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[lescarlson]

My dns323 will not wake up for my music player, the AIMP2 player.
....After Win7-64 first loads, the first thing I usually do is start my music player (above). The tunes are kept on the DNS323 box. So, after the music player calls for the music file it comes back with:

can't open the file [Code: 2]

At that point I open Windows explorer to click on the DNS323. This wakes the box, then the music player will find its file and begin playing.

Is there a way I can have Windows automatically nudge the DNS323 immediately after booting?
Thanks, Les

[jamieburchell]

Create a plain text file in Notepad and add the following line:

@dir \\ip.of.your.nas\Volume_1 > nul

Save the file, making sure to select "Save as type: All files" and name it nudge.bat (not nudge.bat.txt)

Create a shortcut to it in your Windows startup folder, edit the properties of the shortcut to run minimised and you shouldn't see it start when Windows does.

Only Volume_1 will wake, change it to 2 if you need to, or copy the line again and change to 2 if you want both to wake.

[lescarlson]

Jamie,
Much obliged to you. It was exactly what I was hoping for.
Thank you, Les

[lescarlson]

I guess the 'nudge' isn't enough. Still comes up with the same error:

can't open the file [Code: 2]

I wonder why clicking on the DNS323 drive in the Windows explorer clears up the problem, but your solution does not ? I guess it needs a shaking.

Any other ideas ?

Les

[jamieburchell]

I'm assuming that you entered your NAS's IP address in the command, and that "Volume_1" is actually a share you have created and is on the same drive as you want to wake up?

If you run the batch file, does it actually start the drives on the NAS? If you remove the "> nul" portion of the command, you should see a directory listing of the share - but the batch file will likely close straight after unless you add a "pause" command at the end.

Just trying to establish if the batch file is working correctly.

[lescarlson]

"If you run the batch file, does it actually start the drives on the NAS? If you remove the "> nul" portion of the command, you should see a directory listing of the share - but the batch file will likely close straight after unless you add a "pause" command at the end."

Yes, yes. I've already done that and the command does exactly what it should.
I changed the shortcut so the window pops up 'normalized'. Then, changed the .bat file to read:

@dir \\192.168.2.3\Volume_1
rem> nul
pause

And just as it should, the DNS box wakes up and displays the volume_1 directory in the command line window.

I thought for sure this should do the same as opening Windows explorer to wake the NAS drive, but it does not. The music player will still not get access to the file it is suppose to play. I've also tried with a second media player, VLC media player, and get the same result: Can not open file error.

Do you know of another command which might work as Windows explorer does?

Thanks, Les

[jesusp]

another one:

start \\192.168.2.3\Volume_1

or if it's already mapped to Z drive, for example:

start Z:\

or
start /MIN Z:\

if you want the explorer window to be minimized.

[jamieburchell]

Are you accessing a mapped drive through explorer?

If so, try: "dir X:\" instead, where "X" is the letter you have assigned.

[lescarlson]

JesusP,

another one:

start \\192.168.2.3\Volume_1

The reply to the 'start' command was:

"An error occurred while reconnecting Z: to
\\DLINK-755240\Volume_1
Microsoft Windows Network: The network path was not found
This connection has not been restored."

Jamieburchell,

Are you accessing a mapped drive through explorer?

If so, try: "dir X:\" instead, where "X" is the letter you have assigned.

Yes. Windows explorer accesses a mapped drive. When I use 'dir X:\' command (where X:\ is my mapped drive), I get this comment in the command window:

"The system cannot find the path specified."

Apparently windows doesn't connect to the NAS box right away (when the 'nudge.bat' file is executed).
If I execute the commands after windows has found the path, then the commands work without errors.
The odd thing is though, I must open the Windows explorer and click on the mapped NAS in order to clear things up for other windows applications (my music players) to recognize the DNS323.

Thanks to you both for your input,
Les

[lescarlson]

Apparently the command line window and Windows are two separate environments. One doesn't know what the other is doing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I mentioned that my music player would refuse to play tunes from the NAS until I awoke it with clicking the the virtual Z: drive (where the NAS was mapped to in Windows explorer). Here's what I did:

In the startup .bat file, I used the 'subst Z: [DNS323]' command to map the NAS to the virtual Z: drive at start up. This worked and the music player started playing the tune from the NAS immediately. "Great" I thought.

But, when I opened Windows explorer, the previously mapped Z: drive was marked disconnected. It did not exist as far as Windows was concerned. Where as the command line window recognized the Z: drive it had created.

Any way, I'm lost. I don't know enough about Windows to figure out what's going on. If anyone has any insight, I would be most grateful.

Thanks again, Les

[jamieburchell]

Can you configure your music player to use a UNC path? I.e. \\ip.address.of.nas\sharename ? I don't use mapped drives because my experience of them has been much the same as yours.

[lescarlson]

Can you configure your music player to use a UNC path?

Do you know of a music player which allows this? What do you use recommend ? I have enjoyed using the AIMP2 player because it seems to work much more efficiently than the Windows music player.

[jamieburchell]

I've used Windows Media Player and iTunes before. Parts of each annoy me though

[lescarlson]

Jamieburchell, (or anyone else interested)

I've found the way to get the windows apps to immediately find files on the nas box. Also got rid of the little red x which used to be appended to the mapped link for the nas.

It's was quite a bother, but other little quirky things were causing grief so I formatted my C: drive and reinstalled Windows. It's like a new machine again. My media player immediately picks up the tunes on the nas, the tiny red x's are gone, my router no longer needs to be reset, my restore points work again, and everything seems to be in good working order.

I never did figure out what the initial problem was, but ALOT of other folks on the internet expressed the same, especially concerning windows not recognizing network drives.

Anyway a fresh Win7 install has fixed it right up.

Les

[jamieburchell]

Amen to fresh installations

Unfortunately during typical computer usage every application installed likes to change configurations and overwrite and scatter files everywhere- not to mention applications that don't uninstall properly, dreaded browser toolbars that make your browser unstable and 30% shorter. Along with "helpful" add-ons, spyware, viruses, out of date software, incompatibilities, old drivers, failed updates, corrupted files.... made worse by buggy new computer pre-bundled bloatware software like "Norton Total System Destroyer" and 30-day trial of "Xmas Countdown Calendar PRO - March Edition". Unaided by "system and registry cleaners".

In my experience, sometimes it's far quicker and easier to just re-format and re-install the latest versions of drivers and apps and updates.