Microsoft KB Archive/286827

= Network Drives Are Mapped in Reverse Alphabetical Order =

Article ID: 286827

Article Last Modified on 12/3/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002
 * Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q286827



SYMPTOMS
When you map a network drive in Windows Explorer or My Computer, or when you use the net use * command at the command prompt, the drive is not automatically mapped to the next available drive letter in alphabetical order. Instead, the drive is mapped to the next available driver letter in reverse alphabetical order. For example, the drive is mapped to drive Z by default. If drive Z is already being used, the drive is mapped to drive Y, and so on.



CAUSE
If you do not specify a drive letter when you map a network drive, it is mapped to a drive that uses the last letter in the alphabet that is not currently being used.



WORKAROUND
To map a network drive to a specific drive letter, specify the drive letter in the net use command, or click the drive letter in the Map Network Drive window. For example, to map \\server\share to drive G, type the following command at the command prompt:

net use g: \\server\share



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



MORE INFORMATION
By default, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 assign mapped network drives to the highest available drive letter, starting with drive Z, to avoid drive letter collisions. Earlier versions of Windows assign mapped network drives to the next available drive letter that occur after the drive letters that are assigned to local volumes and CD-ROM drives. This behavior may cause issues in some cases. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

297694 New Drive or Mapped Network Drive Not Available in Windows Explorer

Keywords: kbnetwork kbprb KB286827

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