Add new network location, not map network drive - vb.net

Question

Let's say I have 100 users and I need to add several network locations for each user. They cannot be network drives (e.g. Q:) as some users already have more than 26 drives mapped.
I was hoping to do this using either a batch file or a VB script. I've managed to get it working using a VB script by adding network shortcuts but this isn't the solution the users need.
I've been searching and can't find anything related specifically to Network Locations.
I'm open to trying other methods.

Answer 1

EDITED to properly answer the question; the original answer, that creates a shortcut in Network Locations, is kept at the end.
After some testing, a network location is a read-only folder located in the %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts folder, with two files inside: desktop.ini with a precise content (see in code) and a target.lnk shortcut to the target.
Option Explicit
Function CreateNetworkLocation( networkLocationName, networkLocationTarget )
Const ssfNETHOOD = &H13&
Const fsATTRIBUTES_READONLY = 1
Const fsATTRIBUTES_HIDDEN = 2
Const fsATTRIBUTES_SYSTEM = 4
CreateNetworkLocation = False
' Instantiate needed components
Dim fso, shell, shellApplication
Set fso = WScript.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set shell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set shellApplication = WScript.CreateObject("Shell.Application")
' Locate where NetworkLocations are stored
Dim nethoodFolderPath, networkLocationFolder, networkLocationFolderPath
nethoodFolderPath = shellApplication.Namespace( ssfNETHOOD ).Self.Path
' Create the folder for our NetworkLocation and set its attributes
networkLocationFolderPath = fso.BuildPath( nethoodFolderPath, networkLocationName )
If fso.FolderExists( networkLocationFolderPath ) Then
Exit Function
End If
Set networkLocationFolder = fso.CreateFolder( networkLocationFolderPath )
networkLocationFolder.Attributes = fsATTRIBUTES_READONLY
' Write the desktop.ini inside our NetworkLocation folder and change its attributes
Dim desktopINIFilePath
desktopINIFilePath = fso.BuildPath( networkLocationFolderPath, "desktop.ini" )
With fso.CreateTextFile(desktopINIFilePath)
.Write "[.ShellClassInfo]" & vbCrlf & _
"CLSID2={0AFACED1-E828-11D1-9187-B532F1E9575D}" & vbCrlf & _
"Flags=2" & vbCrlf
.Close
End With
With fso.GetFile( desktopINIFilePath )
.Attributes = fsATTRIBUTES_HIDDEN + fsATTRIBUTES_SYSTEM
End With
' Create the shortcut to the target of our NetworkLocation
Dim targetLink
targetLink = fso.BuildPath( networkLocationFolderPath, "target.lnk" )
With shell.CreateShortcut( targetLink )
.TargetPath = networkLocationTarget
.Save
End With
' Done
CreateNetworkLocation = True
End Function
CreateNetworkLocation "Tests", "\\192.168.1.2\c$"
Tested in Windows 7.
Original answer - Just in case someone finds it useful.
All you need to do is to create a shortcut in the folder:
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
Just a VBScript sample (as indicated in the question, not sure if the tags points to another needs):
Option Explicit
Const ssfNETHOOD = &H13&
Dim fso, shell, shellApplication
Set fso = WScript.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set shell = WScript.CreateObject("WSCript.Shell")
Set shellApplication = WScript.CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Dim networkLocationsFolder
networkLocationsFolder = shellApplication.Namespace( ssfNETHOOD ).Self.Path
With shell.CreateShortcut(fso.BuildPath( networkLocationsFolder, "Test PC.lnk" ))
.TargetPath = "\\192.168.1.10\c$"
.WindowStyle = 1
.IconLocation = "shell32.dll, 9"
.Description = "Access to Test computer drive"
.WorkingDirectory = "\\192.168.1.10\c$"
.Save
End With