Map Network Drive

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    Map Network Drive

    Map Network Drive

    How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 7
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    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 7

       Information
    This will show you how to map or unmap a share folder on your computer or shared network folder from a computer on your network to create a shortcut of it as a drive with a drive letter in the Computer window for easier access.
       Note
    You will need to be connected to your network to be able to map a shared network folder as a drive from it.

    You will be able to map a shared folder on your computer as a drive whether you are connected to a network or not since it's on your computer and does not require a network connection to access it.

    EXAMPLE: A Mapped Network Drive
    NOTE: For example, this is a shared network folder from a server on my network that was mapped as a drive on my computer.
    Map Network Drive-step6.jpg



    OPTION ONE

    To Map a Network Drive





    Method One

    Using the Command Prompt


    1. Open a command prompt.

    2. In the command prompt, type in the command below for what you want to do and press Enter.
       Note

    • Substitute ComputerName in the commands below with the actual remote or homegroup computer name that the share folder is on.
    • Substitute ShareFolderName in the commands below with the actual name of the network share folder.
    • Substitute Z: in the first command below with an unused drive letter you want to be given to the mapped network drive in your Computer window.
    • You can use * in the second command below to have Windows 7 automatically assign an unused drive letter to the mapped network drive in your Computer window starting from Z: up.

    Map Network Drive-net_use.jpg
    3. When finshed, close the command prompt. The network drive shoud now be mapped in your Computer window.



    Method Two

    From within the Computer Window


    1. Open the Start Menu and click on the Computer button on the right dark side.

    2. Click on the Map network drive toolbar button. (see screenshot below)
    Map Network Drive-step1.jpg
    3. Select a drive letter that you want to be assigned to this mapped network drive. (see screenshot below)
    Map Network Drive-step2.jpg
    4. Click on the Browse button. (see screenshot below)
    Map Network Drive-step3.jpg
    5. Select a listed shared folder on your computer OR a shared network folder that you want to have mapped as a drive, then click on OK. (see screenshot below)
    Map Network Drive-step4.jpg
    6. If you want to always have the map network drive available in the Computer window, then check the Reconnect at logon box. (see screenshot below)
    NOTE: If you do not check the Reconnect at logon box, then the mapped network drive in Computer will be disconnected (unmapped) automatically whenever you log off or restart the computer next.

    7. If you want to log on to the network for the shared network folder with a different user name and password than what you already have set for this network connection, then check the Connect using different credentials box. (see screenshot below step 9)
    NOTE: Normally you would leave this option unchecked unless you wanted to log on as a different user on the network than the default one you already have set up.
    Map Network Drive-step5.jpg
    8. Click on Finish. (see screenshot below step 6)

    9. If you checked the Connect using different credentials box in step 7, then you will now be prompted to enter the user name and password that you want to use instead to log on to the network with. If you want to be automatically logged on each time you open the mapped network drive, then check the Remember my credentials box. Click on OK after entering them. (see screenshot below)
    NOTE: If not, then skip this step and continue to step 10.

       Note
    If you are mapping drives/folders on a NAS, then you will need to use something like User-name@User-PC as your username instead + password.

    Map Network Drive-step6b.jpg
    10. You will now have a mapped network drive of this shared folder or shared network folder in Computer. (see screenshot below)
    Map Network Drive-step6.jpg



    OPTION TWO

    To Unmap a Network Drive


    NOTE: This will disconnect the mapped network drive to only remove it from the Computer window. It will not delete the shared folder or shared network folder.



    Method One

    Using the Command Prompt


    1. Open a command prompt.

    2. In the command prompt, type in the command below and press Enter.


    NOTE: substitute Z: in the command below with the actual drive letter of the mapped network drive that you want to unmap (remove) from your Computer window.
    • net use Z: /delete
    3. When finshed, close the command prompt. The mapped network drive shoud now be removed from your Computer window.



