How to Set Up a Network Drive

If you are an employee at a large corporation with many users on the same local network, the company may decide to share certain data through network drives. With a network drive, data is stored on a central server, and then remote users can access the files on the drive from their own workstations.

Things You'll Need

• PC running Windows XP or Vista

Instructions

1. Open the "Start" menu and click on the "My Computer" icon.

2. Go to "Tools" in the top menu bar and choose "Map Network Drive."

3. Choose any drive letter that is not currently assigned to another function from the drop-down menu. The default drive letter for a new network drive is "Z."

4. Type in the network drive's IP address or host name into the "Folder" field.

5. Check the box next to "Reconnect at Logon" if you want your computer to automatically connect to this new network drive.

6. Enter the appropriate username and password if the network drive is password-protected. Then click "OK." The new network drive will now appear in the "My Computer" window, and you can access the shared files by double-clicking on the network drive icon.