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Windows 11 Map Network Drive Missing: How to Get it Back

It’s time to apply our tested solutions

5 min. read

Updated onSeptember 5, 2024

updated onSeptember 5, 2024

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Key notes

A mapped network drive in Windows is the virtual representation of a remote folder. It is a critical feature for users as it enables them to access their files and folders from different computers without physically connecting to the target machine.

Troubleshooting network drive problems in Windows can be tricky, as you could encounter errors in multiple ways.

Mapped network drives aren’t always reliable and sometimes may stop working correctly for some reason. There isn’t a single reason why it stops working, but there are a few common reasons why this problem occurs.

When mapping a network drive is unsuccessful, it may fail to show on File Explorer. This can be quite frustrating, especially when you need to share the files. The folder sharing might not be possible when you cannot locate them even if the two PCs are running on the same OS and are on the same network.

We will go over these reasons in detail below so that you can try and get it to appear again.

Why is my Windows 11 map network drive option missing?

If you’re trying to map a network drive in Windows and you can’t, it’s probably because the option is missing. That’s not necessarily a big problem, but it isn’t very pleasant.

The issue could be due to several factors that are all fairly easy to fix. Here are some of them:

If you’re sure you know where the drive is located and can see it there in File Explorer or Windows Explorer, and you still can’t access it from your computer, then try pinging the computer that has the drive.

A ping test will confirm whether or not the computer is online and help you determine if there’s a problem with your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

What can I do if my Windows 11 map network drive is missing?

1. Modify your Registry

2. Manually update your drivers

Outbyte Driver Updater

3. Show hidden items in File Explorer

If you feel this step is cumbersome, you can use a third-party software tool such asAnyRecoverthat will easily locate the missing network drive.

Do I need to enable network discovery to map network drives?

If you’re trying to map a network drive on Windows 11 and it’s acting up, it could be because the network discovery feature isn’t enabled.

One of the most common problems with home networks is that they don’t work how you want them to. This can happen if you upgrade from a previous version of Windows or because you have a lot of devices connected and things get confusing.

To enable network drives:

You’re not alone if you’re getting the error that your mapped network drive is missing. In fact, a lot of people are getting this and theerror_dev_not_existerror, but the fix isn’t too hard. Hopefully, if you encounter something similar to the one we mentioned above, this article will come in handy to help you resolve it.

Besides, you may findNAS not listed under the Network tab, an issue arising out the of underlying causes. But it, too, is easy to fix! In case you’re using a WD device, we have a great guide on what to do ifWD My Cloud is not showing on network, so don’t miss it.

Should you take an interest in mapping out shared resources, check out our article onhow to map network drives over VPN.

We’d love to hear from you about the solutions that worked for you, so feel free to leave us a comment below.

Windows 11 Map Network Drive Missing: How to Get it Back#

Why is my Windows 11 map network drive option missing?#

What can I do if my Windows 11 map network drive is missing?#

1. Modify your Registry#

2. Manually update your drivers#

Outbyte Driver Updater#

3. Show hidden items in File Explorer#

Do I need to enable network discovery to map network drives?#