How to I run cmd as an administrator on a network drive?

Question

Hi All,

If I open a cmd as an administrator, it won't let me change or see to any of my network drives. It is a real pain in the neck!

Is there something I can st to allow this?

Many thanks,
-T

Answer 1

If your account has admin rights and you are just opening an elevated cmd prompt, you can create the EnableLinkedConnections registry entry to make them visible.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/networking/mapped-drives-not-available-from-elevated-command

Detail to configure the EnableLinkedConnections registry entry

In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Right-click Configuration, select New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name the new registry entry as EnableLinkedConnections.

Double-click the EnableLinkedConnections registry entry.

In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type 1 in the Value data field, and then select OK.

Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

Answer 2

Network drive mappings are per-user. If the account that you use to logon to Windows is not a member of the Administrators group then your elevated command prompt has been opened under a different user account (maybe the Administrator account?). That would explain why the mapped drives are not visible. You can map the drives in the elevated command prompt to make them visible. If you make the mapping persistent then they will be mapped every time the account used for the elevated command prompt is logged on.