How To Map Network Drives With
Group Policy (Complete Guide)
By Robert Allen | July 13, 2018 | 9
In this guide, I’ll show you step by step
instructions on how to map network drives with Group Policy.
If you’re still using login scripts then it’s time to switch to Group Policy.
Mapping drives with group policy is very easy and requires no scripting experience.
Bonus: It can actually speed up the user logon process.
I’ll show you two examples, the first one is mapping a drive for a department, the second
will map a drive for individual users.
In addition, I will use item level targeting to map drives based on specific conditions like
group membership, OU, operating system, etc.
Logon Scripts VS Group Policy
The ability to map a network drive with Group Policy was introduced in Server 2008.
Logon scripts are a thing of the past.
Logon scripts can actually slow computers down. Yes, group policy is faster.
Unless you have some crazy complex script that does something that Group Policy
cannot do then there is no reason not to use it.
Mapping Drives with Group Policy has the following advantages:
• It’s much easier than logon scripts. Checkboxes and drop down lists, no need to
understand scripting
• It’s scalable, as big as your Active Directory will grow logon scripts will scale no
problem.
• It’s very flexible. With item level targeting you can target groups, users, OUs,
operating systems and so on.
• It’s easy
Now let’s move onto some examples of mapping drives with group policy.
Example 1: Map a Department Network Drive
Using Group Policy
In this example, I’m going to map a network drive for the HR department. I’ll use item
level targeting so it only maps this drive for users in the HR organizational unit.
You could also use a Security Group to target a specific group of users. This will map to a
network share that only the HR department has access to.
Step 1: Create & Link a new GPO
1. Open the Group Policy Management Console
2. In the Group Policy Management Console, Right Click and Select “Create a GPO in
this domain, and Link it here”
TIP: This will be a user based GPO so make sure you link the GPO to a location that will
target the users. I have all of my users separated into an OU called ADPRO Users, I’ll
create and link the GPO there.
3. Name the new GPO
You can name the new GPO whatever you like, I’ve named mine “Users – Mapped
Drives
I can later add additional drive mappings to this GPO.
The new GPO is now created and linked, now it’s time to configure the settings.
Step 2: Configure GPO Settings
1. On the GPO right click and select edit
2. Navigate to User Configuration -> Preferences -> Windows Settings -> Drive
Mappings
3. Right Click Drive Mappings, Select New – > Mapped Drive
4. Configure Drive Mapping Properties
General Tab Settings
• In location put the path to the share/folder you want to map a drive to.
• Select a drive letter
• Choose Update for action
• Label as: This is optional but may be beneficial for users.
Common Tab Settings
Select “Run in logged on users’s security context
Select Item-level Targeting
Click the Targeting Button
Select New Item
Select Organization Unit then select the OU you want to target
Click OK, Click OK again to close the new drive properties
This completes the GPO settings
Step 3: Reboot Computers to Process GPO
For the GPO to run I will need to reboot the users PC or run gpupdate /force. The next
time a user from the HR department logs in they should see a mapped drive.
I’ve rebooted the computer, now I’ll log in with an account that is in the HR
organizational unit.
Once logged I will go to file explorer and check for the mapped drive.
It works.
Now, any user I put in the HR folder will get this mapped drive. If you don’t want to use
an OU you can also target a group of users by using a Security group.
Example 2: Using Group Policy to Map a Drive
for Individual Users
This example will map a drive for individual users. This will give the users their own
personal folder to save files.
You can create a new GPO or add to your existing one, I have all my drive mappings in
one GPO.
This example requires a folder be setup on a network share that matches the user’s
logon name. You will want to modify the NTFS permissions so the individual user is the
only one that has permissions to it.
I’ll be using Mark Foster as an example, the logon name is mfoster so I’ll need a folder
setup on a network share called mfoster.
I’m not going to repeat every step, I’m basically starting at Step 3 from the first example.
Step 1: Create a New Drive Mapped drive
Here are the drive map settings for mapping a drive for an individual user
The %UserName% is a variable that will match the user’s logon name.
Just to be clear you must have folders setup on a network share that matches the
location and users logon name.
My file server is file1, the share is users and in the user’s folder is a folder for each user.
Screenshot below of users folder on file1 server.
That is it.
Just have the user log off and back on and it should map the M drive
Perfect! Now the user is mapping a department drive and a personal drive.
Final Thoughts
As you can see mapping drives with group policy is very easy. It doesn’t require any
scripting experience, it’s just a matter of a few clicks and selecting your desired settings.
If your still using logon scripts follow the steps in this guide and replace them with
Group Policy. The biggest challenge is just finding the time to switch them over.
Now it’s time to switch over those logon scripts.
Related: How to Update Group Policy Remotely
Recommended Tool: SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM)
This utility was designed to Monitor Active
Directory and other critical applications. It will quickly spot domain controller issues,
prevent replication failures, track failed logon attempts and much more.
What I like best about SAM is it’s easy to use dashboard and alerting features. It also has
the ability to monitor virtual machines and storage.
