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Ultimate Guide: Connecting and Mapping Drives on Your Mac - Step by Step

What to Know

• LaunchFinder and then selectGo >Connect to Server from the menu.
• Enter the path for the network drive and selectConnect . ClickConnect again to confirm.
• Drag the shares into theLogin Items section of System Settings to auto-mount them after a reboot.

This article explains how to set up amapped drive on a Mac and how to reconnect to the shared folders automatically after a reboot. These directions are for Macs running macOS Sonoma, but they can easily be adapted for other versions of macOS.

How to Map a Network Drive on Mac

Instead of downloading or copying the same data to all your devices, save the files in a single folder and then share the folder with your other devices. With the shared folder ready to go, follow these steps to map the network drive:

1. LaunchFinder .
   
2. ClickGo >Connect to Server . If you prefer to use the keyboard, pressCommand +K .
   
3. Enter the path to the network drive and then selectConnect . It should start like this in most cases:

smb://

4. If you’re prompted for a confirmation, clickConnect .

Accounts that don’t have permission to access this file/folder are unable to create a connection to the network drive.
5. Once the network drive has been mapped, it will appear under theLocations menu in any Finder window, and on your desktop (if not, go toFinder >Settings and turn onConnected servers ).

Since mapped drives show up as mounted drives on your macOS device, you’re able to disconnect from them by ejecting the drive.

How to Auto-Mount a Network Drive on macOS

To automatically connect to your favorite network drives after a reboot, add them to the Open at Login area of System Settings.

1. Click the Apple logo and then chooseSystem Settings or, if you’re using an older version of macOS,System Preferences .
   
2. Search forLogin Items , or select it from theGeneral menu.

3. Drag the shares from the desktop into theOpen at Login screen. Or, click theplus sign , select the shares in the pop-up window, and then chooseOpen orAdd .

Set up Multiple Network Locations on Your Mac

FAQ

• Can I map a Windows network drive to my Mac?
  Yes, sharing files between a Windows machine and your Mac is possible byusing OneDrive , or with aproperly formatted external or USB flash drive, Setting upfile sharing on your Mac, or usingWindows file sharing will also work.
• How do I map a network drive to my Mac using AFP?
  From the Finder menu bar selectGo >Connect to Server > then enter “afp://“ followed by the IP address of the drive and selectConnect . Choose a username and password for the drive when prompted.

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