@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:
- Go to the drive or folder (You can share folders individually as opposed to drives).
- Right click and go to properties.
- Click the Sharing tab.
- Click Advanced Sharing.
- Check “Share this folder” and enter a name (add a $ at the end to hide it when browsing).
- Set up any Permissions that matter.
- 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.
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.