    Method Two

    From within the Computer Window


    1. Open the Start Menu and click on the Computer button on the right dark side.

    2. Right click on the mapped network drive that you want to unmap, and click on Disconnect. (see screenshot below)
    Map Network Drive-step7.jpg
    3. The mapped network drive is now unmapped, and will no longer show in the Computer window.
    That's it,
    Shawn










  1. Posts : 202
    Windows 8.1 x64 Enterprise
       #1

    i can't see the mapped network drive in Computer... in this situation, how can i remove (unmap) it?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Maranello,

    I'm not sure if I understand. If it's not displayed in the Computer window, then it would normally not be mapped anymore there. Could you post a screenshot showing the mapped network drive's location?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 202
    Windows 8.1 x64 Enterprise
       #3

    i have an old problem with drives appearing in Computer (Explorer), if i stuck more that 2 usb sticks, they wouldn't show up anymore, but i can access them if i type the drive letter in Explorer address bar...

    same thing happened when i mapped a drive from my laptop, connected with a cross-over cable to my desktop, the mapped drive doesn't appear in Computer (Explorer), but i can access it if i type the drive letter in the address bar, also i can't see it in Disk Management application...

    i'll try to take a screenshoot from home...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Hello Maranello,

    Did you already add (map) the network drives into the Computer window as in the tutorial?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #5

    Hi Brink,

    I'm not sure if this is specific to mapping drives on a NAS, but I found that "Reconnect at logon" will not do so unless you specify the credentials as:

    User@User-PC

    So, in your example, it might be Brink@Brink-PC, and then of course the password.

    Perhaps its specific to a NAS (in my case a Thecus N2200), but perhaps worth keeping in mind, or adding that as an alternate step 9 option for people mapping drives/folders on a NAS.

    This is the thread where the issue was discovered and solved:

    Problem : automatically reconnect mapped drives at login

    Regards,
    Golden
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 202
    Windows 8.1 x64 Enterprise
       #6

    Brink said:
    Hello Maranello,

    Did you already add (map) the network drives into the Computer window as in the tutorial?
    yep, i'm using these exact steps for all the computers i work on, but my desktop home pc is the only one that has problems with drives appearance in Explorer...

    i guess the only solution is to disable the shared drive on my Laptop, but i don't consider this a stable fix, i would like to resolve the problem on my Desktop, without interfering with the Laptop...
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Golden said:
    Hi Brink,

    I'm not sure if this is specific to mapping drives on a NAS, but I found that "Reconnect at logon" will not do so unless you specify the credentials as:

    User@User-PC

    So, in your example, it might be Brink@Brink-PC, and then of course the password.

    Perhaps its specific to a NAS (in my case a Thecus N2200), but perhaps worth keeping in mind, or adding that as an alternate step 9 option for people mapping drives/folders on a NAS.

    This is the thread where the issue was discovered and solved:

    Problem : automatically reconnect mapped drives at login

    Regards,
    Golden
    Thank you Golden. I added a note at that step for this. :)
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    maranello said:
    Brink said:
    Hello Maranello,

    Did you already add (map) the network drives into the Computer window as in the tutorial?
    yep, i'm using these exact steps for all the computers i work on, but my desktop home pc is the only one that has problems with drives appearance in Explorer...

    i guess the only solution is to disable the shared drive on my Laptop, but i don't consider this a stable fix, i would like to resolve the problem on my Desktop, without interfering with the Laptop...
    Maranello,

    You might check to see if your issue is what Golden posted above for what you used as your username in the log on credentials.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 202
    Windows 8.1 x64 Enterprise
       #9

    nop, had no problems with the reconnect at logon process...

    but i have searched all over the net and have discovered that my issue it's not network / drive mapping related, i have a lot of drives connected (8, - the mapped ones) and it seems that Windows messed up some info about drive letter association and it cant display all the drives in Explorer anymore

    fix... i haven't found any fix yet, i just type the drive letter in the address bar to access it, but this is a faulty workaround, because, when i want to remove my usb stick drive, i can't stop it first from the devices menu and i risk damaging the drive

    well... maybe someday i will be able to solve this little issue, it's the third Win 7 clean installation that gets messed up...
      My Computer


 
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