How to open a password protected shared network folder using VB.NET?

Question

I need to open a password protected shared folder on a network to gain access to an Access 97 database. How do I open the folder and pass in the password?

Answer 1

found here http://www.mredkj.com/vbnet/vbnetmapdrive.html

Public Declare Function WNetAddConnection2 Lib "mpr.dll" Alias "WNetAddConnection2A" _
( ByRef lpNetResource As NETRESOURCE, ByVal lpPassword As String, _
  ByVal lpUserName As String, ByVal dwFlags As Integer) As Integer

 Public Declare Function WNetCancelConnection2 Lib "mpr" Alias   "WNetCancelConnection2A" _
    (ByVal lpName As String, ByVal dwFlags As Integer, ByVal fForce As Integer) As Integer

    <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)> _
Public Structure NETRESOURCE
        Public dwScope As Integer
        Public dwType As Integer
        Public dwDisplayType As Integer
        Public dwUsage As Integer
        Public lpLocalName As String
        Public lpRemoteName As String
        Public lpComment As String
        Public lpProvider As String
    End Structure

Public Const ForceDisconnect As Integer = 1
Public Const RESOURCETYPE_DISK As Long = &H1

Public Function MapDrive(ByVal DriveLetter As String, ByVal UNCPath As String) As Boolean

        Dim nr As NETRESOURCE
        Dim strUsername As String
        Dim strPassword As String

        nr = New NETRESOURCE
        nr.lpRemoteName = UNCPath
        nr.lpLocalName = DriveLetter & ":"
        strUsername = Nothing '(add parameters to pass this if necessary)
        strPassword = Nothing '(add parameters to pass this if necessary)
        nr.dwType = RESOURCETYPE_DISK

        Dim result As Integer
        result = WNetAddConnection2(nr, strPassword, strUsername, 0)

        If result = 0 Then
            Return True
        Else
            Return False
        End If
    End Function

Public Function UnMapDrive(ByVal DriveLetter As String) As Boolean
    Dim rc As Integer
        rc = WNetCancelConnection2(DriveLetter & ":", 0, ForceDisconnect)

        If rc = 0 Then
            Return True
        Else
            Return False
        End If

    End Function

Answer 2

one solution would be to map the network folder to an available drive letter. You could accomplish that using Windows OS commands:

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("net.exe", "use K: \\Server\URI\path\here /USER:<username> <password>" )

Simply replace the username and password with the credentials you need and make sure the drive letter is available.

To disconnect you can call

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("net.exe", "use /delete K:" )