues. To ensure your PC is stable and fast, Auslogics BoostSpeed is a reliable utility suite that explores your system to find and fix errors in your registry.

Additionally, the software optimizes your internet settings so that you can enjoy maximum speeds. Plus, BoostSpeed analyzes your disks to remove unnecessary files hence creating more space on your computer.