How to Set up a Shared Network Drive

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Step-by-step guide to accessing & sharing files across computers
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This wikiHow teaches you how to set up a network drive on a Windows or Mac computer. A network drive is a shared folder that's used by two or more computers on the same network.

Creating a Network Drive

  • Open File Explorer, click “This PC,” and press the “Computer” tab.
  • Select “Map Network Drive” and choose a drive letter in the drop-down menu.
  • Press “Browse” and choose the folder you want to share.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

On Windows

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  1. Each computer on which you want to use the network drive must be on the same Internet network for the network drive to appear on any computer other than the one on which you create it.
  2. If your computer isn't set to discover other computers on the network, you'll need to enable network discovery. To do so: [1]
    • Open Start
      Windows Start
    • Type in control panel
    • Click Control Panel
    • Click Network and Sharing Center (you may first have to click the Network and Internet heading).
    • Click Change advanced sharing settings in the upper-left side.
    • Check the "Turn on network discovery" box.
    • Check the "Turn on file and printer sharing" box.
    • Click Save changes at the bottom of the window.
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  3. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. [2]
  4. Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the window. [3]
  5. It's on the left side of the File Explorer window. This will open the This PC window.
  6. You'll find this option in the upper-left side of the window. A toolbar will appear near the top of the window.
  7. This option is in the "Network" section of the toolbar. Make sure that you click the icon resembling a flash drive and not the Map network drive text here. [4]
  8. Click the "Drive" drop-down box, then click a letter in the drop-down menu. This will assign to your network drive a letter that you can use to identify it later. [5]
  9. This option is on the right side of the window. A pop-up window will appear.
  10. Click the computer on which you want to create the drive, then find the folder that you want to use and click it to select it.
  11. This option is at the bottom of the window.
    • If you receive an error, the folder that you chose is not shareable. This may happen because the folder is read-only.
  12. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will create your network drive and enable it for any networked computers.
    • If your computer ever changes to a different channel on your network, you'll need to reestablish the network drive.
  13. As long as the other computers on the network have network discovery and file sharing enabled, you'll be able to open the drive by going to This PC and double-clicking the network drive folder below the "Devices and drives" heading.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

On Mac

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  1. Each computer on which you want to use the network drive must be on the same Internet network for the network drive to appear on any computer other than the one on which you create it.
  2. If your computer isn't set to discover other computers on the network, you'll need to enable network discovery. To do so:
    • Open the Apple menu
      Mac Apple
    • Click System Preferences...
    • Click Sharing
    • Check the "File Sharing" box
    • Close the System Preferences window.
  3. Click the blue, face-like icon in your Mac's Dock.
  4. Click a folder on the left side of the Finder window to open it, then click a folder that you want to use as the network drive to select the folder.
  5. It's a menu item at the top of the screen. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
  6. You'll find this in the File drop-down menu. Doing so opens a window with the folder's information.
  7. Click and drag your mouse across the text to the right of "Where:" to select the folder's location, then press ⌘ Command + C to copy the location.
    • This location will usually say something like "System/FolderName" or similar.
  8. This menu item should be at the top of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
    • If you don't see Go in the menu bar, open a new Finder window to make it appear. You can also click the desktop.
  9. It's near the bottom of the Go drop-down menu. Doing so opens a pop-up window. [6]
  10. Type in the computer's name followed by a slash. Do so in the "smb://" (or "ftp://") text field at the top of the Connect to Server window. [7]
    • If your computer is named "Rhonda", for example, you'd type in Rhonda/ here.
  11. Press ⌘ Command + V to do so. You should now see your computer's name followed by the folder's address in the text field.
  12. It's to the right of the address bar. This will add the folder's address to your Mac. [8]
  13. It's a blue button at the bottom of the window.
  14. 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. [9]
    • Once you're logged in, you should see a flash drive icon with your folder's name appear on the desktop.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I set up a physical network drive?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Plug your network drive into your router or modem via the network plug on the back, or plug the USB into your router. Follow the on-screen installation software that comes with the drive. If directed, type in the IP address for the network drive into your web browser. Finally, set up what you want to back up or save to the network drive.
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    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 6
  • Question
    Can PCs in different buildings share a network?
    Community Answer
    PCs all over the world can share a network. Maybe revisit network fundamentals to gain a broader understanding.
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      Tips

      • Since the computer that houses the network drive folder must be on and online for other computers to access the drive, make sure that you update the computer during non-working hours.
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      • If you don't want to use a folder on your computer as the network drive, you can plug an external hard drive into your router using an Ethernet adapter (or a USB connection if your router supports it) and then select ROUTER in the network drive Browse window. This will make the drive more stable, as your router is less likely to change or go offline than is your computer.
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      Warnings

      • If the computer that contains the network drive goes offline, you won't be able to access the network drive on any other computer until the main computer is back online.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-ph/guide/mac-help/mh17131/mac
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/map-a-network-drive-in-windows-29ce55d1-34e3-a7e2-4801-131475f9557d
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/map-a-network-drive-in-windows-29ce55d1-34e3-a7e2-4801-131475f9557d
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026635/windows-map-a-network-drive
      5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/map-a-network-drive-in-windows-29ce55d1-34e3-a7e2-4801-131475f9557d
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/connect-mac-shared-computers-servers-mchlp1140/mac
      7. ↑ https://ag.montana.edu/it/support/smb-macs.html
      8. ↑ https://www.technipages.com/map-network-drive-macos
      9. ↑ https://ag.montana.edu/it/support/smb-macs.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Network and Sharing Center .
      2. Click Change advanced sharing settings .
      3. Enable network discovery and file/printer sharing.
      4. Open the File Explorer and click This PC .
      5. Click the Computer tab and select Map network drive .
      6. Select a drive letter.
      7. Select info to share.
      8. Access the network drive from another computer.

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