How can I Stop my Mapped Drive from Being Inaccessible?
Contents
Summary
This article will explain some simple steps you can perform to stop your mapped drive (which Platinum uses) from being inaccessible. It will also explain some steps to take in the case that your drive becomes inaccessible.
More Information
This article lists steps that the general computer user can do in order to stop their mapped network drive from being inaccessible. There are more processes that can be done by your network administrator but these are outside the scope of this article.
User Account Control (UAC)
The User Account Control is a feature that has been introduced in Windows to prevent unauthorised changes to your computer. UAC does this by asking you for permission or an administrator password before performing actions that could potentially affect your computer's operation or that change settings that affect other users.
However the UAC can prevent files being used via Platinum and as such we recommend that it is switched off. To do this you will need to go to either;
" Start Control Panel User Accounts" or,
" Start Control Panel User Accounts User Accounts".
- Click on the link Change User Account Control Settings.
- Click on the slider bar, and slide it down to the "Never notify" position.
- Click [OK].
- You may be asked for the administrator password or to provide confirmation.
- To complete the exercise you will need to restart your computer.
Windows Firewall
The "Windows Firewall" is a component of Microsoft Windows. It offers various functions including packet filtering, port forwarding and other firewall functions. However it is believed that it can be too restricting compared to hardware firewalls that are stand alone or part of your router.
If you are sure you have a hardware firewall and wish to switch off the Windows firewall you will need to go to either;
" Start Control Panel Windows Firewall" or,
" Start Control Panel System and Security Windows Firewall".
- Click on the link Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
- You may be asked for the administrator password or to provide confirmation.
- Click Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended) against each network location ("Domain", "Home or work (private)" and "Public").
 | If you are an administrator, and wish to restrict the actions of the "Windows Firewall" rather than switch it off completely please Contact your Platinum dealer or our support team on 0116 230 1500 or by using our website support contact page. |
What to do if your Mapped Drive is Inaccessible
If you have started up your PC and have double clicked on the Platinum icon which then fails to run with the error message:
Failed to set starting directory P:\SX\SXCo1\ with error The system cannot find the path specified.
This indicates that the mapped drive (P:\) to Platinum is not accessible. You will need to check one or more of the following:
- Check Network Cable
- Check that the network cable has not been unplugged. If it has, simply plug it back into the port on the back of the computer. Windows should automatically detect the network and make the drive accessible.
- Check the Drive
- Go to " Computer" and look for the icon for the mapped drive. It will most likely have a red X against it. Simply double click on the mapped drive and if it then displays a window containing the 'SX' folder, you should be able to access Platinum. This occurs when Windows has mapped the drive before windows has detected the network. Unfortunately this is a timing issue.
- If you have tried the above and it is asking for a username/password, you will need to speak to your network administrator. This occurs when the username and/or password for your PC is not set up on the server and so does not have permission to access the file. If you know the right username/password, enter it into the prompts, which will grant you access to Platinum once you can see the 'SX' folder.
- If you do not have the mapped network drive, this means that either when the drive was set up it had not been enabled to re-connect at log on, or your PC has lost the mapped drive. In this scenario you will need to speak to your network administrator to get it setup.
- Reboot the PC
- As previously mentioned, it could be a timing issue and so doing a simple computer reboot may result in the computer correcting itself.
- Speak to your colleagues
- Find out if the problem you are experiencing is just on your PC or throughout the network. If it is just on your PC, try the checks above. If this still does not solve the issue you will need to contact your network administrator. If the problem is throughout the network you should contact your network administrator, explain that the problem is widespread for all users, as there is most likely a problem on the network.
See also
- Platinum Login Errors Explained
- How do I activate my new Platinum terminal?
- Setting up Machines For Platinum Use
- How do I get my PC's Platinum terminal ID?
- How do I set up Platinum shortcuts on a new PC?
