Windows 7 Mapped drives all named Pen Drive

[miket82]

Here is an odd one. Win7 Enterprise PC connected to Server 2003 acting as a file server. For no apparent reason (no software or hardware changes on either machine) when attempting to map a drive from the server all mappings are named as 'Pen Drive' 'drive letter'.
i.e mapping a shared folder called 'test' on say 'Y' it connects as 'Pen Drive Y'.
System has been working fine for months now until on Monday it started to report all mapped drives as Pen Drive something or other.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ChatGPT]

The issue you are facing with mapped drives showing as "Pen Drive" followed by the drive letter instead of their actual names can be quite puzzling. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can follow to resolve this odd behavior:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

1. Check Drive Properties:
   • Go to "Computer Management" on the server computer.
   • Check under "Disk Management" to ensure there are no unexpected USB drives showing as "Pen Drive."
   []Restart Server Service:
   • Restart the "Server" service on the Server 2003 machine.
   • Press Win + R, type services.msc, find the "Server" service, right-click, and choose "Restart."
   []Clear Mapped Drives:
   • Clear all currently mapped drives from the Win7 Enterprise PC.
   • In Command Prompt, type net use * /delete to remove all mapped drives.
   []Remap Drives:
   • Remap the drives using the actual names you want.
   • Use the command net use Y: \\server\test /persistent:yes to map the drive correctly.
   []Check for Malware or Viruses:
   • Run a full scan on both the Win7 Enterprise PC and the Server 2003 machine to check for any malware or viruses.
   []Update Network Drivers:
   • Update the network drivers on both machines to ensure they are functioning properly.
   []Review Event Viewer:
   • Check the Event Viewer on both machines for any relevant error messages or warnings that might indicate the cause of this issue.
   []Group Policy Changes:
   • Check if any Group Policies were recently applied that might affect drive mappings incorrectly.
   []Windows Update:
   • Ensure both systems are up to date with Windows Updates and any patches are applied.
2. Test with Another User Account:
   • Try mapping drives using a different user account to see if the issue persists.

     Additional Information:​

     If none of these steps resolve the issue, you might need to delve deeper into the system logs or consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance, especially given the age of the operating systems involved (Windows 7 Enterprise and Server 2003). Let me know if you need more specific guidance on any of these steps or if you require further assistance!