Mapping to the H Drive

Key Points:

• Because there are a lot of different network paths that are generally mapped as H: on employee computers, it is important for the user to know which path they need to connect to.  The Help Desk technician should verify that the path is correct before assisting with mapping the drive.
   
• As many of the folders on the H: drive are access-controlled, the Help Desk technician may need to add the user to the correct security group in Active Directory.
   
• Although H: is the common drive letter to map these network paths, any drive letter can be used as long as the syntax of the network path is correct.
   
• Users will generally click on the File Explorer icon down in the Windows taskbar (at the bottom of the computer screen).  In File Explorer, go to the left navigation panel and select This PC.  Then, go to the ribbon at the top and select Map Network Drive, then select Map Network Drive again.
   
• The syntax of a network path is \\servername\folder.  Users may not know the correct syntax of the path unless they ask a co-worker or contact the Help Desk. See Step 6 below in this article for a list of correct network paths.
  
  
• Once the H: drive is mapped onto a computer, the user should not need to remap it again.  However, if the user is on a different computer they have not mapped the drive to before, they will need to map to it again.

Instructions:

1. Verify that the user has contacted their supervisor to be granted permission to the specific H: drive folder.  Users cannot request H: drive access for themselves.
   
   
2. The supervisor must submit a written request to the Help Desk – either through the Computer Access Request Form (Reynolds Form 40-0006) or through a Help Desk ticket.  A general email to the Help Desk is not sufficient because the request has to be tracked for auditing purposes.
   
   
3. The Help Desk technician will need to go to Active Directory Users and Computers and find the correct network folder group to add the user’s LAN/email account to.  If the information is unknown, escalate the Help Desk ticket to the Network/Server Support group.
   
   Note: Some H: drive paths will have no Active Directory security group associated with them.  In these cases, the Network/Server Support Group may need to grant the user access directly.
   
   
4. Once the user has been added to the correct group, have the user click on the File Explorer icon in the Windows Taskbar at the bottom of the screen.  The user will then click on This PC in the left navigation pane (still in the File Explorer window). In the ribbon at the top of the File Explorer window, the user will click Map Network Drive, and then click Map Network Drive again. Alternatively, the user can click the Start Menu icon at the bottom left corner of the computer screen and type the words This PC. In the search results list, right-click on the This PC app and select Map Network Drive.
   
   
5. In the Map Network Drive window, the user will click on the Drive: drop-down menu, and select H.  If H is already used, the user will need to select another drive letter.
    
6. In the Folder: box, advise the user to enter the folder path that pertains to the access they will need for their department/area.
   
   Current Divison/Department H: Drive Folder Paths
   
   

   \\srntas01\acadsctr.jsr	\\srntas01\accting.cab	\\srntas01\admisson.cab	\\srntas01\aics.jsr
   \\srntas01\appsupp.cab	\\srntas01\arts&sci.dtc	\\srntas01\busofc.jsr	\\srntas01\bustech.prc
   \\sr11refe01\donor.cab	\\srntas01\distlearn.jsr	\\srntas01\engineer.jsr	\\srntas01\facilities
   \\srntas01\finaid.cab	\\srntas01\finance.cab	\\srntas01\foundatn.cab	\\srntas01\global.wtc
   \\srntas01\hlthtech.dtc	\\srntas01\hrpayroll	\\srntas01\hum&ss.prc	\\srntas01\humrs.cab
   \\srntas01\infotech.prc	\\srntas01\irmsdebt.jsr	\\srntas01\it&de.nth	\\srntas01\lrc.dtc
   \\srntas01\lrc.prc	\\srntas01\lrc.wtc	\\srntas01\mail	\\srntas01\midcoll.jsr
   \\srntas01\odu.jsr	\\srntas01\presidnt.cab	\\srntas01\provost.dtc	\\srntas01\provost.prc
   \\srntas01\purch.cab	\\srntas01\safety	\\srntas01\scholarship	\\srntas01\security
   \\srntas01\selfstudy	\\srntas01\studsrvs.prc	G_CCWA.vbs (accessible to CCWA personnel via a Terminal Services interface)	J_CCWA.vbs (accessible to CCWA personnel via a Terminal Services interface)

7. The user should verify that the box is selected for Reconnect at sign-in, and then they will click Finish.
    
8. The user should then get immediate access to the drive; if not, have the user to log out of their account and then log back in.
   
   
   • If the user sees an error message saying that Windows cannot access the specified folder path, make sure they are entering it in correctly, using the appropriate syntax as shown in the drive/department list back in Step 6.