Map a Network Drive

Mapping a folder on a network creates a shared space that anyone on the network can easily access. You can map a drive on another computer on your network to increase the storage you have access to, or to create a collaboration space for you and your coworkers. Follow this guide to turn any folder into a network drive.

Steps

Mapping a Network Drive in Windows Vista/7/8

1. Open Computer to display your connected drives. Click the Start menu and then click Computer. This will open a window displaying all of your drives. To open Computer in Windows 8, type "computer" while on the Start screen and click Computer in the search results.
2. Click Map Network Drive. This button is located on the right end of the top horizontal menu bar. Clicking this button will open the Map Network Drive window.
   • In Windows 8, click the Computer tab, and then select Map Network Drive.
3. Select a drive letter. This is the letter that will appear on the network to identify the drive. Pick a letter towards the end of the alphabet to avoid conflicting with existing physical drives.
4. Choose the folder that you want to connect to. You can either type in the location into the field by entering \\computername\path\to\folder\, or you can click Browse… and navigate to the folder that you want to map as a drive.
   • Your folder must be set to be shared in order to map it as a network drive. In order to do this, right-click the folder you want and select Properties from the menu. Click the Sharing tab, and then click Advanced Sharing… In the window that opens, select “Share this folder” and hit OK.
   • If you are connecting to a shared folder on a network that is not on your computer, you may need to provide login information. Check the box labeled "Connect using different credentials" and enter your login information. Check with your network administrator if you don't know the username and password.

Mapping a Network Drive in Mac OS X

1. Open the Finder. The Finder is typically located in the Dock. Press Command+K to open the Connect to Server window. Enter the location of the shared drive that you want to map. Enter the location in the following format: //computername/path/to/folder. Click Connect
   • The folder must be shared in order to map it as a network drive.
   • You may need to enter login details if the folder has been protected.
2. Set the drive to remount upon reboot. If you leave it as it is, the drive will not be remounted next time you reboot or reconnect to the network. You will need to add it to your Login Items for it to reappear.
3. Click the Apple menu. Select System Preferences, then click Accounts. Open Login Items, then click the “+” button to add the network drive. Locate the drive and click Add.
   • There is a chance that your drive will not show up on the desktop. To fix this, open the Finder and then open the Finder preferences by pressing Command+. Select the General tab and check the box for Connected Servers. Your drive should now appear on your desktop.

Mapping a Network Drive in Windows XP/2000

1. Open My Network Places. Click the Start button and select My Network Places. Click “Entire Network” in the Other Places menu in the left navigation frame. Select the network domain or workgroup that contains the computer's shared files you want to browse.
2. Open the Map Network Drive window. Right-click the network folder you want to map and select Map Network Drive from the menu. This will open the Map Network Drive dialog box.
3. Select a drive letter. Select a letter from the Drive list, and check the “Reconnect at logon” box if you want to the drive to appear every time you reboot or reconnect to the network. Click Finish.
   • Choose a letter towards the end of the alphabet to avoid conflicts with existing drives.
   • If you are connecting to a protected folder, you may need to login to access it. In order to do so, click the "Connect with a different user name" link, and then enter the username and password. If you don't know your login information, check with your network administrator.

Tips

• You MUST be logged on with administrator privileges to Map a Network Drive.

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