How to map a network drive on Windows 10

On Windows 10, you can map a network drive to quickly access files stored on another computer connected to the network.

When you connect to a network drive using mapping on Windows 10, the operating system essentially creates a “shortcut” that points to the shared folder with a drive letter and access credentials. The mapped drive then appears on “This PC” under “Network locations” to give you quick access to those files stored on another computer.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to quickly map a network drive (shared folder) on Windows 10, and how to disconnect, using the options available in File Explorer.

How to map a network drive

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click on This PC.

3. On the “Computer” tab, click the Map network drive button.

   

4. Select a drive letter, but you can leave the default.

5. Type the network share path as shown in the example, or click the Browse button to navigate to the folder that you want to map as a network drive, and click OK.

6. Check the Reconnect at sign-in option if you want to permanently connect to the network location.

7. Check the Connect using different credentials option in the case you need another account credentials to access the files.

8. Click Finish to complete the task.

   

Once you completed the steps, you can go to This PC to access the newly mapped drive.

How to disconnect a network drive

If you no longer need access to the network drive, you can quickly disconnect it in a number of ways.

You can disconnect doing one of the following:

• Right-click the network drive on File Explorer and select Disconnect.

  

• Select the network drive, and on the “Computer” tab, click the Map network driver sub-button and select Disconnect network drive.

  

While this guide focuses on Windows 10, you can use these steps to map a network drive on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

• How to map a network drive using Command Prompt