VBA: Sample Code to Return the UNC Path of a Network Drive

ID: Q160529

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications version 5.0
Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
Microsoft Office for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Access 97
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Outlook 97
Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

This article describes how to use a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications

Sub procedure (or macro) and a Windows application programming interface

(API) call to return the universal naming convention (UNC) path for a mapped network drive.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/supportnet/refguide/

A UNC is a naming convention that allows you to use a network resource, such as a network server, without formally connecting to it with a mapped drive. A UNC path uses the following syntax:

   \\<Server>\<Share>

where <Server> is the name of the network server and <share> is a folder on the server.

A mapped drive uses a drive letter (for example, drive F:), where the letter represents the server and share to which it is mapped.

The following code samples use a Windows API call to locate the mapped drive and return its UNC path.

Microsoft Office 97 and Microsoft Office 7.0

   ' 32-bit Function version.
   ' Enter this declaration on a single line.
   Declare Function WNetGetConnection32 Lib "MPR.DLL" Alias _
      "WNetGetConnectionA" (ByVal lpszLocalName As String, ByVal _
      lpszRemoteName As String, lSize As Long) As Long

   ' 32-bit declarations:
   Dim lpszRemoteName As String
   Dim lSize As Long

   ' Use for the return value of WNetGetConnection() API.
   Const NO_ERROR As Long = 0

   ' The size used for the string buffer. Adjust this if you
   ' need a larger buffer.
   Const lBUFFER_SIZE As Long = 255

   Sub GetNetPath()

      ' Prompt the user to type the mapped drive letter.
      DriveLetter = UCase(InputBox("Enter Drive Letter of Your Network" & _
         "Connection." & Chr(10) & "i.e. F (do not enter a colon)"))

      ' Add a colon to the drive letter entered.
      DriveLetter = DriveLetter & ":"

      ' Specifies the size in charaters of the buffer.
      cbRemoteName = lBUFFER_SIZE

      ' Prepare a string variable by padding spaces.
      lpszRemoteName = lpszRemoteName & Space(lBUFFER_SIZE)

      ' Return the UNC path (\\Server\Share).
      lStatus& = WNetGetConnection32(DriveLetter, lpszRemoteName, _
         cbRemoteName)

      ' Check to see if WNetGetConnection() succeeded. WNetGetConnection()
      ' returns 0 (NO_ERROR) if it succesfully retrieves the UNC path.
      If lStatus& = NO_ERROR Then

         ' Display the UNC path.
          MsgBox lpszRemoteName, vbInformation

      Else
         ' Unable to obtain the UNC path.
         MsgBox "Unable to obtain the UNC path.", vbInformation
      End If

   End Sub

Microsoft Excel 5.0

   ' 16-bit Function for Excel 5.0.
   ' Enter this declaration on a single line.
   Declare Function WNetGetConnection Lib "user" (ByVal lpszLocalName _
      As String, ByVal lpszRemoteName As String, cbRemoteName As _
      Integer) As Integer

   ' 16-bit declarations:
   Dim NetName As String
   Dim x As Integer
   Dim DriveLetter As String

   Sub GetNetPath()

      ' Prompt the user to type the mapped drive letter.
      DriveLetter = UCase(InputBox("Enter Drive Letter of Your Network" & _
         "Connection." & Chr(10) & "i.e. F (do not enter a colon)"))

      DriveLetter = DriveLetter & ":"

      ' 16-bit call for Excel 5.0.
      ' Pad NetName with spaces.
      NetName = NetName & Space(80)

      ' API call returns one of eight values; if it returns zero, it is
      ' successful.
      x = WNetGetConnection(DriveLetter, NetName, 80)

      ' Display the UNC path.
      MsgBox NetName

   End Sub

REFERENCES

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00 97

Keywords          : kbcode xlvbahowto 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: April 6, 1999