Map a SharePoint Document Library as a Network Drive

Created On March 6, 2019
by Christopher Angell

Disclaimer: This is not an ideal method of using SharePoint online. Using SharePoint may be a big change, and even shocking to some people who have been using a network file share for a long time. I would advise that you should really use SharePoint through its intended mediums so you can get the most out of all of its features. Using SharePoint as a “Mapped drive File Share” has many limitations and a less than stellar user experience. Some of these unsupported items / limitations are:

1. Document versioning is not supported.
2. More than 5000 items in any given folder is not supported.
3. Limited SharePoint Search.
4. Deep folder hierarchy is not supported due to URL length limits.
5. Metadata is not supported.

As nostalgic as having a “S Drive” in your Windows Explorer may be, if you are someone who was using a computer since before 2015 and you are now using Windows 10, you can use SharePoint without mapping it as a Drive. It might be a little more slow going at first, but I promise, you will gain multiple times more productivity than you had with your trusty ole “S drive” when you start to use SharePoint as SharePoint and not a “File Share.”

Introduction

If you are still reading, you probably have that one user who just wants to collaborate like the last 20 years. Or maybe you are that user. If so, here you go!

IMPORTANT One of the most important things to note is that in order to use a mapped drive, any steps that require a browser MUST be done in Internet Explorer. Explorer view and mapped SharePoint drives ARE not supported in ANY other browser.

SECURITY WARNING

DO NOT, for any reason, under any circumstances, map a network drive on a public PC, or a PC that you are sharing with someone who wouldn’t otherwise have access to your SharePoint documents. You are caching your login credentials and leaving the browser logged in.

Prepare the PC

Before you can actually map the drive, there are some settings that you need to change on your PC to be able to map a drive to SharePoint online.

IE Trusted Sites

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click the settings gear icon, and then click Internet options.
3. On the Internet Options dialog box, ensure that the “Delete browsing history on exit” check box is UNCHECKED. (Click Apply if you made a change)
4. Click the Settings box in the Browsing History section.
5. In the dialog box that pops up, click the History tab.
6. Make sure that the “Days to keep pages in history” is set to at least 20 and then click OK.
7. Click the Security tab.
8. Click the Trusted sites icon, and then click the Sites option.
9. Uncheck the box “require server verification for (https:) for all sites in this zone.
10. In the “Add this website to the zone” box, type *.sharepoint.com
11. Click the Add button.
12. Add the following items individually:
    • *.live.com
    • *.microsoft.com
    • *.microsoftonline.com
    • *.office.com
    • *.office365.com
    • *.windows.net
13. After adding each site to the Websites list, click Close.
14. Ensure the slider for “Security Level for this zone” is set to LOW, and “Enable Protected Mode” is unchecked.
15. Click Apply.
16. Click the “Connections” tab.
17. Click the Settings Option.
18. Ensure that the “Automatically detect settings” box is UNCHECKED and then click OK.
19. Click OK again to exit the Internet settings page and close all Internet Explorer windows.

Configure the WebClient Service

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard (Win+R) to bring up the RUN dialog box.
2. Type in services.msc and click OK.
3. In the list of services, locate the service named WebClient.
4. Ensure the "Startup Type" says "Automatic" and click Apply if you made a change.
5. Ensure the Service Status says "Running". If it does not, click the start button and wait a moment until it says running.
6. Click OK to close the settings dialog box and you can also close out the services window.

Drive Mapping

Congratulations, you have made it this far. Time to ACTUALLY map the network drive to SharePoint online!!!!

1. Using Internet Explorer, log in to your SharePoint site. Make sure to click YES on the Stay Signed in screen.
2. In Windows File Explorer, right-click on “This PC” and choose the “Map Network Drive” option.
3. Choose a drive letter from the drop-down.
4. In the “Folder” box, input the SharePoint address to the document library you want to map, exactly as it’s displayed in your Internet Explorer address bar before the first “/Forms/Allitems.aspx”.
5. If mapping to the Root of the SharePoint structure, enter in “\contoso.sharepoint.com@SSL\DavWWWRoot”.
6. Ensure that BOTH the “Reconnect at sign-in” and “Connect using different credentials” options are checked and click Finish.
7. Enter your Office 365 username and password, checking the box to remember your credentials before clicking OK.

Keep Mapped after Logoff / Reboot

To ensure your mapped drive works after logging off or rebooting:

1. Open Internet Explorer, navigate to your SharePoint site, and ensure you are logged in.

To automate this:

1. Press Windows Key + R to bring up RUN dialog.
2. Type in shell:startup and click OK.
3. Right-click in the startup folder, choose NEW > Shortcut.
4. Enter the following for your Windows version:
   • 64 Bit:
     "C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" https://contoso.sharepoint.com
   • 32 Bit:
     "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" https://contoso.sharepoint.com
5. Name the shortcut (e.g., SharePoint) and click Finish.

Troubleshooting / Password Changes

Changed Password

To update your mapped drive after a password change:

1. Right-click the mapped drive in Windows File Explorer and choose disconnect.
2. Reboot your PC.
3. Re-map your drive following the steps in the “Drive Mapping” section with your new password.

Common Errors

Here are some common error messages:

• Path is not accessible. You might not have permission.
• Access Denied. Ensure to add the website to your trusted site list, browse to the site, and select the option to login automatically.'