In Microsoft Windows, how do I map a drive?

If you already know the location of the drive and folder to which you want to map, follow these steps to map a drive in Windows:

1. Right-click My Computer and select Map Network Drive... .
   
   
2. In the "Drive:" field, select the letter you would like to assign to the drive. That letter will become the mapped drive.
   
   
3. If you would like to connect to that drive every time you start your computer, select Reconnect at logon.
   
   
4. In the "Path:" or "Folder:" field, type the pathname of the networked drive, for example: \\myserver\docs
5. Click OK or Finish.

If you do not know where the drive is located, follow the appropriate steps below:

Windows XP

Note: The Windows XP default desktop view and Start menu are different from the Windows Classic View (e.g., in Windows 2000). Therefore, navigating to certain items can be different. In the interest of broad applicability, most Knowledge Base instructions assume you are using Classic View. For information about switching your Windows XP default view to Classic View, see In Windows XP, how do I switch to the Windows Classic View, Classic theme, or Classic Control Panel?

1. Click Start and select Search.
   
   
2. When asked "What do you want to search for?", choose Printers, computers, or people, and then A computer on the network.
   
   
3. Type the name of the computer to which you wish to connect and click Search. The name of the computer should appear. If it does not, check the name and try again.
   
   
4. Select the computer, and then search for the folder to which you want to map. Right-click the folder and select Copy Path, and then Copy Long Path.
   
   
5. Right-click My Computer and choose Map Network Drive. Right-click in the "Folder:" field and choose Paste.
   
   
6. Assign a letter to the drive. If you would like to connect to that drive every time you start your computer, select Reconnect at logon.
   
   
7. Click Finish. The drive should be mapped.

Windows 2000 or Me

1. Click Start and select Search, and then For Files or Folders... .
   
   
2. Under "Search for other items:", choose Computers. Type the name of the computer to which you wish to connect and click Find Now. The name of the computer should appear. If it does not, check the name and try again.
   
   
3. If you don't have Windows set up to display full paths in the address bar, follow these steps:
   
   
   • Open My Computer.
   • From the Tools menu, select Folder Options.
   • Under the View tab, check Display the full path in the address bar.
   • Click Apply, and then OK.
   
   
4. Select the computer, and then search for the folder to which you want to map. Once you find it, select the full path in the Address Bar, right-click, and then choose Copy.
   
   
5. Right-click My Computer and choose Map Network Drive.
   
   
6. Right-click in the Folder section and choose Paste.
   
   
7. Assign a letter to the drive. If you would like to connect to that drive every time you start your computer, select Reconnect at Logon.
   
   
8. Click OK. The drive should be mapped.

Connecting with a different username in Windows XP or 2000

Sometimes you might need to use a different username and password than your own to access the drive or folder you plan to map. By default, Windows will try to use the username and password you logged in with; but if the drive or folder has only given permissions to a group account, you must force Windows to supply that group username and password in place of your own. To do so, follow these steps:

1. When following the instructions above, before you click OK or Finish, click Connect using a different user name. A Connect As... login box will appear.
   
   
2. In the fields provided, enter the username and password you plan to use to map this drive.

   Note: If at least one computer (either your own or the one with the drive you want to map) is joined to a domain or Active Directory, you'll have to supply the domain with a backslash in front of the username. At IU, use the following example with ads\, where darthvader is the username:

   ads\darthvader
3. Click OK. You will return to the original mapping dialog window where you can click Finish.

Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0

Note: UITS recommends that you use a current version of Windows on computers connected to the Indiana University network; see For Windows computers on the IU network, why does UITS recommend Windows 2000, XP Professional, or Vista Enterprise or Ultimate? Security features on the IU network prevent computers running older operating systems from authenticating to ADS, printing to some network printers in departments and campus housing, and mapping drives to other computers.

1. Click Start and select Find, and then Computer... .
   
   
2. In the "Named:" field, type the name of the computer to which you wish to connect, and then click Find Now. The name of the computer should appear. If it does not, check the name and try again.
   
   
3. Select the computer, and then search for the folder to which you want to map. Once you find it, right-click the folder and select Map Network Drive.
   
   
4. Assign a letter to the drive. If you would like to connect to that drive every time you start your computer, select Reconnect at Logon.
   
   
5. Click OK. The drive should be mapped.

Also see:

• In Windows NT, 2000, and XP, how do I convert a FAT partition to an NTFS partition?
• At IU, how do I create an ADS Domain account?
• At IU, in Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, how do I give myself or other users login privileges on my computer?
• In Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP, how can I see who is using resources remotely on my computer?
• In Windows, when trying to execute a program, why do I receive the message "Drive or network connection that the shortcut refers to is unavailable"?