Need to know how to show drive names and not just letters? (Solved)

I’m working with a special client and for the life of me I can’t seem to find a way for the clients servers to show the drive name?

This client has a Win Server 2012 R2 and is against mapping network drives. Something having to do with ransom ware finding a way to the server through shourtcuts and mapped drives. And the staff are brutal to their laptops. So they constantly are getting replacements or repaired. And when they get them back the mapped drives are gone.

So I’m asking if anyone would know how to make the shared drive name visible when the client and staff navigate to the sever’s shared folders?

Example:

//Labyrinth/Projects
Shows drive letter D. He wants the staff to see Projects instead of the letter D.

Any ideas?

Personally I would just make the highest level directory (folder) the name of the drive to make it more idiot resistant. Does it show the drive name if you right click on the drive letter and select properties?

On the server, you can right click the drive name, select properties, sharing, advanced sharing and supply a share name. Then remove the drive letter from the share name list.

The fear that the client has is real but if that is the case, they should be using a NAS if not a SAN to manage this. Sounds like laziness to me.

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In Group Policy you can set the name of the shared drive.

I don’t deal with GPOs much. Can you do that when the target is the drive letter of a remote machine?

@coldspudd
It sounds like you’re accessing the server’s drives through Administrative Shares.

What are Administrative Shares? These are shares produced when Windows is installed by default, and when a new drive is added.

For example, say I have 4 drives installed in a Windows Server 2012 R2 machine. These are mounted by the system as C, D, E, and F (because that’s how Windows does it).

The C drive is accessible by the path: \\<servername>\c$. The D drive is accessible by the path: \\<servername>\d$. Etc. etc.

The trailing $ makes the share hidden when just browsing the network. You have to know it’s there to get to the share. You can’t just explore the network with Network Discovery enabled, go to the server, and then see the share listed with the $ at the end of its name.

OP, I recommend you create your own shares. These can be named whatever you want, and listed however you want.

Here is how to do it:

  1. Go to the drive or folder (You can share folders individually as opposed to drives).
  2. Right click and go to properties.
  3. Click the Sharing tab.
    Screenshot from 2017-10-31 16-47-26
  4. Click Advanced Sharing.
    Screenshot from 2017-10-31 16-47-37
  5. Check “Share this folder” and enter a name (add a $ at the end to hide it when browsing).
    Screenshot from 2017-10-31 16-33-56
    Screenshot from 2017-10-31 16-34-12
  6. Set up any Permissions that matter.
  7. Click Apply, then OK, then Close.

Now the share should be accessible as the Name you specified, so in this case, it would be \\<servername>\SomeName.

This hasn’t changed since XP:

http://xyfon.com/tech-tips/how-to-create-a-hidden-network-share-in-windows/

Both for naming the share something unique besides the drive letter, and for hiding shares in the Network Browser.

NOTE: You can share a drive directly this way. It will be accessible through both its Administrative share, and through your custom one.

So if you followed the steps above for E:, you’d be able to get to that drive via \\<servername>\e$ and through \\<servername>\SomeName$.

You can temporarily disable Administrative Shares for a drive by removing them from:

Computer Management -> Shared Folders -> Shares -> Right click the share -> Stop Sharing.

Screenshot from 2017-10-31 16-41-16

It shouldn’t break anything. These shares are for remote administration through a network to make doing so easier for Administrators. They are not necessary for normal function unless your company depends on them.

Unfortunately, removing the Administrative Share for a drive isn’t permanent.

Screenshot from 2017-10-31 16-46-24

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Seems similar to what I was suggesting minus the correct technical terms.

I am glad that I was not misunderstanding OP’s intent.

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You nailed it! Thanks. This is the missing information I need in my presentation to the client for better organization of his files. And I am definitely going to offer up a NAS as redundancy. Thanks abunch.

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