Skip to main content

How to map a network drive

HowToMapNetworkDriveHeader
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You could back up your data on an external hard drive, but what if you need to access important files or information that’s located on a computer other than your own? Mapping networked drives grants users remote access to content stored on a server or network-attached storage device.

However, granting access to networked drives can be tedious. Fortunately, both Windows and Mac OS X make it easy to map a network drive, and neither method requires more than five minutes of your time.

Recommended Videos

Here’s our guide on how to map a network drive. Additionally, check out our top picks for the best external hard drives and our basic guide on how to buy an external hard drive.

Skip ahead to how to map a network drive in Mac OS X.

Mapping a network drive in Windows 7

Step 1: Click the Start menu and select Windows Explorer from the resulting drop-down menu.

Image 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Once open, select the Computer section located on the left-hand side of the window and click the Map network drive button near the top.

Image 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: The resulting setup wizard provides options for both manually specifying the network address, or browsing for it among systems on your network. Click the check box directly to the left of “Reconnect at login” if you wish to automatically re-establish the connection every time you start your computer. If the networked drive requires log-in credentials other than those used for your computer, check the “Connect using different credentials” box below and enter your credentials when prompted. Click Finished in the bottom-right corner when done.

Win7 Map Network Drive
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mapping a network drive in Windows 8

Step 1: Enter the Modern/Metro UI, type “File Explorer” and select it from the list of results that appear on the right side of the screen.

Open File Explorer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Once open, select the “Computer” section located on the left-hand side of the window, click the “Computer” tab at the top, and select the “Map network drive” option.

Image 601
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: The resulting setup wizard provides options for both manually specifying the network address, or browsing for it among systems on your network. Click the check box directly to the left of “Reconnect at login” if you wish to automatically re-establish the connection every time you start your computer. If the networked drive requires log-in credentials other than those used for your computer, check the “Connect using different credentials” box below and enter your credentials when prompted. Click Finished in the bottom-right corner when done.

Network Drive 8
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mapping a network drive in Mac OS X

In Mac OS X, there is a shortcut that makes it easy to map and access network drives without any extra software.

Step 1: Make the Finder utility active, hold the Command key and press the “K” button to bring up the appropriate server connections. If Finder is not active, click the blue face icon within the Mac OS X Dock before entering the keyboard command.

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 1.04.26 PM
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: The resulting window provides options for both manually specifying the network address, or browsing for it among systems on your network. Select the appropriate server and click the “Connect” button in the bottom-right corner of the window when finished.

MacNetworkDrive
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What do you think of our guide on how to map a network drive? What do you frequently use networked storage for? Let us know in the comments below.

Topics
Brad Bourque
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…
How to edit a PDF in Google Drive
Google services (YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, Duo, Meet, Google Podcasts) icons app on smartphone screen.

Google Drive lets you stay on top of collaborative projects. The suite is compatible with several file types, which bodes well for those of us who need to frequently share and edit docs, images, and PDFs. As to the latter, you’ll have tons of PDF formatting and customization options to choose from in Google Drive, along with this guide to teach you how to use all these features.

Read more
How to change your Skype name
iPhone with the Skype mobile app loading screen.

When Skype and other video-conferencing platforms arrived on our computers, phones, and tablets, another huge leap for tech was logged in the history books. Then we all started making usernames for these programs, and many of them were terrible. Fortunately, platforms like Skype are built from the ground up for personalization, which means you’ll be able to swap out that embarrassing Skype handle you cursed yourself with close to a decade ago.

Read more
How to format an SSD to improve performance and protect your data
Installing an SSD in a desktop PC case.

Formatting an SSD is the best way to boost its performance or clear out any potentially malicious malware whenever you move it to a new system, purchase one second hand, or plan to sell yours on to someone else. While SSDs do offer incredible performance, that can degrade over time, and the last thing you want is your data ending up in the hands of someone else.

Fortunately, cleaning out a drive and returning it to its near-factory-fresh state is pretty straight forward. Although you'll need to take precautious to back up any important data, you can get your drive back to fighting fit shape in now time. Here's how to format an SSD on a Windows PC.

Read more