Easy Mapping

How to map a network drive on Windows 10

You can quickly map a shared folder as a network drive for faster after to files stored on another computer, and here's how to do it.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@pureinfotech
Pureinfotech Logo
Map network driver on Windows 10

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

When you connect to a drive using the “Map Network Drive” option on Windows 10, the OS 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 the “Network locations” section to give you quick access to those files stored on the remote computer.

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

How to map a network drive using File Explorer on Windows 10

Use these steps to map a network drive using File Explorer on Windows 10:

  1. Open File Explorer on Windows 10.

  2. Click on This PC from the left pane.

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

    Map network drive option
    Map network drive option

  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.

    Map Network Drive wizard
    Map Network Drive wizard

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

Quick tip: If you can’t connect to the shared folder in the network, try using the IP address of the remote computer, instead of the computer name. However, be aware that if the remote computer is using a dynamic IP address configuration, it may change in the future, and you may need to reconnect again.

How to disconnect a network drive using File Explorer on Windows 10

Use these steps to disconnect a network drive on Windows 10:

  1. Open File Explorer on Windows 10.

  2. Click on This PC form the left pane.

  3. Under the Network Locations section, right-click the network drive connected to Windows 10, and click the Disconnect option.

    Network drive Disconnect option
    Network drive Disconnect option
    Quick tip: Alternatively, you can select the network drive, and on the “Computer” tab, click the Map network driver sub-button and select Disconnect network drive.

After you complete the steps, the network drive will no longer be mounted on Windows 10.

While this guide focuses on Windows 10, you can use these steps to map a network drive on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. Using the File Explorer isn’t the only way to map a drive, you can also use Command Prompt, and in this guide, you’ll find all the steps.

Update June 28, 2019: This guide was originally in February 2017, and it’s been revised for the latest version of Windows 10.