Microsoft KB Archive/210221

= ACC2000: Connecting to the First Available Network Drive =

Article ID: 210221

Article Last Modified on 10/11/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q210221



Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.



SUMMARY
To make a network connection with the Windows application programming interface (API), you can use an unused logical drive letter or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name, such as \\Servername\Sharename. You can call the Windows API function, GetDriveType, from a Visual Basic for Applications module to find the first available drive letter, and then make a network connection to this available drive.



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers 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 requirements. To find the first free drive and make a network connection, follow these steps:   In a new Microsoft Access database, create a module and type the following lines in the Declarations section: Option Explicit

Declare Function GetDriveType Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetDriveTypeA" _ (ByVal nDrive As String) As Long Declare Function WNetAddConnection Lib "mpr.dll" Alias _ "WNetAddConnectionA" (ByVal lpszNetPath As String, _   ByVal lpszPassword As String, ByVal lpszLocalName _    As String) As Long

  Type the following procedure: Public Function FreeDrive(MyShareName$, MyPWD$) As Integer On Local Error GoTo FreeDrive_Err Dim DriveNum As Long, FirstFreeDrive As String Dim FirstDrive As Long, Results As Long DriveNum = 2 Do     DriveNum = DriveNum + 1 FirstFreeDrive = Chr$(DriveNum + 65) + ":\" FirstDrive = GetDriveType(FirstFreeDrive) Loop Until FirstDrive = 1 FirstFreeDrive = Left(FirstFreeDrive, 2) FreeDrive = WNetAddConnection(MyShareName$, MyPWD$, _   FirstFreeDrive) FreeDrive_End: Exit Function FreeDrive_Err: FreeDrive = Err MsgBox Error$ Resume FreeDrive_End End Function   To test this function, type the following line in the Immediate window, and then press ENTER ?FreeDrive(<"\\servername\sharename">, <"MyPwd">) where <"\\servername\sharename"> is a valid server and sharename in your network organization and <"MyPwd"> is your password that provides permission to the resource.

NOTE: Some of the possible return values for the FreeDrive function include WN_SUCCESS, WN_NET_ERROR, and WN_BAD_PASSWORD. Other run-time errors could be returned from the function; therefore, error trapping should be implemented to handle any problems. 

