How do I assign a network drive letter?
Rachel Hickman
Published Mar 17, 2026
How do I assign a network drive letter?
Just follow these steps:
- Press Win + E to open a File Explorer window.
- In Windows 10, choose This PC from the left side of the window.
- In Windows 10, click the Computer tab.
- Click the Map Network Drive button.
- Choose a drive letter.
- Click the Browse button.
- Select a network computer or server and then a shared folder.
How do I reserve a drive letter?
Assign a Specific Drive Letter in Windows
- To set this up, plug in the drive that you want to assign a permanent letter.
- Once that’s open, choose Disk Management in the left pane under Storage.
- Right-click the drive you want to assign a permanent letter to and then choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu.
How do I change a shared drive letter on a network?
Right-click on the drive you want to change a letter for. Choose the “Change Drive Letter and Paths” option from the drop-down menu. Click “Change.” Windows will now ask you to assign a new name for your drive. You can choose from the remaining A-Z letters from the menu.
How do I assign a drive letter to a network in Windows 10?
Click the Map network drive drop-down in the ribbon menu at the top, then select “Map network drive.” (This is under the Computer tab, which should open automatically when you go to This PC, as above.) 3. Select the drive letter you want to use for the network folder, then hit Browse.
How do I mount a network share as local drive?
You can mount a network share as a drive, and then share it as usual. Works perfectly. As of Windows 10, you just have to right click the network and click “connect the drive” (just above “cut”). It will set a letter (D:, E: or else) and it will appear just as a local drive.
What drive letter should I use?
Drive letters A, B, & C are reserved. A & B are reserved for Floppy Disk drives, which are no longer used in systems made after the year 2000 or so. C can only be used for the O/S (boot) drive. Use any letter you want from D through Z.
How do I assign a drive letter to an external drive?
Right-click the Windows 10 Menu button and select Disk Management to display a list of all available hard drives. Right-click the specific hard drive letter you want to change, and select Change Drive Letter and Paths. Click the Add button, select a new drive letter, and then click the Change button, as pictured below.
How do I change the drive letter of a network drive?
Here’s how to change the drive letter:
- Open Disk Management with administrator permissions.
- In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the volume for which you want to change or add a drive letter, and then select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
- To change the drive letter, select Change.
What is the main network configuration used in Windows?
The Network Bridge Configuration, or Local Area Connection, panel is used to set TCP/IP protocol settings. In This connection uses the following items: box, click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), then click on Properties. The default setting is DHCP-enabled operation (i.e., “Obtain an IP address automatically”).
How do I give permission to a network drive?
Right click the folder you want to modify the access permission and choose “Properties”. From the Security tab, click “Edit” button. Select the user name you want to set the access permissions. Tick the access rights you need then click “OK”.
What is the drive letter for a network share?
On a Windows computer, local storage volumes have letter shortcuts. For example, the first hard drive in a Windows system is by convention given the shortcut “C:” and called the “C drive.” For convenience, Windows lets you assign a drive letter to network share as if the share were a hard disk volume mounted inside your computer.
How to use the map network drive?
When the window opens, click on the Map Network Drivebutton on the Computer tab The Map Network Drivewindow appears. From the Drivedrop-down menu, select an available, unassigned letter. It is better to use letters at the end of the alphabet.
Why can’t I Reserve a drive letter in Windows 10?
Windows has a big limitation wherein it can’t reserve a drive letter for a specific external drive. The first available drive letter is assigned for new drives. In some cases, you may prefer the same drive letter for a particular USB drive — e.g., for backup purposes.
How to manage drive letters on Windows 10?
On Windows 10, you can manage drive letters without third-party tools using Disk Management. To assign a new drive letter, do the following: Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu. Select Disk Management. Right-click the drive on the list and select Change Drive Letter and Paths. Click the Change button.