How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 11 (Step-by-Step)

Mapping a network drive in Windows 11 lets you turn a shared folder on another PC, server, or NAS device into its own drive letter, so it shows up right in File Explorer alongside your local drives. It’s handy if you access the same shared folder often and don’t want to type out the network path every time. Here’s how to set it up, plus what to do if the connection won’t stick.

Quick steps

1. Open File Explorer and select This PC in the left pane.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the toolbar, then choose Map network drive.
3. Pick a Drive letter and type the shared folder path (for example \\servername\sharename) in Folder.
4. Check Reconnect at sign-in if you want it to come back automatically, then click Finish.

Before you start

A few things to check before you try to map a shared drive in Windows 11:

• You need the exact network path of the shared folder, usually in the format \\computername\sharename or \\serverIPaddress\sharename.
• You’ll need permission to access that share. If it’s not open to everyone, have the username and password ready for the account that has access.
• Your PC must be on the same network (or connected via VPN) as the device sharing the folder. You generally can’t map a drive to a share you can’t already browse to.
• If the share lives on an older NAS box or legacy server, it may rely on an outdated file-sharing protocol that Windows 11 doesn’t enable by default. See the troubleshooting section below if that applies to you.

Map a network drive using File Explorer (Windows 11)

This is the main method and works for connecting to a shared folder on another computer, a NAS device, or a server.

1. Open File Explorer (you can press the folder icon on the taskbar or search for it from the Start menu).
2. In the left-hand navigation pane, click This PC.
3. In the toolbar at the top, click the three dots (…) icon to open the “See more” menu.
4. Select Map network drive. This opens the Map Network Drive wizard.
5. Choose an unused letter from the Drive drop-down list. This is the letter that will represent the shared folder (for example, Z:).
6. In the Folder box, type the path to the shared folder, such as \\servername\sharename. You can also click Browse to find the folder on the network instead of typing the path manually.
7. Tick Reconnect at sign-in if you want Windows to automatically reconnect to this drive every time you log in.
8. If the share needs different login details than your current Windows account, tick Connect using different credentials.
9. Click Finish.
10. If prompted, enter the username and password for the shared folder, then click OK.

Once it’s connected, the mapped drive will appear under This PC with the letter and name you chose, right next to your local drives.

Right-click method: map a drive from the This PC context menu

If you prefer not to dig through the toolbar, there’s a faster route to the same wizard.

1. Open File Explorer and right-click This PC in the left pane.
2. Select Map network drive from the menu that appears.
3. Follow the same steps as above: pick a drive letter, enter the folder path, choose your reconnect and credential options, then click Finish.

Map a network drive using Command Prompt

If you’d rather skip the wizard entirely, or you’re scripting this for multiple PCs, you can map a drive with a single command.

1. Open Command Prompt (search for it from the Start menu).
2. Type the following, replacing the drive letter and path with your own details:

net use Z: \\servername\sharename /persistent:yes

If the share requires a username and password, add them to the end of the command:

net use Z: \\servername\sharename /user:username password /persistent:yes

Setting /persistent:yes tells Windows to reconnect the drive automatically the next time you sign in, similar to ticking “Reconnect at sign-in” in the File Explorer wizard.

Disconnect or remove a mapped network drive

If you no longer need a mapped drive, you can remove it without affecting the actual shared folder.

1. Open File Explorer and click This PC.
2. Right-click the mapped drive under Network locations.
3. Select Disconnect.

You can also disconnect a drive from Command Prompt with net use Z: /delete, replacing Z: with the correct drive letter.

If it doesn’t work

Windows can’t find the shared folder

Double-check the path you typed. It should follow the format \\computername\sharename with no typos. Try browsing to the folder manually in File Explorer’s address bar first to confirm you can reach it before mapping it as a drive.

You’re asked for credentials repeatedly, or access is denied

This usually means your current Windows account doesn’t have permission on the share. Use Connect using different credentials in the mapping wizard, or the /user: option in the net use command, and enter an account that does have access to the shared folder.

The drive doesn’t reconnect after a restart

Make sure you ticked Reconnect at sign-in when you mapped it (or used /persistent:yes from the command line). Network drives can also fail to reconnect if the device sharing the folder is asleep, powered off, or not yet available on the network at sign-in time, which is common with laptops that connect over Wi-Fi.

You can’t connect to an older NAS device or server

Some older network devices only support the original SMBv1 file-sharing protocol, which is disabled by default on modern versions of Windows for security reasons. If you’re trying to connect to a legacy device and it isn’t being found or won’t connect, check Microsoft’s documentation on enabling and disabling SMB versions to see whether that’s the cause, and consider updating the device’s firmware instead of re-enabling SMBv1 if possible, since it’s considered insecure.

The mapped drive shows a red X or appears disconnected

This typically means Windows lost contact with the shared folder, often because the host computer went offline or your network connection dropped. Try disconnecting and remapping the drive once the host device and network are both back up.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between mapping a network drive and just opening a shared folder?

Opening a shared folder directly means typing or browsing to its network path each time. Mapping it assigns a drive letter, so it shows up permanently under This PC in File Explorer, just like a local hard drive, making it quicker to access regularly.

Can I map a network drive without a drive letter?

Yes. Instead of using the Map Network Drive wizard, you can use the Add a network location option (found in the same “…” menu under This PC), which adds a shortcut to the shared folder without taking up a drive letter.

Do I need a Windows Server to map a network drive?

No. You can map a drive to a shared folder on another Windows PC, a NAS device, or a server, as long as the folder has been shared and you have permission to access it.

Why does my mapped drive ask for a password every time I restart?

This often happens when Windows isn’t storing your credentials, or when the network isn’t fully ready at sign-in. Try ticking Connect using different credentials when you map the drive and entering the login details again so Windows can save them properly.

Can I map the same shared folder on multiple computers?

Yes, as long as each computer can reach the shared folder over the network and has permission to access it, you can map it using the same steps on as many PCs as needed.

Related guides

• How to Activate OneDrive AutoSave
• How to Remove OneDrive from Your PC
• How to Disable OneDrive on Windows 10 and 11

Sources

• Detect, enable, and disable SMBv1, SMBv2, and SMBv3 in Windows (Microsoft Learn)
• Windows client documentation (Microsoft Learn)