DaveB78

Hi All,

I'm having some Windows-related networking issues and am hoping that there is someone out there who can help me clear things up:

The scenario is:

1. I have a Synology Cube Station CS-407 Network Attached Storage on my home network.
2. I have a Windows Vista Laptop (mine) and a Windows XP Pro SP2 laptop (My Wife's).
3. Both laptops have a mapped network drive, let's call it "U:", which maps onto a network share exposed from the NAS.
4. The network drives are configured to "connect as a different user" in order to log into the NAS with the proper credentials.
5. The network drives are set to "reconnect at logon".
6. On both laptops, drive U: is set to be available offline, usng offline files/folders.
7. The Documents/My Documents folders on each laptop have been re-directed to drive U: using (My) Documenst->Properties->Location->Move...

While this appears to be a reasonable configuration, I've experienced the following problems:

1. On the Vista Laptop I'm getting the "Error 1327. Invlid Drive Letter U:." error with some installers (Adobe Acrobat Reader, HP Update, etc.)
2. On the XP laptop, after re-directing the "My Documents" folder to drive U:, system performance slows to a crawl. Returning the "My Documents" folder to it's original location alleviates the problem.
3. There is an unusual amount of drive activity on the NAS when using applications, that (as far as I know) aren't or shouldn't be accessing the (My) Documents folder such as IE.
4. Without the (My) Documents re-direction, the NAS would normally spin-down the drives. With the re-direction enabled, the drives appear never to spin-down as long as at least one laptop is on.

As you may well be able to intuit, the goal here is to automatically have documents back-up to the NAS, as well as make them available when away from the home network. I'm aiming for a "Fire-and-forget" solution.

Does anyone out there know how to solve either:

The 1327 errors or the system performance issues?

Does Windows use the (My) Documents folder for some purpose other than simply a repository for documents and files? Such as Temporary Files, or Temporary Internet Files? I do find the increase in network activity when not apparently accessing the (My) Documents folder to be quite perplexing.

It would also seem to me that all of these issues are related, such that there may be a single fix for all the problems....but that's just intuition talking.

TIA to anyone who can help!

Dave

jcgriff2

Hi Dave. . .

Welcome to the Tech Support Forum - Vista Support!

I've dealt with somewhat similar errors before - but not one involving a network drive. Regardless of that, let's see what we can do here.

First, I'd like to take a look at the contents of a registry key.

Bring up an ELEVATED command prompt START | type cmd.exe | right-click on cmd.exe up top | select Run as Administrator | answer the UAC prompt - Continue/enter Admin password

Now... copy and paste the following into the "DOS" command prompt box - EXACTLY as it appears -

reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" > C:\error1327a.txt & start notepad c:\error1327a.txt

If you have problems with the paste using ctrl-v, then right-click on the top of the "DOS" command prompt box then select "Edit" then select paste.

Either way, a notepad should appear with the registry key contents inside it - if unfamiliar to you, you will see "%" signs and recognizable folder names as well as letter/numbers mixed together. This is OK. Then copy all and paste results in your next post and I'll take a look.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

DaveB78

Hi jcgriff2,

Thanks for the very prompt reply! Here's the contents of the registry key you requested (see below). You'll be able to see that the only non-default values are in-fact the "Documents" and "Favorites" folders, which I have re-directed to the network drive U:.

Thanks for taking the time to help me out!

Dave

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
AppData REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming
Cache REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
Cookies REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
Desktop REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Favorites REG_EXPAND_SZ U:\Favorites
History REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
Local AppData REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local
My Music REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Music
My Pictures REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Pictures
My Video REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Videos
NetHood REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
Personal REG_EXPAND_SZ U:\Documents
PrintHood REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
Programs REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Recent REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
SendTo REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
Startup REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Start Menu REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Templates REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
{374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B} REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Downloads

jcgriff2

Hi Dave. . .

You are very welcome.

