How to Add Printers and Map Network Drives

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Sandro Munoz
, created
Last updated: Apr 26, 2024
3 min read

Mapping printers

There are two main print servers at SHDS for staff use.

  • sh-maia64 for housing printers

  • sh-dinprintsvr for dining printers

  1. Open File Explorer and type in the path \\sh-maia64\ or \\sh-dinprintsvr\. This gives you a list of all the available printers on the print server.

     

  2. Double-click the printer you want to add to start the installation.

     

  3. Once the printer is installed, it will be available right away.

 

You should not be prompted for any credentials when trying to install a printer. If you are, please submit a support request and include your computer name.

Mapping network drives

Open File Explorer, right-click This PC and click Map network drive…

  1. Select a drive letter from the drop-down list.

  2. In the Folder field enter the path to the folder you want to map. For example: \\vuclan\Facilities\sustainability.

  3. Make sure the Reconnect at logon box is checked.

  4. Click Finish.

The drive letter will show up in This PC.

 

There is an alternate way to access files stored on a network share that does not require you to map a drive. You may find this method a lot easier.

Creating a shortcut to network folders

Instead of mapping a folder to a drive letter, you can create a shortcut to the network location you want to access and then you can, if you wish, pin the shortcut to Quick Access, the Start Menu, or the Task Bar.

  1. Right-click your desktop and select New ➡ Shortcut.

     

  2. Enter the location (path) of the folder you want to access. In this example, we’re creating a shortcut to \\vulcan\public, which everyone has access to.

     

  3. Give the shortcut a name.

     

    The shortcut will be on your desktop.

Finally, if you want the shortcut to appear in Quick Access, right-click the shortcut and click Pin to Quick access.

There are a few things to note.

  1. You’ll need explicit access to the folder you want to create the shortcut to. If you don’t have access, you’ll get an access denied error.

  2. You’ll need to know the (location) path of the folder.

  3. You can delete and create shortcuts at any time without affecting the target folder.

  4. You can navigate to this shortcut from an Open or Save dialogue box, just like you would a drive letter.