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ACC2000: Connecting to the First Available Network Drive

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This article was previously published under Q210221
Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

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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.

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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:
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.

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References

For more information about declaring API functions, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type Declare Statement in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

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Keywords: KB210221, kbprogramming, kbhowto

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Article Info
Article ID : 210221
Revision : 5
Created on : 10/11/2006
Published on : 10/11/2006
Exists online : False
Views : 384