The syntax of those u: drive folders looks OK to me. Next, I'd like to get a look at some of the folders and junctions on your Vista system. Are you in the mood to try out some DOS-type commands?

Bring up an ELEVATED command prompt (START | type cmd.exe | right-click on cmd.exe up top | select Run as Administrator | answer the UAC prompt - Continue/enter Admin password)

Now... copy and paste the following - one at a time - into the "DOS" command prompt box -


dir c:\users\*.* /a /o:g /s>c:\folders-DaveB78-042108.txt> c:\folders-DaveB78-042108.txt &start notepad c:\folders-DaveB78-042108.txt


dir u:\documents\*.* /a /o:g /s>c:\folders-u-documents-DaveB78-042108.txt> c:\folders-u-documents-DaveB78-042108.txt &start notepad c:\folders-u-documents-DaveB78-042108.txt


dir u:\favorites\*.* /a /o:g /s>c:\folders-u-favorites-DaveB78-042108.txt> c:\folders-u-favorites-DaveB78-042108.txt &start notepad c:\folders-u-favorites-DaveB78-042108.txt



To paste, right-click on the top of the "DOS" command prompt box then select "Edit" then select paste.

After each paste, a Notepad with the folder dump information will appear. This may take 5 - 10 seconds. Save each as a text file (txt).

These text files will probably be too large to attach to a post. So please zip them up and attach the zip file to an email using the address in the PM that I will send to you. When sending the email it is important that you include your screen name in the subject area and a link to this thread in the body. I also need to know the names of all of the user accounts on your Vista computer (found at the logon screen). Please include these in the email as well.

Any ?? - please let me know.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2 (JC)

DaveB78

Hi JC,

Unfortunately I haven't recieved that PM from you which you mentioned in your last post. Anyways I ran the commands you asked and a summary of the results would be:

The first command did create a .txt file containing an exhaustive list of all the files in my C:\Doucuments folder. I can send this file to you by PM if you'd be so kind as to try and ping me again.

As for the other two commands (which refer to the mapped network drive U:), they return "The specified path was not foud" errors. I suspect that this is likely due to the fact the the Administrator account does not have the same drive mappings as my user account.

As for other user accounts on my system, mine is the only one that appears on my Windows Logon screen.

Please let me know if there is any more information that I can provide.

Regards,
Dave

jcgriff2

Hi Dave. . .

Apologies about the PM.

I got curious so I took a look at the Vista Documents folder here and ran programs to keep tabs on it as well. I found the documents folder is used by Adobe, Office Notes, Google, and others. I ran a program just after boot-up that tracks disk I/O activity and found that the Documents folder of my profile was accessed over 600 times during a 15 minute period - while the system sat idle at the desktop. The system as a whole totaled over 1.3 million I/O instructions during this same idle period.

Both PCs are mapped to drive u:. The "output" of the XP "My Documents" and the Vista "Documents" folders are being re-directed to drive u:. I suspect that file permission settings (ACLS) are getting in your way along with file sharing issues. One reason that the program installations are failing is because the Vista "user" during this brief period (Trusted Installer) does not have the appropriate permission settings nor can you grant them. I also believe problems are being caused by Windows not knowing exactly what type of drive it is dealing with - a Network drive - or a user profile folder. It has been told both is the case. I believe all of this is causing your system to slow to a grinding halt. Look at the Vista Event Viewer.

In theory, what you have done here seems simple and fine - most certainly in DOS-like days. I am going to ask someone more knowledgeable in networking issues look at this. Hopefully some type of solution can be found for you. Good Luck.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2 (JC)

DaveB78

Hello all,

It's been awhile since there has been activity on this thread, and I'm still looking for a solution to the 1327 error issue. I experienced this 1327 error last night when installing some Logitech webcam drivers, which has propted me to revisit this thread. Hopefully, someone will have some new insight into the problem. For clarity's sake, I'll re-state the scenario, and major issue:

1. I have a NAS, which aomong other thins, I use to host my Windows Vista "Documents" folder.
2. In order to access my folders on the NAS with the proper credentials, I must create a mapped drive to the share(s), and have created have created a mapped drive U: to the newtork share \\NAS\Users\Dave.
3. In the propterties of my Documents folder, on the Location tab, I move my Vista Documents folder to U:\Documents.

