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Problem accessing network storage device


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#1
onedognight

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Hi. I have a wired home network (1 x PC, 2 x laptops) based around a modem/router device supplied by my ISP (iiNet). The device is called BoB2, uses asdl, also supplies voip services and I have connected a removable Samsung 1TB drive to it (RHDD).

 

For many months, the only info on the RHDD was one file, accessed as \\BOB2\BoB2 USB storage\filename.ext and it was available to all computers on the network.

 

I recently decided to back up a Windows 10 user account to the RHDD using ROBOCOPY from Microsoft. By mistake, I included some folders which I didn't want so I started to delete the unwanted folders using File Explorer. These took forever while the RHDD was connected to the router so I moved it to a usb port on my laptop, where it became drive 'e'. I deleted most of the unwanted folders and files using Explorer and, because there were some 'too long' filenames, I also used the purge option in ROBOCOPY to delete those. All nice and clean.

 

Then I moved the RHDD back to the router, where BOB2 and BoB2 USB storage show up in Explorer but when I try to access the latter, I get

"Windows cannot access \\BOB2\BoB2 USB storage".

 

When trouble-shooting, I get "BOB2 exists but Windows can't find BoB2 USB storage".

 

So I tried experimenting with a thumb drive. On my computer, I added a small file to the empty thumb drive, whereupon it became f:\file.ext. Then I move the thumb drive to my router and Explorer shows the small file as "BOB2\BoB2 USB storage\file.ext and also shows the presence of folder "BOB2\BoB2 USB storage\System Volume Information and, in that folder, the file WPSettings.dat. What I did with the thumb drive was similar to what I did with the RHDD, yet the thumbdrive contents are accessible when attached to either router or laptop but the RHDD contents are only accessible when attached to laptop.

 

Can anyone throw light on this?

 

 

 

 


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#2
RKinner

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Could be a permission error. Put the drive back on your PC.  Right click on the file and select Properties then Security.  Click on Edit.  then on Add.  Type everyone in the box then Check Names,  OK.

Check the Allow box for Full Control.  OK  (I see there is also a group called Authenticated Users which by default has no rights.  Might be enough to give them Full Control)

 

While on the PC, right click and Properties then Tools, under Error Checking hit Check Now.

 

When it finishes disconnect it from the PC and connect it to the other device.

 

(You may need to go in and add Everyone to the folder 'BoB2 USB storage')

 

It's also possible that this is now a hidden system file so you may need to tell Windows to let you see it:

 


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#3
onedognight

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RKinner: Thanks for your suggestions. Tried that but to no avail.

 

To double-check myself, I started with another Removable Drive (RD)

 

1. Plugged in to the router.
File Explorer, under \\BOB2\BoB2 USB storage, showed two folders, viz
(a) $Recycle.bin 806 folders, 3563 files, 15.1GB

(b) System Volume Information 1 folder, 8 files, 3.65GB

 

2. Moved RD to laptop (Drive E:). File Explorer showed "This folder is empty" but Properties showed Used Space 16.5GB

From Properties pop-up, I did a disk cleanup and a Tools/Optimize, resulting in Used Space 11.9GB

 

3. Command dir e: resulted in File Not Found 

 

4. Moved RD back to router.

FE showed "Windows cannot access \\BOB2\BoB2 USB storage

Name might be mis-spelled etc

and, after diagnose, "BOB2 exists but can't find \\BOB2\BoB2 USB storage"

 

 

So, the two folders originally present when on the router were not evident when moved to the laptop but their used space was detected. Then one or more of the processes performed on the laptop made the encompassing folder BoB2 USB storage un-accessible.

 

Very frustrating. Any further ideas appreciated.


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#4
RKinner

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What is the make and part number of the modem/router?
 
If you open an elevated command prompt and type"
 
e:
 
Does it change the prompt to E:\ > ?
 
If so try:
 
dir /a
 
Do you see any files or folders
 
Try:
 
attrib -r -h -s *
Then try
 
dir

If you see files now try moving the drive back to BOB2

 

Are you mapping a network drive to get to BOB2 or picking it up via network?


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#5
onedognight

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The properties data for the modem/router shows

Manufacturer iiNet (i.e. my ISP)

Model BOB2

Model No. GLD411

 

Elevated prompt f: responds with F:\>

 

Dir /a shows 3 folders and 1 file (as expected)

 

attrib -r -h -s *

followed by

dir

shows 1 folder and 1 file.

$RECYCLE.BIN and "System Volume Information" no longer appear.

 

Moving drive back to BOB2 results in nothing listed under Network in the left pane (where formerly > BOB2 appeared). Clicking on Network shows a centre pane with BOB2 listed under the section Network Infrastructure.

 

How are we doing?


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#6
onedognight

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I forgot to say that I haven't mapped a network drive. Before all this started, that drive was mapped to Y but somewhere since, I un-mapped it.


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#7
RKinner

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Looking at page 19 of 

http://iihelp.iinet....ep 27 (web).pdf

 

Have you verified that Enable File Server Function is checked?

That your PC is on the allowed list?

 

I see it mentions Workgroup.  Not sure how this is used on Win 10 which prefers Homegroups but guess since it was working once it should still work.

 

Try mapping a network drive to BOB2 then right click and Properties, Security.  See if there is any permission you might need to change to give yourself full control.

 

Then open an elevated Command Prompt (Command Prompt (admin) Prompt will be C:\windows\system32> ) and do a 

y:

(or whatever letter it has)

dir /a
attrib  -a -h -s *
dir

If you still can't see each of the files and folders in dir /a then try the attrib command again for each individual folder and file

 

ie:

attrib  -a -h -s  $RECYCLE.BIN

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#8
onedognight

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Success!

 

Mapping the drive (to Y:) and entering \\BoB2\BOB2 USB storage resulted in an entry under ThisPC in the navigation pane of File Explorer from which I can access all folders and files on the disk.

 

Thank you so much for your help.

 

Before all this, I could access the disk either under ThisPC or under Network in the navigation pane. I am curious as to what I did to stop the disk from appearing under Network (but as its just past midnight Saturday here, I'll ponder in the morning). Thanks, again.


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#9
onedognight

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Sunday morning and a beautiful day.

 

When I originally moved the disk from the router to the laptop, the main reason was because file deletion while on the router was very slow. But also, I had an issue with long filenames (caused by a recursive save of AppData) and so I used ROBOCOPY to remove unwanted files.

 

robocopy "c:\Users\Michael\NearlyEmptyFolder" "e:\MirrorToshiba\Michael\AppData" /MIR /XJ /XF *ntuser* /R:0 /W:0 /v /log:mirror.log

 

I suspect that the default settings in ROBOCOPY may have altered permission settings (but I don't really know what I'm talking about here). Anyway, I'll leave this topic open for a day or two.


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#10
RKinner

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Glad it's working again.  Never used robocopy.  Tend to do that sort of thing with the old DOS commands.


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