Unable to Delete Mapped Drive to User's Home Directory

ID: Q165575

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When a user attempts to disconnect a drive mapped to his or her home directory through the net use /d command from a command prompt, the following error message may be displayed:

The device is being accessed by an active process.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 2404.

The preceding error message occurs if the drive that is mapped to the user home directory is set through the Connect To option in the User Environment Profile dialog box.

CAUSE

When the Connect To option for the Home Directory within User Manager is defined to connect a drive letter to a specified UNC path, this connection is created using NetDDE Agent, which is part of NetDDE. Because NetDDE is involved there is an active connection to the server that you cannot readily break.

RESOLUTION

There are currently three possible workarounds.

NOTE: Save and close all files you have open that may be affected by the following workarounds before you continue pursuing them. The three possible workarounds are:

Use File Manager (Winfile.exe) to override the lock on the drive mapping so you can disconnect it. When you disconnect the mapped drive, a message will appear that states "There are currently files open on <mapped drive letter>: (connected to \\server\share). If you do not close the files before disconnecting from the network device, data may be lost. Do you want to disconnect the device anyway?" Select YES to override the lock.

Use a utility such as Pview95 or Pviewer to view the processes currently in memory, and unload Nddeagnt from memory. After you terminate the NetDDE Agent from memory, NetDDE communication that involves the Nddeagnt component, such as Winchat, becomes inoperable. Stopping and restarting the NetDDE service(s) does not fix the problem. You must reload Nddeagnt.exe into memory by running it manually, from a command prompt or, from Start, use the Run option.

Break the connection (unplug from network) between the workstation and the associated server. The connection will timeout after a short period. You can then disconnect drive mapping, using the net use /d command from a command prompt.

Additional query words: active process net use home directory map


Keywords          : kbnetwork ntdomain kbbug4.00 kbbug3.50 kbbug3.51 NTSrvWkst 
Version           : WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: February 12, 1999