The problem is that many installers (Adobe Acrobat Reader, HP Printer S/W, Logitech Drivers), now fail with the error "Error 1327 Invalid Drive Letter U:....".

I have discovered the following work-around when an installer crashes with this error:
1. Open an elevated command-prompt (i.e. Run as Administrator on Windows Command Prompt).
2. Execute "NET USE U: \\NAS\Users\Dave\". Which creates an identical mapped drive on the Administrator account.
3. Re-run the installation.

While this work-around "works", there are a few drawbacks:
1. There is no way to determine if any given installer will require this work-around without first running it and having it fail with the 1327 error.
2. On a multi-user system (assuming all users have thier own U: mapped drive for their own Documents), the Adminstrator mapped drive needs to be modified depending on who is performing the isntallation. E.G. if user "Joe" is performing the installation instead of me, the Administrator mapped drive needs to be modified to point to \\Users\Joe\ instead.

It would seem to me that the installers themselves are at fault, as there is no guarantee that when the Vista UAC kicks-in and the installation user context changes from the executing user to the Administrator, that the same Documents path will be available.

Does anyone else out there perhaps have some additional insight into this issue? I'm hoping that there is a better work-around than the one I have devised that does not requrie the "Trial an Error" approach, and that satisfies a multi-user system.

TIA to anyone who can help!

Dave

j1312g

Dave - I had the same issue as you but was not able to use "NET USE" (kept getting an error that the drive did not exist). But I was able to find a solution.

In the registry entries listed above, replace all of the Drive letters (U:) with the actual path name.

For instance, modify your FAVORITES to something like this:

Favorites REG_EXPAND_SZ \\NAS\Favorites

Once I changed all of my moved folders, I was able to install software again.

Hope that helps.

Jerry

DaveB78

Thanks Jerry! In-fact I've also used UNC paths instead of mapped drives to get around this issue as well. FYI, I would have expected that you would only have needed to use a UNC w/ folders that are accessed by (some) installers, which would not typically include the Favorites.

That being said, UNC paths are an imperfect solution in my scenario, as my NAS requires access via mapped drives in order to pass user credentials. When the Vista Administrator account accesses the UNC Documents path during an installation, it by default, uses the "guest" account on the NAS. This means that my Documents folder on the NAS must allow guest access and is therefore wide-open to anyone on my home network.

Though I don't have "major" concerns about who can/cannot access my Documents folder on my home network, it would nonetheless be nice to restrict access if I desired.

So, the solution I'm searching for is how to permanently map a network drive on the Vista Administrator account that is always available when the UAC kicks-in during an installation. That way, the proper non-guest credentials can be passed from the Administrator account to the NAS. Thereby restricting access to my Documents folder, only to those accounts on my NAS that I wish, instead of having to grant guest access for the sole purpose of supporting Vista installations.

Anyone out theere have additional thoughts?

TIA
Dave

wyatterp

Well, I am digging all over the web for an answer to this ridiculous issue with UAC and either Vista or Win 7. I think it's utterly insane for both OS's to have problems for an average user when they map a network drive and use it as part of their user folders. I am trying to alleviate the fact that I am using an 80GB SSD as my core drive for the system. I have migrated the big media folders (music, pictures, downloads, videos) to a network share mapped as the S drive.

I have combed the registries, used the "net use" command with elevated privelages, reset the drive locations...everything I have been able to find, and you still run into all sorts of problems when you try to install any program that requires elevated privelages.

Seriously MS? I bought a Windows Home Server so I could buy into this "all my information in the cloud" concept, and I am running into these kinds of issues left and right.

Ridiculous! Please somebody, help!