When mapping a network drive in VMware Workstation using VMware Tools, it maps the drive, based on a Shared Folder, for only a Standard User. However, since InstallShield runs as an Administrator, the mapped network drive is inaccessible to the Administrator.

Having a mapped network drive for Standard users and Administrators is critical, because InstallShield users from companies with locked down environments are only given Administrator permissions on a VM in VMware Workstation.

VMware needs to update the VMware Tools in the VMware Workstation product.

To reproduce this issue, perform the following steps:

1. With a Windows 10 virtual machine powered off, enable and configure Shared Folders in the Settings of the VMware VM.
   
   
   1. Configure the VM > Settings > Options > Shared Folders option, so that the host machine has a folder, for example, under the root of the C drive, that maps to a folder on a mapped network drive, automatically created by VMware Workstation.
      
      
   2. Log into the VM as the primary user, who is an Administrator, for example: Test
      
      
2. Configure EnableLinkedConnections, on the Windows 10 VM, per the official Microsoft documentation by following the steps in the section titled Detail to configure the EnableLinkedConnections registry entry in the following article: Mapped drives are not available from an elevated prompt when UAC is configured to Prompt for credentials
   
   
3. Open a command prompt not elevated to Administrator.
   
   
4. Open a command prompt elevated to Administrator.
   
   
5. Run the net use command in both command prompts. Note the following:
   
   
   • In the non-elevated command prompt, the mapped network drive is listed.
   • In the elevated command prompt, the mapped network drive is not listed.
   • In File Explorer, the mapped network drive is accessible.
   • In the Open dialog in InstallShield, the mapped network drive is not accessible.

Expected Result

The mapped network drive should be accessible, both in File Explorer and in InstallShield, as a Standard User and an Administrator.

Actual Result

The mapped network drive is only accessible to a Standard User, not the Administrator using InstallShield.

The workaround for this issue is as follows:

1. Search for Task Scheduler on Windows search then open Task Scheduler.
   
   
2. Right-click in the whitespace under the current scheduled tasks then select Create New Task (not Create Basic Task).
   
   
3. Configure the following for the new scheduled task:
   
   
   1. Under the General tab, specify/perform the following:
      
      
      1. Name: my_network_drive_test1
      2. Example Author: <MACHINE NAME>\Test
      3. Description: This is a scheduled task to automatically map a network drive as an Administrator to make a Shared Folder accessible to the Administrator user running InstallShield.
      4. Select the radio button for Run only when user is logged on.
      5. Check the checkbox for Run with highest privileges.
      6. Select Configure for Windows 10 in the dropdown menu near the bottom of the dialog.
         
         
   2. Under the Triggers tab, specify/perform the following:
      
      
      1. Click New.
      2. Begin the task: At log on
      3. Select Specific user, for example, <MACHINE NAME>\Test
      4. Check Delay task for: 15 minutes
      5. Check Repeat task every hour for a duration of 1 day
      6. Make sure that the Enabled checkbox is checked.
         
         
   3. Under the Actions tab:
      
      
      1. Click New.
      2. Action: Start a program
      3. Program/script: Click the Browse... button. Browse to the test.bat file on the user's Desktop.
         
         
   4. Under the Conditions tab:
      
      
      1. Check the Start the task only if the computer is idle for 10 minutes checkbox.
      2. Select Wait for idle for: 1 hour
      3. Check the Stop if the computer ceases to be idle checkbox.
      4. Check the Start the task only if the computer is on AC power checkbox.
      5. Check the Stop if the computer switches to battery power checkbox.
         
         
   5. Under Settings:
      
      
      1. Check the Allow task to be run on demand checkbox.
      2. Check the Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed checkbox.
      3. Check the If the task fails, restart every 1 minute checkbox.
      4. Set Attempt to restart up to: 3 times
      5. Check the Stop the task if it runs longer than 3 days checkbox.
      6. Check the If the running task does not end when requested, force it to stop checkbox.
      7. Select If the task is already running, then the following rule applies: Do not start a new instance option from the dropdown menu.
         
         
4. Create a C:\test.bat, Windows batch file, with the following contents:
   
   @ECHO OFF
   net use Z: "\\vmware-host\Shared Folders" /persistent:yes

VMware needs to update the VMware Tools in the VMware Workstation product.