- To map network drive on Windows 10, open File Explorer> This PC and click “Map network drive.”
- Then select the drive letter for the mapping, confirm the network path for the drive, and click Finish to complete the mapping on Windows 10.
- Alternatively, on Command Prompt (non-admin), use the “net use SERVERFOLDERPATH” command to map a network drive.
- Or, on PowerShell, use the “New-PSDrive -Name “LETTER” -PSProvider “FileSystem” -Root “SERVERFOLDERPATH” -Persist” command to map a drive on Windows 10.
On Windows 10, you can map a network drive to quickly access files stored in a shared folder 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 system essentially creates a “shortcut” that points to the network 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.
This guide will teach you how to map a network drive on Windows 10.
- Network drive map from File Explorer on Windows 10
- Network drive map from Command Prompt on Windows 10
- Network drive map from PowerShell on Windows 10
Network drive map from File Explorer on Windows 10
To map a network drive on Windows 10 from File Explorer, use these steps:
Open File Explorer on Windows 10.
Click on This PC from the left pane.
Click the “Map network drive” option from the “Computer” tab.
Use the “Drive” drop-down menu and select an unused letter to assign the drive. (Or you can use the default selection.)
In the “Folder” field, enter the network path to the shared folder. (Or click the Browse button to browse to the folder to map as a network drive, and click the OK button.)
Check the “Reconnect at sign-in” option to connect to the network location permanently.
Check the “Connect using different credentials” option if the credentials are different from the account you are already using to sign in to Windows 10.
Click the Finish button.
Confirm the network account credentials (if applicable).
Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the drive will map and become available in File Explorer.
If you cannot connect to the shared folder, use the IP address instead of the computer name. However, if the remote computer uses a dynamic IP address configuration, it may change in the future, and you may need to reconnect again.
Network drive map from Command Prompt on Windows 10
To map a network drive from Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt and click the top result to open the console.
Quick note: If you run the command as an administrator, the drive may not mount correctly and won’t appear in File Explorer. As a result, run the command as a standard user.
Type the following command to map a drive assigning drive letter manually and press Enter:
net use Z: DEVICE-NAME-OR-IPSHARED-FOLDER
In the command, replace “Z” with the drive letter not already in use you want to use. Then replace DEVICE-NAME-OR-IP and SHARED-FOLDER for the computer name or IP address of the device hosting the shared folder and the name of the shared. For example, this command maps the ShareOne folder to the computer with the “Z” drive letter:
net use Z: vm-betaShareOne
Type the following command to map a drive assigning drive letter automatically and press Enter:
net use * DEVICE-NAME-OR-IPSHARED-FOLDER
In the command, the (*) is the option that allows the system to assign any drive letter that is not already in use. Then replace DEVICE-NAME-OR-IP and SHARED-FOLDER for the computer name or IP address of the device hosting the shared folder and the name of the shared. For example, this command maps the ShareOne folder to the computer:
net use * vm-betaShareOne
Type the following command to map a drive providing authentication details and press Enter:
net use Z: DEVICE-NAME-OR-IPSHARED-FOLDER PASSWORD /user:USERNAME /persistent:yes
In the command, replace “Z” with the drive letter not already in use you want to use. Then change DEVICE-NAME-OR-IP and SHARED-FOLDER for the computer name or IP address of the device hosting the shared folder and the name of the shared. The PASSWORD and USERNAME have to be replaced with the credentials to authenticate with the remote machine. The “persistent” option allows the folder to stay mapped after reboot. For example, this command maps the ShareOne folder providing the user credentials and making the mapping persistent:
net use Z: vm-betaShareOne password /user:admin /persistent:yes
Once you complete the steps, the network-shared folder will map on the device and appear in File Explorer.
Network drive map from PowerShell on Windows 11
To map a network drive from PowerShell on Windows 10, use these steps:
Open Start.
Search for PowerShell and click the top result to open the console.
Type the following command to map a drive assigning drive letter manually and press Enter:
New-PSDrive -Name "DRIVE-LETTER" -PSProvider "FileSystem" -Root "DEVICE-NAME-OR-IPSHARED-FOLDER" -Persist
In the command, replace DRIVE-LETTER with the drive letter not already in use you want to use. Then change DEVICE-NAME-OR-IP and SHARED-FOLDER for the computer name or IP address of the device hosting the shared folder and the name of the shared. For example, this command maps the ShareOne folder to the computer with the “E” drive letter:
New-PSDrive -Name "E" -PSProvider "FileSystem" -Root "vm-betaShareOne" -Persist
Once you complete the steps, the network shared folder will map on the computer and appear in File Explorer.
If you need to map a drive using credentials, follow these instructions.