+++ title = “You Won’t Believe How Easy it is to Map a Network Drive! Find Out Now!” date = 2021-08-25T17:27:30+07:00 author = “John Doe” authorTwitter = “https://twitter.com/johndoe" cover = “img/network_drive_cover.jpg” tags = [“technology”, “network drive”, “mapping”]
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If you are someone who deals with multiple computers on a daily basis, then mapping a network drive is something that you should know about. Mapping a network drive is easy and allows you to access files and folders across different computers in your network without the need for you to move files physically between devices. The best part is, you won’t even believe how easy it is to do this on your own.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what mapping a network drive is, and how to do it yourself.
What is a Network Drive?
In simple terms, a network drive is a storage device that can be accessed from multiple computers on a network. It could be a hard drive connected to a router or a network-attached storage (NAS) device. When you map these drives, they will appear as a drive letter in your Windows File Explorer, which makes it easier for you to navigate and access files and folders on the network drive.
How to Map a Network Drive
Mapping a network drive is a straightforward process in Windows 10. Follow the instructions below to map your network drive.
- Open Windows File Explorer and click on “This PC” on the left side of the screen.
- Select the “Computer” tab and click on “Map network drive.”
- In the window that appears, select the drive letter you want to use for your network drive, and enter the network path to the folder you want to map.
- If you want to reconnect to this network drive every time you start your computer, check the “Reconnect at sign-in” option.
- Click “Finish” to complete the mapping process.
That’s it! You have now successfully mapped a network drive on your Windows 10 computer. You can access this network drive from the File Explorer, just like you would any other drive.
Benefits of Mapping a Network Drive
Now that you know how to map a network drive, let’s take a closer look at why it’s beneficial to do so.
Access Files Anywhere
With a network drive, you can access your files from any device connected to the network. This means you can work on a document on your desktop computer and then access it from your laptop while you are on the go.
Easier Collaboration
If you are working on a project with colleagues, mapping a network drive makes it easier to share files and collaborate. Every team member can access the same files, which means you don’t have to worry about emailing files back and forth.
Centralized File Management
Instead of having to manage multiple copies of files on different devices, you can store all your files in a central location on the network drive. This makes it easier to find and manage your files, which can save you time in the long run.
Conclusion
Mapping a network drive is a great way to access files and folders on different computers in your network. It is a simple process that can save you time and effort, and can make collaboration with colleagues easier. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try and see how easy it is for yourself!
This article explains how to map a network drive in Windows 10. If you’re looking to do that in Windows 7 or 8, the instructions are a bit different.
What to Know
- Go to File Explorer -> This PC -> Computer -> Map Network Drive. Select the drive, enter the UNC path, click Finish.Accounts that don’t have the required permissions will fail to create connections, so be sure you have that info ready.
How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 10
A mapped drive enables users to take advantage of the storage on other devices in the network. Instead of downloading or copying the same data to all your devices, you can save this data in a single folder, then share this folder and make it available for other devices.
Once you’ve shared the location of this data via a UNC path, you can then map the network drive to all your devices with a few simple steps.
- Launch File Explorer.
- Select This PC.
- In the windows that opens, select Computer > Map network drive.
- Select the drive letter for the network drive you would like to map, enter the UNC path in the Folder text field, then select Finish.
- The UNC path is the location of the shared folders you want to connect to. For example: “\testserver\share\test” tells the computer that’s the shared folder you want to connect to on the network drive you specified in the Drive letter drop-down menu.
- If you’re prompted for credentials, enter the credentials for an account that has the required permissions to access the file/folder and select OK.
- Accounts that don’t have these permissions will fail to create a connection to the network drive.
Launch File Explorer.
Select This PC.
In the windows that opens, select Computer > Map network drive.
Select the drive letter for the network drive you would like to map, enter the UNC path in the Folder text field, then select Finish.
The UNC path is the location of the shared folders you want to connect to. For example: “\testserver\share\test” tells the computer that’s the shared folder you want to connect to on the network drive you specified in the Drive letter drop-down menu.
If you’re prompted for credentials, enter the credentials for an account that has the required permissions to access the file/folder and select OK.
Accounts that don’t have these permissions will fail to create a connection to the network drive.
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