How To Solve “The Local Device Name Is Already In Use”?

When trying to access a network drive on a client computer mapped to a shared Network Folder, some users have reported they got an error message that said, “the local device name is already in use”.

Here I will discuss why you may be facing this error, and the potential fixes you can apply to solve this.

Why Am I Facing This Error?

This is actually a common error that many users face related to network drive mapping. When trying to access a network drive, you may face the error that says “the local device name is already in use” . While trying to access the drive from command prompt, you may be displayed an error that says, “Map network drives… System error 85 has occurred. The local device name is already in use. The device is not ready. Locating AClient…”

Listed below are the possible reasons that you may be facing this error. You can read these to determine why you may be facing this error, in order to get a clearer idea of how you can solve this.

• The most common reason you may be facing this error is if you connect to the client computer using a different connection type than the one that you use to connect to the file server. With every different connection e.g. Local Area Network (LAN), Remote Access Service (RAS) etc. the login credentials change. When trying to restore the connection, the older credentials will be used. This leads to a mismatch, and you will face an error.
• ‘Unassigned drive letters’ is another reason that you may be facing this error. Some network drives can have incorrect or sometimes even missing drive letters which cause this error message to be displayed on your computer.
• If the server is running out of storage space, there may not be necessary storage available to properly access the network drive.

Solve “The Local Device Name Is Already In Use” Error

Now that you have a little idea of why you may be facing this error, here are the potential fixes that you can deploy to solve this error.

FIX 1: Change Connection

As a starter fix, confirm that you use the same network connection to connect to the file server that you used to connect to the client computer. If you are on different networks, the remapping is not possible due to credentials mismatch, and hence you are facing this error.

If you are on the same network and still facing this error, try the next fixes in the list to solve your problem.

Fix 2: Remap Network Using Command Prompt

To resolve this issue, remove the existing network mapping. Then create a new network mapping for the share. This will reset the connection, potentially solving the issue. Here are the steps you can use to do the same:

1. Open an elevated command prompt. Open a Run dialog by pressing Win + R, type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch command prompt with administrative privileges.
2. Note the Drive letter assigned to the file server, and type the following command and press Enter to remove the existing network mapping:
   net use Z: /delete

3. After you see that the network drive was deleted successfully, remap the drive using the following command in the same command prompt window:

Note: Replace X with the drive letter assigned to your file server storage. Also replace <username> and <password> with your login credentials.

Now check if your problem is solved.

FIX 3: Restart Terminal Services

If you are on a Windows 7 or older version of operating system, you can restart the Terminal Services to solve your error. To do this, you need to follow these steps:

1. Log into your OS as administrator.
2. Open a Run dialog by pressing Win + R.
3. Type services.msc and press Enter to open Windows services.

• Now locate and restart the following services:
  Remote Desktop Services
  Computer Browser

Now try connecting to your file server again. This should solve your error.

Note: You may not find Computer browser on a Windows 10 device, as it seems to have been removed because Microsoft is urging people to not use SMB1 file sharing.

FIX 4: Edit Registry Items

If all of the methods mentioned thus far failed to solve your problem, you can make certain changes to your system’s Registry to solve this issue. Registry houses the basic configuration settings files of the applications and settings installed on your system.

Caution: Registry is a sensitive place. Even the slightest mistake can corrupt your system, bricking it. We strongly recommend to backup your registry files and export them to a safe location, from where you can restore it in case something goes wrong.

(Read here: How to edit registry using the Command Prompt)

1. Open a Run dialog by pressing Win + R.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

3. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter to go to this address:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Mup
4. Locate the DWORD (32-bit) value titled EnableDeviceNameCreateRetry in the right pane.
5. Double click on it to Modify the entry.
6. Change the Value Data of the Entry to 1.

7. Next navigate to the following path by pasting it in the address bar:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
8. Here locate a key named MountPoints2 in the left pane.
9. Delete this key from the right click context menu. Click Yes on the delete confirmation dialog box.

Now check again for the issue to confirm if the “the local device name is already in use” error message is being displayed again.

FIX 5: Change File And Printer Sharing Settings In Firewall

The Firewall protects your device from malicious threats from unknown sources especially online. If for some reason, file and printer sharing is disabled in your firewall, there can be issues with file server and shared storage, and “the local device name is already in use” error message is one of them.

If you are using a third-party firewall service, you need to locate the setting manually according to your service software, and enable File and Printer sharing in your firewall. However, if you use Windows Firewall like me, you can use the following steps to solve this error:

1. Open Control panel from the desktop or start menu.
2. Go to Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click on Allow an app or feature though Windows Firewall button from the left side options.

4. In the list of installed apps that open, click on Change settings button at the top to provide administrative privileges.
5. Navigate to File and Printer sharing option and check the box next to it in both Private and Public networks.
6. Click on OK to finalize your changes.

7. Restart your computer.

Now check if your error still persists.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it. Now you know how to solve the “the local device name is already in use” error using one or a combination of the fixes provided above. Comment below to let us know which fix solved your issue, and to discuss further the same.