Table of Contents
Drive mapping is the task of associating a drive letter (A to Z) with a storage area sharing with another computer over a network. After the process of how to map a network drive is done, it appears like a local hard drive, but all the files within that are actually stored physically on another computer.
The process of knowing how to map a network drive enables you to handle the resources shared on a local network and also files on an FTP server or a website. However, the files cannot be accessed when the remote computer is turned off, or the network is down.
1. Process of how to map a network drive in Windows 10
Windows 10 is the successor to the previous version known as Windows 8.1. It is now the most popular and easily accessible version of Windows worldwide. You can follow the instructions below to successfully complete the process of how to map a network drive in Windows 10:
Step 1: Firstly, you have to open File Explorer from the taskbar, and you will get to the interface showing This PC.
Step 2: After that, On the Computer tab, select the option Map network drive. When the “Map Network Drive” window appears, the next step will be-
In this window, select an available drive letter from the Drive list.
Step 3: Next, In the Folder box, input the name of the folder that you want to be mapped. You can also click the button showing Browse to find the target folder. If the target device is encrypted, you are required to give its correct username and password.
Step 4: Tick on the option, Reconnect at logon if you want this network drive to be permanently mapped. If not, this drive won’t be mapped if the user logs off the computer. After that, click on Finish.
Step 5: At the time when you access the computer once again, you will be able to see that a new drive with the letter you had already assigned is listed there, and you can have access to it at any time.
2. How to map a network drive on Windows 7:
Windows 7 can easily support the mapping of a network drive and the procedure of creating a mapped drive. Below are the specific steps.
Step 1: First of all, you need to open Windows Explorer or My Computer from the list of Windows Start Menu. After that, click on the Map network drive in the Tools menu.
Step 2: A new window showing “Map Network Drive” will open. After that, the rest steps are like the process of drive mapping in Windows 10.
3. The method of how to map a network drive in Windows 8
Microsoft Windows 8 has made some special changes in its appearance than that of the previous version known as Windows 7. However, the basic steps are still similar to that of Windows 7. In the case of Windows 8, you can easily do the process of how to map a network drive by following the steps below:
Step 1: Firstly, you need to click the File Explorer icon from the taskbar.
Step 2: Next, right-click on the network from the left navigation bars. Then simply click on the Map network drive to start the process of mapping. The remaining steps are the same as those in Windows 10 and Windows 7.
The process of disconnecting a mapped network drive
To remove or disconnect a mapped network drive, you need to simply right click the mapped network drive and select the option showing Disconnect. In another process, you can just right click on network in the left pane and select the option showing Disconnect network drive.
The proper use of a mapped network drive
So now you have to know about, what is the main purpose of doing the process of how to map a network drive for the process of file sharing. This is the main purpose and target of mapping network drives. However, there is functionality, and that is to get a proper backup of your data.
- It helps you to create image backups for the computer operating system, internal/external hard disks, as well as other important folders or files.
- You can do the work to offer backup to an external HDD/SSD or a USB flash drive.
- The backup process can easily run in the background without any interruption to your work.
Therefore, it can be seen that from the above steps, the process of how to map a network drive in Windows 7, 8, and 10 is really very easy. By the process of mapping the network drive, you can easily have access to the shared files of other computers in the same LAN, avoiding any kind of unnecessary hassles. This is a recommended and simple method for file sharing if you have multiple computers as well as work in an enterprise, which is small.
In addition to this, the mapped network drive can be regarded as a local hard drive, and you can easily backup your data with the help of this.
Are you looking for some interesting content related to your operating system? You can read this blog on How To Check RAM Speed – An Effective Guide.
