How To map a server drive in Vista

Modified on 2010/08/16 15:33 by Bill Douglas — Categorized as: Articles, FAQ, Issues

When installing Forensic Filer on a PC using Vista you may receive a popup message regarding User Account Control (UAC) permission to run the installer and the mapped drive to the server does not appear in the list.

THIS PROCESS MUST BE COMPLETED BY A PERSON FAMILIAR WITH NETWORKS AND DRIVE MAPPING

While installing FF on a networked PC running Vista, you must give the installer access to the mapped drives by using the "Run as administrator" function.

TO REMAP THE DRIVE

1. Select START, ALL PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES

2. Right click on the COMMAND PROMPT and choose "RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR"

3. From this "elevated" command prompt, issue a command to map the drive.

EXAMPLE: Net use Z: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME

4. Run the installer and it will then see the mapped drive

PLEASE NOTE: This process also applies to Windows 7
Assuming that User Account Control (UAC) is enabled, which means that even a drive may be mapped, it is only mapped in the “User Session” of the Windows logged in user. When you launch an install program, UAC asks if you want this program to run with Administrative privelages, to which you are answering yes (or Allow). Windows Vista and Windows 7 do not share drive mappings between the “User Session” and the “Administrator Session” when UAC is enabled. So, the Forensic Filer install program can’t “see” the mapped drive, therefore, it can’t verify that they database is on the mapped drive and refuses to continue the installation.

What you need to do is manually open a Windows command prompt with Administrative privelages. Then, from within the command prompt, map the drive using the Windows “net use” command.

Then, from within that command prompt, change to the folder containing the Forensic Filer installer and launch it.

Then, since you mapped the drive in an administrative session and then launched the Forensic Filer installer in that same administrative session, the installer will be able to “see” the mapped drive and will be able to install normally.