UNC Shortcut vs Mapped Network Drive

network-shareuncwindows-xp

Is there any fundamental difference between mapping a network share and using a UNC shortcut in Windows (aside from the obvious loss of a drive letter)?

Best Answer

A UNC can be accessed without requiring a user logon while a mapped drive can only be accessed by by a logged on user. So a service, or batch, that accesses a remote server should do so with a UNC path and not a drive letter.