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Running programs from a network share

Discussion in 'Legacy Windows' started by Hotaru, 2015/02/04.

  1. 2015/02/04
    Hotaru

    Hotaru Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    When I try to run a program from a network share, sometimes it runs and sometimes it will not. Installers seems to have this problem more often than "normal" applications. Regardless of the .exe's purpose, the error is the same:

    (GUI)
    K:\programs\example.exe
    The specified path does not exist.
    Check the path, and then try again.
    (CLI)
    The system cannot find the file in K:\programs\example.exe

    This occurs in XP/32, Vista/32, Vista 64, 8.0/64, and 8.1/64. This happens whether I double-click the .exe in Windows Explorer or use the command prompt. If the latter, it occurs regardless of using absolute path or running from the current directory.

    There is no reason Windows should be unable to find the .exe. I can copy it from J:/K:/L: to C: and it will run normally, but I should not have to. Can anything be done about this?
     
    Hotaru,
    #1
  2. 2015/02/05
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    So K is the shared drive of the pc where you are sitting but the program is actually installed on the C drive or the other machine? I can see how that would be a problem for larger applications have reference the C drive in the registry etc...
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #2


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  4. 2015/02/05
    Hotaru

    Hotaru Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    K: is the repository/archive drive.

    If I try to run K:\foo\bar\application_setup.exe so that I can install it to C: I will likely (but not always) have the problem. I then have to COPY K:\foo\bar\application_setup.exe C:\, run C:\application_setup.exe, then DEL C:\application_setup.exe.
     
    Hotaru,
    #3
  5. 2015/02/06
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    To install a program on your computer when the installer is located elsewhere on the network, you must be on a Windows domain. It may sometimes work if not on a domain when the share is a mapped drive. Otherwise, the installer will by default seek out the C:\ drive on the host system and a conflict will result because it was executed from a remote system. Most installers have a routines that seek out drive letters instead of paths. A mapped share has a drive letter, an ordinary share has only a path.
     
    TonyT,
    #4

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