Network drive showing in file/save dialog?

[HCHTech]

I have a Synology NAS in my shop that is used for file storage. I have the main storage folder mapped as the "Z" drive on my computer. I also have several of the subfolders as separate entries in my Quick Access list. For a few weeks now, I have noticed some odd behavior. While I can access this drive and those folders fine from Windows explorer, occasionally, when I have a document open in an application and I want to save it to the NAS, the Z drive is missing from the list of drives in the saveAs dialog. Also, If I click on one of the subfolders in the Quick Access list, I get the error that "Z:\scans (for example) is unavailable. If the location is on this PC, make sure the device or drive is connected...etc. etc.

Yet, when this happens, I can save the document to my local documents folder, for example, then immediately cut it from there and paste it into the Z: drive using Window Explorer.

This happened again this morning when I opened a PDF someone emailed me. I opened it directly from the email (it opened in Adobe Reader), then tried to Save As to the NAS. I have also had this happen with Word documents, so it's not limited to PDFs or to Adobe. This is new behavior, and I don't *think* I have changed anything network-wise. I suspect I've got a Windows problem or corruption somewhere - I guess, anyway. Any suggestions for troubleshooting? I've tried disabling UAC as a test - no change. I've created an "EnableLinkedConnections" DWORD in

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System,

but that seems more targeted to when mapped drives don't show in Explorer. I haven't tried creating a new user profile yet, but I think if it came to that I would just do a N&P, which is probably warranted anyway - it's been a year or so and this machine gets beat up pretty bad with installs/uninstalls/testing/etc.

 

[Markverhyden]

Have you deleted the maps and put them back in again?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

What mechanism did/does the actual mapping? The GUI to map a drive in network places? Or a login script .BAT file? Or...managed via active directory?
Is the NAS on a static IP?
Mapped to the NAS via IP or host name?

 

[HCHTech]

Deleted and recreated maps, no change.
NAS is a static IP
The drive maps were done via IP.

Today's problem is completely reproduceable - Adobe Reader does not offer mapped drives in the save/as dialog, and Quick Access links to subfolders of those maps generate the "location unavailable" error when clicked. Mapped drive ARE shown and accessible in Windows Explorer.

Going through this same exercise in Word, all of the drives are shown and available in the save/as dialog. Libre Office also works fine. Just trying a few other apps, Nirsoft Bluescreen view exhibits the same behavior as Adobe, doesn't see mapped drives. VLC Media Player & Advanced IP Scanner both work fine. I don't love the mixed results - ha.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

OK...so this is ringing a bell.....I remember back around, oh, over 15 years ago, I had a nursing home client, and I remember the finance lady running into this problem. It was just Adobe that would not access the network shared resources. Other standard apps like Orifice...just fine. File Explorer..just fine.
I wish I could remember what I did to fix it. Sorta remember it took me a while and a lot of Google-Fu to find the answer, and I did fix it.
//scratching head...but there's a lot less hairs up there now than back in.

...on the road yesterday/today/tomorrow/Sat....driving down to FL. Currently in a hotel off the highway in New Brunswick NJ. Wheels up...targeting Wilson NC or so for todays leg of the drive.

 

[HCHTech]

Yeah - not a crisis for sure. I think only Nirsoft & Adobe are exhibiting the problem. Just for fun, I'll try a uninstall/reinstall of Adobe, but otherwise, I'll put up with the issue until I can do a N&P. I haven't upgraded to W11 yet since I have a Ryzen5 2400G on this rig, but I'm planning on doing it anyway at some point soon.

 

[HCHTech]

Well, an uninstall / reinstall of Adobe Reader appears to have solved the problem for that app. Uninstall / reinstall of BlueScreenView did NOT solve the problem there. We'll see if the problem crops up in Office apps again -