Mapped Network Drives are not being found .... sometimes.

[BuckyBall 2]

I am using Emby Server on windows 7.

I get the Beta Updates automatically, don't mind a few quirks along the way as it is not a Critical service, so seeing the Beta's is worth it.

 

Roughly, every other update is changing how it detects the mapped Network Drives I have.

 

The drives are mapped to drive T: etc and Emby Server will accept T:\Movies as a folder to search in the Library definition.

Periodically the mapped drives will be NOT found and I need to use //Server1/Media/Movies instead.

Then after an update it will not find the //Server1/..... and I need to change it back to T:\Movies again.

My network is not changing configuration or software versions, so all should be working if it works once.

 

Is something changing in the software, how the mapped drives are being detected for different Beta versions ?

 

Which is the prefered method to use ?

 

I can stick to whatever is the norm for Emby as long as it always works !!!

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

P.S. I think Emby is getting very good now and gives Pl** a run for its money

[yardameus 220]

I know that using mapped addresses is not recommended.  That doesn't explain having to switch back and forth.  I only wonder if there is some sort of sleep happening with the drive.  You could also check out the wiki and see if there is something else previously addressed.

 

https://github.com/MediaBrowser/Wiki/wiki

 

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[ebr 14913]

Don't use mapped network drives for this very reason.  They will randomly disconnect.

[Koleckai Silvestri 1150]

I have every directory set up as a share. The permissions are set so Everyone can read them but only my Emby User can write to them. In the Emby Server, I access them via the drive name as an example - G:\movies\libary. Then I use the path substitution to convert them to the fully qualified network name. So G:\movies\library becomes \\MediaServer\movies\library. The last step allows the clients to read them while allowing the user that Emby runs under can write images and metadata to the respective folders as well.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Koleckai Silvestri

[BuckyBall 2]

Thanks all for the feedback.

 

For information, mapped drives should not disconnect, unless there is something wrong with the physical network itself !!!

(I have built hundreds of Networks over the last 35+ years, ex Techie )

 

I can access the mapped drives at anytime with instant retrieval of the files on multiple PC's and/or Laptops.

Ditto if I access the drives via the fully qualified network name method.

My permissions are Everyone can have full access as the Network is secure and I am the only user with enough knowledge to pose any harm !!!

(All data is backed up and can be recovered if there is any problem.)

 

I will try the path substitution idea and see if that works.

 

It appeared as though something was changing as Movies that had been added were showing as off-line when the Emby Server software was being updated by the next Beta version.

Yet I could still access the mapped drive and the specific files with no problem from Windows Explorer or via the fully qualified network name method.

If a forced re-scan was initiated it would NOT find the files on the mapped drive but if changed to fully qualified network name it would, only for that to fail after another change to the Beta Server software. ?????

Hence the question ??????

[ebr 14913]

Mapped drives have been unreliable for as long as I can recall (which is as long as they have existed in Windows ).

 

The reality today is there is zero need for such an archaic mechanism of network connection.  UNC paths are, well, universal now .

[dcook 265]

Techie since DOS 6.0 and Win 3.1 mapped drives have always been unreliable

Use UNC path and you won't have any issues.

Edited May 29, 2016 by dcook

[BuckyBall 2]

I will not debate this issue and obviously have been lucky as I have never had a problem with mapped drives.

 

As regards the problem it is now stable for the last few updates.

I will bear in mind that mapped drives are not recommended.

 

Thanks for the help.