Mapping a Drive to a Network Share

Last Revised:6/5/2008

In Windows networks, network disk space is organized into "shares." Mapping a drive allows you to use one of these shares as if it were a local hard drive. If you are logging into the PRIMO domain, most of the shares you might want to use are mapped automatically. However, there are some situations where you might want to map a drive to a network share yourself. If you are connecting to the SSCC network from home using VPN the usual shares are available but not mapped automatically. Also, members who log into the SOE domain must map the Linux drives if they want to access them from Winstat. Finally, there are some Linux shares you might need at some point which are not mapped for you.

This publication will show you both how to map a drive to a network share, and tell you some of the shares you might want to map.

Mapping a Drive

Mapping a network drive is a simple process. Note you can start it in many ways; the first two steps of the following instructions give just one.

  1. Double-click on the My Computer icon.
  2. Click Tools, Map Network Drive
  3. In the window that appears choose the letter you want to use for the new mapping and select it in the Drive: box (it makes very little difference what letter you give it; maybe something you'll find easy to remember?)
  4. In Folder: or Path: enter \\servername\sharename where servername and sharename should be replaced by the names of the particular server and share you want to map.
  5. Check Reconnect at Logon
  6. Click Finish

Mapping a network drive

Locations You Could Map

Location Use Notes
\\sscwin\dfsroot\users\username Windows Home Directory Mapped as U: if you log into PRIMO
\\sscunix\username Linux Home Directory Mapped as Z: if you log into PRIMO
\\sscwin\dfsroot\project Windows Project Directories Mapped as X: if you log into PRIMO
\\sscunix\project Linux Project Directories Mapped as V: if you log into PRIMO
\\sscwin\dfsroot\Public Windows Temporary Disk Space Mapped as Y: if you log into PRIMO
Unused files deleted after 30 days
\\sscunix\fivedays Linux Temporary Disk Space All files deleted after five days
\\sscunix\web Web sites of SSCC member agencies  

Note that if you have existing but invalid drive mappings to older locations, you should disconnect those drives and reboot before mapping drives to the new locations.

For more information about SSCC disk space see Network Disk Space at the SSCC.

© 2008 University of Wisconsin Social Science Computing Cooperative