Skip to main content

Map and save a network share once inside WinPE

Thread needs solution

I am using the WinPE Bootable Media created using the MVP Tool.  Is there a way to map and save a network share once inside WinPE?  Thanks.

0 Users found this helpful

In the build process one of the first questions is whether you want to include network mapping.  If you respond Yes you can enter the mapping information.  A downside of this is that the initialization script pauses for 60 seconds (I think) for the network to stabilize before doing the mapping.

I use another technique.  Prior to running the Build tool, locate the Extra folder that lives in the folder containing MVP_ATIPEBuilder.exe,  Pick the appropriate x64 or x86 folder in Extra and save a .cmd (,bat would probably work, too) containing the "Net Use" commands to do your mapping.  The Build will include an Extra folder in your recovery medium containing your script.  After booting your recovery medium and all the initialization is complete, use the included file explorer to access your mapping script and execute it.

Another, more manual, solution is to bring up the Windows command prompt and enter the Net Use commands yourself.

So once the WinPE Bootable Media is built, there is no way to map and save the network share within the WinPE GUI?

I bet a really knowledgeable person could use DISM to edit the recovery medium to, at the very least, include the mapping script.  And with that knowledge plus an understanding of the recovery medium's initialization routines you might be able get the script executed.

That could be a fun exercise, but it would probably be quicker to go through the build process again and include the mapping.  Or just issue the Net Use command manually.

Thanks for the tips.  I will just do the network mapping manually since I only have 1 network share to map.