Mapping Network Drives with Group Policy in Active Directory

By McNairTech | June 2025 | Hands-On IT Lab Series

Why This Lab?

This week I wanted to document a small but useful task I set up in my home Active Directory lab: using Group Policy to map a network drive for a specific group of users.

It's one of those things that feels simple, but in a real job setting, this kind of automation cuts down on support tickets and keeps users from constantly asking, “Where’s that shared folder again?”

What I Needed

• A Windows Server with AD DS and Group Policy Management Console

• A Windows 11 VM joined to the domain

• A test OU with a few dummy users

• A shared folder on the domain controller

Step 1 – Set Up the Shared Folder

On my DC, I created a folder at C:\SharedFolder. Right clicked it, went to Properties → Sharing → Advanced Sharing, and shared it as “Shared Folder.”

In Permissions, I gave access to Domain Users just for testing. (In production, I'd scope this to a specific security group instead.)

Step 2 – Create and Link the GPO

I opened the Group Policy Management Console, found the OU I wanted (in this case, “Sales”), and created a new GPO called “Map Drive Z.”

Then I linked it to that OU so it would only affect users inside Sales.

Step 3 – Configure the Drive Map

In the GPO editor, I went to:
User Configuration → Preferences → Windows Settings → Drive Maps

Right-clicked → New → Mapped Drive

Settings:

• Location: \DC01\Shared Folder

• Drive Letter: Z:

• Action: Update

• Gave it a label of “Company Share”

Saved and closed the editor

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Step 4 – Testing

On my Windows 11 VM (joined to the domain), I logged in as a test user from the Sales OU. After logging in, the Z: drive appeared in File Explorer, mapped to the shared folder on the server. If it doesn’t show up right away, running gpupdate /force helps, or just reboot.

A Few Notes

• You can also target drives by security group using item-level targeting

• Make sure your NTFS permissions on the folder itself match your share permissions, or users will see access denied errors even if the drive maps.

• Drive letter conflicts can be an issue if users already have something on Z:. Use an uncommon letter or set “Use first available” if needed.

Wrapping Up

This is a small task, but it’s something I’ve done many times in real environments, and it always saves headaches in the long run. If you're working on building a HomeLab or prepping for an IT role, it's worth practicing how to set this up.