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Many Windows and Mac users might not know about the clever trick of mapping that they can do with their devices. This is a very useful feature to have, especially if you are using a laptop and need to access your files from another computer or networked device.
Mapping a drive allows you to map a folder on one computer as a local drive on another computer. You can use this technique to share data between computers, even when they aren’t connected to each other via a network.
Why Would You Want To Map A Network Drive?
The main reason you would want to map a network drive is so that you can easily transfer files between two different computers. When you connect your laptop to a desktop PC, for example, you can drag and drop files between them without having to copy them over. You could also use this method to move files back and forth between your home and office computers.
If you work in an office environment but keep all of your personal files on your laptop, you can simply take them home and store them there instead of carrying around multiple copies of the same file. If you’re working remotely and have network access, you can still benefit from this technique by moving files back and forth between the remote server where your project lives and your own machine.
Either way, you will be able to access a shared folder from any Windows device without having to be on the original network. For example, if you were to map a folder called Data on a W2602 server to drive K: on your computer, you could see all the files within Data in your personal K: folder.
How To Map A Network Drive On Windows
It is incredibly easy to map your network drive, and you can do it in just a few simple steps. Here is how to map a network drive.
Step
Start Menu
Open your Windows Start menu and find the File Explorer.
Step
Map Network Drive
Select Computer at the top of the explorer, and choose Map Network Drive. This should open a Map Network Drive wizard.
Step
Click Browse
Choose the drive that you want to map and click browse. You can now pick the location of where you want to access the mapped files on another device.
Step
Click Done
While in the Browse window, choose the computer and the shared folder that you want to map to. Click done when you are happy with your choices, then OK.
Some computers might ask for your credentials before allowing you to successfully finish mapping the network drive, so make sure that you have these handy for if you need them.
There should also be a check-box to remember your credentials for faster access the next time you want to enter the folder.
Make sure that you only check this box if no one else has access to your computer. For example, don’t check the box on a public computer, as anyone will be able to get into the file.
How To Map A Network Drive On Mac
The process is very similar to that on a Windows device, but there are a few small differences. Here is how to map a network drive on Mac devices:
Step
Finder
Choose Finder from the App Dock.
Step
Toolbar
Find the toolbar and press Go, then Connect To Server.
Step
Network Address
Type in the network address that you want your device to connect to.
Step
Connect
Click Connect. You should now be connected to the shared file that you want to access the folders from other Mac devices.
Again, you might need to enter your credentials, so have these ready in case you need to input them.
Summary
Network drives allow you to share data across a wide variety of devices, including laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, and more. They are extremely useful for transferring large amounts of data quickly, especially if you are working in an office or school setting.
They are also great for sharing files between two different computers, like between a desktop and a laptop. We hope that our article has made mapping a network drive easier for you!
