Installing and Using NetDrive

Installing NetDrive
Configuring NetDrive
Making the Connection
Copying Files
Disconnecting from the server
Changing your Password
Flushing the Cache

NetDrive lets you map a network drive to various other servers (particularly the St. Olaf web server). This means that with NetDrive, you can access and modify your web server files from any workstation using just an Internet connection. Once a network drive is mapped, the drive letter that you assigned during the mapping appears in Windows Explorer and functions just like any other drive (like your floppy disk drive, zip disk, or shared network drives).

Installing NetDrive

  1. Navigate your way to the installation folder on prime.stolaf.edu: Open "My Computer" and find the drive labeled "(I:) Installs on 'Clusto_prime_pool_server\Prime\Apps'" and double-click on it.
  2. Open the NetDrive folder.
  3. Double-click netdrive.exe located in the folder.
  4. Follow the installation instructions. You may need to restart your computer for the installation to finish and the changes to take effect.

Once the installation is complete and your computer has restarted, a small icon will appear near the clock in your Windows taskbar (Figure 1).

Clock Icon

Figure 1

 

Configuring NetDrive

Once NetDrive is installed, you can perform many basic tasks within the NetDrive Main Window.

Opening the Main Window

Right-click on the NetDrive icon (Figure 1) so that the icon menu appears. Choose "Open NetDrive" from the menu (Figure 2).

Figure 2


The Main Window will appear.

Adding a Site

The steps below walk you through adding the St. Olaf web site to your NetDrive configuration. If you are using NetDrive to connect to another site, substitute the appropriate values instead of the ones used in this example.

  1. In the NetDrive Main Window, click "New Site."

  2. Enter the name of your site (e.g., St. Olaf Web Site) and the URL for the server (i.e., webdrive.stolaf.edu) in the appropriate fields of the New Site dialog box. (Figure 3).

Figure 3


  1. Click Finish.

At this point, you have only created a site. To actually map a drive and connect to a server, continue with the next section.

Mapping a Drive and Configuring a Site

Once you have created a site and clicked Finish, the name of your site and the URL of your server are automatically generated in the NetDrive Main Window; however, you still need to complete the following steps before you can connect and use NetDrive.

  1. From the Server Type drop-down list, make sure it has FTP chosen. Then select the drive letter -- W: is recommended -- that you want to use for the mapped drive..

  2. Uncheck the Anonymous/Public Logon check box and then enter your St. Olaf username and password. When you change your St. Olaf password in the future, you will need to update the password in this box as well for NetDrive to continue to operate.

  3. Add mapped drive to the Tray Connect menu should be checked.

  4. Click the Advanced button.

  5. On the tab labeled "Advanced," (see Figure 4) fill in the box labeled "Root Directory" with
    /home/www

    *If you are developing a personal site, you will need to Activate your Personal Web Space by visiting the account services page.

Figure 4


  1. Go to the "File Attributes" tab.

  2. Click on the checkbox labeled"Set attributes on new or modified files/directories by extension."

  3. Check or uncheck the attributes for User, Group, and Other according to Figure 5.

Figure 5


  1. Enter an asterisk ( * ) into the box labeled "Extension" and then click Add/New.

  2. Enter ".dir" (without the quotes, be sure to begin with a period (.)) into the box labeled "Extension" and then click Add/New. See Figure 5 for how the tab should look when completed.

  3. Click OK.

  4. Click Exit to finish the configuration.

Making the Connection

To establish the connection you configured above and to start using the connection to the web server, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the icon in the clock area of the Windows Taskbar (see Figure 1) and go to the "Connect To" menu option. A second menu appears with the name of your site.

  2. Click on the name of your site that you want to connect to (i.e., St. Olaf Web Site).

    As soon as NetDrive maps the drive, Windows Explorer launches with the drive letter that you mapped appearing in the left pane.

Copying Files

To copy files, copy or cut and paste files as you normally would in Windows Explorer. The drive you mapped (W:) acts just like any other local or network drive that you see in "My Computer." Any files you copy to the W: drive will be accessible via the St. Olaf web server.

When copying files and navigating through the web site, you may see a window pop up periodically showing transfer status. This window can be ignored; it will disappear when the transfer is complete.

Disconnecting From the Server

To disconnect from the server, right-click the NetDrive icon in the Taskbar (see Figure 1), choose the "W: St. Olaf Web Site" menu and then select "Disconnect" from the menu. (Figure 6).

Figure 6


WARNING:  Since a connection can be interrupted in the middle of a file transfer, you should always keep a backup copy of files that are transferred or modified on your server.

Changing Your Password

Everytime you change your St Olaf login password, you must also change your password in NetDrive. If you do not do this, you will not be able to access your webpage.

  1. Go to Start->Programs->Netdrive->netdrive.exe
  2. In the Password box, enter your new password.


  3. In the upper right, click Connect.
  4. Close NetDrive.
  5. Your password is updated and you are now connected to the St Olaf web server.

Flushing the Cache

If NetDrive is experiencing problems or files in Dreamweaver are not accepting changes, NetDrive's Cache can be flushed to fix these issuses.

  1. Go to Start->Programs->NetDrive->Shortcut to NetDrive.exe
  2. Click File->Program Settings->Cache->Empty Folder


  3. It will ask: Delete all files in folder c:\program files\netdrive\cache?
  4. Click Yes.
  5. Exit NetDrive.
  6. The Cache is now cleared.

 

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