At IU, using Windows, how do I access a shared resource on another Windows computer?

Notes:

• The term "share" refers to any shared computer, drive, folder, or resource.
• If you don't know the location of a share, contact its owner.
• To access certain shares at Indiana University, you may need a VPN connection; see The basics of VPN at IU.

To connect to shared resources, you can use the command line or map a drive or folder.

Using the command line

1. In Windows 7 and Vista, from the Start menu, click the search field, and then type cmd .

   In XP, from the Start menu, choose Run... . Type cmd , and then click OK.

2. Enter two backslashes followed by the name of the computer to which you wish to connect. For example, if the NetBIOS name of the remote computer is POTATO, enter: \\POTATO

   Note: The above command is not case sensitive.

   To connect to specific shares on the remote computer, enter a share's UNC path. For example, the UNC path to a share called C-DRIVE on a computer named POTATO would be:

   \\POTATO\C-DRIVE
3. Double-click the share's icon. A window will open, showing the shared resources available on the computer. If you double-click a share, you may be asked to log in.

Mapping a drive

1. From the Start menu, right-click Computer or My Computer.
   
   
2. Select Map Network Drive... .
   
   
3. In the "Drive:" field, select the letter you would like to assign to the drive. That letter will become the mapped drive.

   If you would like to connect to the drive every time you start your computer, select Reconnect at logon.

4. In the "Path:" or "Folder:" field, type the pathname of the networked drive, for example: \\myserver\docs
5. Click OK or Finish.

Connecting with a different Windows username

Sometimes you might need to use a different Windows username to access the drive or folder you plan to map. By default, Windows will try to use the username you logged in with, but if access to the share is limited to a group account, you must force Windows to supply the group username and password in place of your own:

1. When following the instructions above, before you click OK or Finish, click Connect using a different user name. A Connect As... login box will appear.
   
   
2. In the fields provided, enter the username and password you plan to use to map the drive.

   Note: If at least one computer (either your own or the one with the drive you want to map) is joined to a domain or Active Directory, you'll have to supply the domain with a backslash in front of the username. At IU, use the following example with the ADS domain, where dvader is the username:

   ads\dvader
3. Click OK to return to the original mapping dialog window, and then click Finish.

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