Click OK to close the Client for Microsoft Networks Properties dialog box, and then

Chapter 13 ✦ Accessing the Network Disconnecting a mapped drive To disconnect a mapped drive and therefore lose the mapping permanently, follow these steps: 1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. 2. Choose Disconnect Network Drive from the quick menu. The Disconnect Network Drive dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 13-18. This figure is from Windows XP. Figure 13-18: Disconnect any mapped drive you no longer use or need.

3. In the list of Drives in Windows 98 or in the dialog box in Windows XP, select the drive

you want to delete.

4. Click OK to disconnect the network connection.

Reconnecting at logon If you’re using the option for reconnecting network drives upon logon set in the Client for Microsoft Networks dialog box, Windows verifies that the computers you’re mapped to are turned on. If a computer to which you are mapped is not turned on, Windows notifies you that it cannot map the drive and offers the option of reconnecting to the networked computer the next time you log on. If someone turns on the networked computer while you’re working, you always can reconnect by opening the My Computer window and double-clicking the drive mapping icon. If you’re using the quick logon option, your network drives are not automatically verified at logon. All you have to do, however, is double-click the mapped drive icon in the My Computer window to connect the drive. If the resource is available, a connection occurs immediately; if the resource is not available, a warning dialog box appears. Using Network Commands Windows includes several network commands you can use at the Microsoft Disk Operating System MS-DOS prompt. These commands enable you to view your current network con- nections, view any computer’s shared resources, and even create permanent connections, or Part III ✦ Working with Networked Computers drive mappings. There are even help commands that you can use at the MS-DOS prompt to help you with entering network commands. Some people are accustomed to using DOS commands from the old days; other people might be uncomfortable with the prospect if Windows is all they’ve ever known. These MS-DOS net- work commands, however, supply several options you can’t get within Windows, so you might want to try them. Understanding DOS commands The DOS command line accepts only cryptic commands you enter at the prompt. The prompt is the C:\ or C:\Windows, for example, that appears when you open the MS-DOS prompt window. The letter represents the drive letter, and any text after a backslash represents a directory; a directory is the same thing as a folder in Windows. To tell MS-DOS to perform a task, you type a command and then press the Enter key. To access command prompt, choose Star ➪ Programs ➪ MS-DOS Prompt in Windows 98. In Windows 2000 and XP, choose Start ➪ Programs ➪ Accessories ➪ Command Prompt. The window appears as white type on a black screen. To exit the program, type exit and press Enter. The window closes. You might be familiar with typing commands at the MS-DOS prompt, such as DIR to list a directory’s contents. You also might know that you can add certain text to a command to change the results. For example, typing DIR W lists the directory in multiple columns on your screen instead of in one long, flowing column. Commands When you type a command in MS-DOS, you use the command name. DIR, for example, is the name of the command. DIR stands for directory. You don’t have to type the command in all uppercase; in this book, however, the commands are written in uppercase so that you can distinguish them easily from ordinary text. Some commands require parameters that identify the exact object the command is to act on. Commands also might include switches that modify the command or action. Other com- mands require only the command name to perform a task. You type the command at the prompt and press the Enter key to activate it. After MS-DOS per- forms the command, it lists the results on the screen. Parameters Parameters are additional information the command needs to continue or complete the task. The parameter defines the object on which the command acts. If you type the DEL delete command, for example, you must tell MS-DOS what to delete. The parameter in this case, then, is the file you want to delete, as in DEL MEMO.DOC. In this example, you are telling the computer to delete the MEMO.DOC file. Parameters can be drives, paths, files, or any specifics that provide more information for the command to act on. Switches A switch modifies the way the command performs the task. You separate a switch from the command with a space and a forward slash . Normally, switches are single letters or num- bers that represent the modification. For example, DIR W means to list the directory across Note