Quickly access network resources in Windows 2000 Pro with Net Connections

by Jim Boyce | Apr 03, 2006 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Construction, Jim Boyce, Net Connections, window, Microsoft Windows 2000, network resource, console, Microsoft Windows, network, Windows 2000 Professional Tips Newsletter

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Takeaway: If you're working with several network shares instead of a single resource, it might be challenging to keep track of them. With the Net Connections tool in Windows 2000 Professional, you can access your resources from one place. Jim Boyce tells us how.

When you map a network resource to a local drive, the resource appears in My Computer, and you can access it just like any local drive. If you have several network shares mapped, you might be looking for an easier way to keep track of and access those resources. The Net Connections (Netcons.exe) tool, included in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit, is a great tool for doing just that. You can launch Netcons.exe from the Desktop Tools group in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit Tools help file and in the \Program Files\Resource Kit folder.

The Net Connections window lists the local drive letters that are mapped to network resources. You can easily open a network resource by double-clicking its icon in the Net Connections window. Net Connections can open the resource in either a console window or an Explorer window.

To specify the startup mode, click Startup and choose either Explorer or Console Window, depending on which you prefer. If you choose the Explorer startup option, double-clicking a drive in Net Connections more than once will not open multiple instances of the resource. Instead, Net Connections simply brings the folder to the front. If you choose the Console Window startup option, however, double-clicking a resource more than once opens a new console window rooted at the specified share.

By default, the Net Connections window stays on top of other windows. To change this behavior, choose View | Always On Top.