How to map a network drive on Windows 11

If you want to access a folder on another computer on your network, you can map a network drive on Windows 11. Here’s how to do that.

When you are on a secure shared network, it is possible to access files and folders on other computers on the network as long as you have the address of that computer and the folder you want. However, it may seem difficult to remember the exact address to use each time. Fortunately, you can map a network drive to make it easy to access it anytime you need it. We’ll show you exactly how to do that.

Of course, before you can do that, you’ll need to make sure your computers are discoverable on the network. This should be the default if you’re on a secure network, but if the option is disabled, we’ll show you how to do that as well.

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Step 1: Set a private network

Network discovery is automatically enabled for private networks on Windows 11, but most networks are labeled public by default to avoid exposing your computer to untrusted users. The ideal way to enable network discovery is to set your network as private. While it is possible, it is not recommended to enable network discovery for public networks. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Right-click the Internet icon on the right side of the taskbar and select Network and Internet settings.
2. Verify that the Properties button at the top says Private Network. If not, click on it.
3. Under Network profile type, make sure that Private network is selected. Make sure that this is a secure network and that you trust all devices connected to it.

You’ll need to do this for the device you want to connect to and the device you’re using to connect to it.

Step 2: Make sure that network discovery and file sharing are enabled

That should be enough, but if you want to make sure that network discovery is enabled, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Internet icon on the right side of the taskbar and select Network and Internet settings.
2. Click on advanced network settings.
3. Choose advanced sharing settings.
4. Make sure network discovery is enabled. Click the checkbox on the right if it is not.
5. In addition, make sure that the file and printer sharing option is enabled on the host computer (where the shared folder is stored).

With that, you should be able to access shared folders on the network. By default, this will require authentication with a user account on the computer where shared folders are stored. If he has a different account, you will need to share the folders with all users on the network to give him access.

Step 3: Map network drive on Windows 11

Once network sharing is turned on, you can map a network drive to associate with the shared folder. Follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Go to This PC using the navigation pane on the left.
3. Click the … (ellipsis) icon in the toolbar at the top and choose Map network drive.
4. Assign a drive letter to the drive (it can be any letter that is not already assigned on your computer), and then click Browse.
5. Choose the folder you want to map to the network drive and click OK.
6. Make sure the Reconnect at login option is enabled if you want to connect to the shared folder each time you log in.
7. Click Finish.
8. You will now see the shared folder in File Explorer on the This PC page.

After doing that, you will now have quick access to the folder that you have mapped as a network drive. This makes it easy to quickly access shared files from your computer without physically accessing the host computer. You can always disconnect a network drive if you no longer need access by right-clicking the drive and choosing Disconnect.

If you are looking for other Windows 11 tips, check out or maybe to check for possible errors on your PC.