Wadestown School

(IT FAQ) Connect to a shared (network) folder

We have 'network shared folders' on the school's file servers for staff to access from their PC. Normally you will be connected automatically to one of these, the staff share, but sometimes the auto-magic doesn't work and it is handy to know how to make the connection manually.

Make a (lasting) connection to a network share

  1. Open 'My Computer'
  2. Choose 'Tools' - 'Map Network Drive...' from the menu
  3. For 'Drive:' you can accept the default drive letter (usually Z:) or choose one of your own
  4. For 'Folder:' enter the path you have been given (e.g. \\ws6\Share or \\wss2\sideshare ).
    (If you are feeling adventurous, you could even browse for a shared folder. Have a try!)
  5. Check 'Reconnect at logon' (unless you just need to access the network share until you log off).
  6. Click ‘Finish’

screenshot of map network drive dialog

Make a quick connection to a network share

As a quick alternative you can just open 'My Computer' and enter the path into the address field (e.g. \\ws5\Pictures) as in the picture.

Screenshot of quick connect to network share

Whichever method you use it’s shouldn't be too hard. If you can’t manage it then ask a friendly colleague to show you how!

Troubleshooting tip (for experts!)

Occasionally it can happen that the techniques above won't work because your PC cannot 'resolve' the name \\ws6. (That means convert the name into an IP number). You can get around this, when necessary, by using the server's IP number (10.215.32.17) instead of the server's name.

In other words you can copy and paste one of the following into 'My Computer' as the address:

\\10.215.32.17\Share

\\10.215.32.14\Pictures

\\10.99.16.12\sideshare

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