Q165540

• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

SYMPTOMS

When users try to disconnect a drive that is mapped to their home directory by typing net use /d at a command prompt, they may receive the following error message:

The device is being accessed by an active process.
More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 2404.

CAUSE

The above error message will occur if the drive that is mapped to the user's home directory is set through the "Home Directory, Connect To" option within User Manager.

MORE INFORMATION

When the "Connect To" option for Home Directory within User Manager is defined to connect a drive letter to a specified UNC path, you create this connection using NDDEAGNT (NetDDE Agent), which is part of NetDDE. Because NetDDE is involved, there is an active connection to the server and that connection cannot be readily broken.

WORKAROUND

RESOLUTION

There are currently three possible workarounds.

NOTE: Save and close all files you have open that may be affected by the following workarounds before you continue pursuing them. The three possible workarounds are:

• Use File Manager (Winfile.exe) to override the lock on the drive mapping so you can disconnect it. When you disconnect the mapped drive, a message will appear that states

  "There are currently files open on <mapped drive letter>: (connected to \\server\share). If you do not close the files before disconnecting from the network device, data may be lost. Do you want to disconnect the device anyway?"

  Click YES to override the lock. If the connection between the workstation and associated server is broken, the connection will timeout after a short period and the drive mapping can be disconnected by typing net use /d at a command prompt.



• Use a utility such as Pview95 or Pviewer to view the processes currently in memory, and unload Nddeagnt from memory. After you terminate the NetDDE Agent from memory, NetDDE communication that involves the Nddeagnt component, such as Winchat, becomes inoperable. Stopping and restarting the NetDDE service(s) does not fix the problem. You must reload Nddeagnt.exe into memory by running it manually, from a command prompt or, from Start, use the Run option.



• Break the connection (unplug from network) between the workstation and the associated server. The connection will timeout after a short period. You can then disconnect drive mapping, using the net use /d command from a command prompt.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post additional information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: active process net use map

Keywords :
Issue type : kbbug
Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351xsearch kbWinNT350xsearch kbWinNT400xsearch kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350xsearch kbWinNTW351xsearch kbWinNTW351 kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbwin2000Serv kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400xsearch kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbwin2000ServSearch kbwin2000Search kbwin2000ProSearch kbwin2000Pro kbWinNTS351xsearch kbWinNTS350xsearch kbWinAdvServSearch