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This wikiHow teaches you how to turn a folder on your computer network into a shared drive. In order to do this, your computer must be on the same network as the computer on which the drive folder resides. You can map a network drive on both Windows and Mac computers.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

On Windows

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  2. This folder is in the left-hand column of options in the File Explorer window.
  3. It's in the upper-left side of the This PC window. A toolbar will appear below the Computer tab.
  4. This option is in the "Network" section of the toolbar; it resembles a grey drive with a green bar below it. Clicking this prompts a pop-up window to appear.
  5. Click the "Drive" drop-down box, then click the letter that you want to use for the folder.
    • Hard drives all have letters assigned to them (the hard drive on your computer is most likely labeled "C", for example).
    • Consider picking a letter like X or Z in order to avoid conflicting with any of the A through F drive letters that you will most likely use on your computer at some point.
  6. It's in the middle-right side of the window. Another window will open.
  7. Click on the name of the computer you want to use, then navigate to the folder that you want to select as the drive and click on it once to select it.
    • If you aren't connected to at least one other computer on your network, you won't be able to select a folder.
  8. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so saves your selected folder as the drive destination.
    • Make sure that the owner of the folder's computer doesn't move the folder after this point.
  9. Click the checkbox to the left of this option if the box isn't checked. This will ensure that you always have access to the folder.
    • If you are connecting to a shared folder on a network that is not on your computer, you may also need to provide login information. If so, check the box labeled "Connect using different credentials" and enter your login information.
  10. It's at the bottom of the window. This will complete the setup process and link your computer to the selected folder. You should now be able to use the specific folder as a drive.
    • The folder in question will appear in the This PC window below the "Devices and drives" heading. It will have the letter you selected as its name.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

On Mac

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  1. Click the blue, face-shaped icon in your Mac's Dock.
  2. This tab is in the menu bar at the top of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. You'll find this option near the bottom of the drop-down menu. A new window will open.
  4. For example, if the folder is named Pickles and it is inside of the Documents folder on a computer named Hal, you would type Hal/Documents/Pickles/ on the right side of the smb:// tag.
    • Depending on your network type, you may see ftp:// or something similar here instead of smb://.
  5. It's to the right of the address bar. This will add the folder's address to your Mac.
  6. This blue button is at the bottom of the window.
  7. The login and password you need to enter here will vary depending on your network, so check with your system administrator if you don't know how to log in.
    • Once you log in, you should see the folder's drive icon appear on your desktop.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I access a network drive if it isn't shared?
    Spike Baron
    Spike Baron
    Network Engineer & Desktop Support
    Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.
    Spike Baron
    Network Engineer & Desktop Support
    Expert Answer
    Go into the run box and type backslash, backslash, followed by the computer name. That will show any files that are sharable on that computer.
  • Question
    Why would someone need to map a network drive?
    Spike Baron
    Spike Baron
    Network Engineer & Desktop Support
    Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.
    Spike Baron
    Network Engineer & Desktop Support
    Expert Answer
    It's a way to share folders between computers that are on a shared network. It should put a folder directory on the desktop of every computer on that network.
  • Question
    What do I do after I locate the file I want to share?
    Spike Baron
    Spike Baron
    Network Engineer & Desktop Support
    Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.
    Spike Baron
    Network Engineer & Desktop Support
    Expert Answer
    Right click on it and select the properties. Find the permissions tab and select who you want to share the folder with. Then, you can right click this PC and choose "map network drive." It will open a wizard that will take you through the process to share it with other PCs.
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About This Article

Spike Baron
Co-authored by:
Network Engineer & Desktop Support
This article was co-authored by Spike Baron and by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert. This article has been viewed 612,886 times.
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Co-authors: 15
Updated: October 14, 2024
Views: 612,886
Categories: Windows
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