Mapped Drive Not Showing? Here’s What Actually Fixed It

I set up a Group Policy Object (GPO) to map a network drive this weekend, but for some reason, test users weren’t seeing it after logging in.

Everything looked great — the policy was linked, no errors in Group Policy Management Console, and the correct OU was targeted. Still, the drive wouldn’t show up.

Here’s how I troubleshooted it in my lab and what actually fixed the issue.

1. Check the GPO Scope and OU Placement

If the drive mapping is set under User Configuration, make sure the user account is in the correct OU where the GPO is linked.

Tip: OU structure matters — it’s easy to overlook which container your user is actually in.

2. Verify Security Filtering and Delegation

In Group Policy Management:

• Go to the GPO → Scope tab

• Make sure the right users or groups are listed under Security Filtering

• Under Delegation, ensure they have both:

  • Read

  • Apply group policy

3. Use gpresult or rsop.msc to Confirm Application

Run the following command on the user’s machine to see if the GPO is even applying:

If it’s missing, the policy isn’t reaching the user at all — often due to filtering or OU issues.

gpresult /r /scope:user

4. Switch GPO Action from “Update” to “Replace”

By default, drive mappings use the Update action.

With “Update,” the GPO will only act if it detects a change in the mapping—for example, if the drive letter, path, or label has been altered. But if a user’s session has residual mappings from a previous logon or a policy hiccup prevents the drive from showing up, “Update” won’t intervene. It assumes all is well.

In my case, switching to Replace ensured the drive was re-created at every logon, which solved the issue.

5. Double-Check NTFS and Share Permissions

Even with a perfect GPO, the drive won’t appear if users don’t have permission to access the folder.

Check both:

• Share permissions (right-click → Sharing → Advanced Sharing → Permissions)

• NTFS permissions (right-click → Properties → Security tab)

Make sure the target group has at least Read on both levels.

What Worked for Me

In my lab, the issue turned out to be a combination of:

• GPO not scoped correctly to the user's OU

• Incorrect NTFS permissions on the shared folder

• GPO action needing to be switched to “Replace”

Once I adjusted all three, the drive showed up consistently at logon.

Final Thoughts

Mapped drive issues seem simple — until they aren’t. I always recommend using gpresult, testing with a clean user account, and reviewing both OU placement and folder permissions as your first steps.

Let me know if you’ve run into this one too — it’s one of the most common (and frustrating) help desk tickets out there.