Drive mapping

Almost all desktop computers and laptops have built-in storage devices, commonly referred to as "drives."  These can include hard drives (a.k.a., disk drives), optical drives for CDs and/or DVDs, and perhaps even drives for soon-to-be-extinct floppy disks.  You may also have removable flash memory devices, sometimes called jump drives or USB drives.

These drives may be built-in ("internal") or attached by a USB, Firewire or other type of cable ("external") or connection.  Whether internal or external, these drives are usually physically connected to the desktop or laptop in an obvious, visible way -- easy for both you and your computer to "find."

It is also possible to make use of storage that is not attached to your computer or laptop, such as that provided over a network.  For example, every Medical ID holder has a personal home directory, and usually one or more shared directories that reside on storage devices located in our secure datacenter. 

A "mapping" process is required.for a computer to make use of a drive that isn't physically attached to it.  Just as you must tell your Web browser how to find a resource on the Internet by giving it a URL address, a drive mapping requires providing your computer with addresses of the virtual drives to which you need access.

You may be unfamiliar with this process because the mapping often occurs automatically in the background, relying on a directory profile containing information about you (including a directory mapping location) or using a small program called a script that performs the mapping steps. For example, Windows computers operating on the medical network are usually set up with a profile/script combination that maps both your home directory and any shared directories when you log in to the machines.

Unfortunately, this kind of automatic mapping generally does not work for Windows systems in off-campus locations (like your home), nor for those accessing the campus network via a wireless connection.  Apple/Mac systems can't take advantage of profiling/scripting in any circumstance.

The Help Desk can walk you through the manual steps relevant to your situation.  If you prefer to do it yourself, you can review the specific steps to map drives for Windows XP and Mac OS.  (Click on the links to see the details.) 

For more information, see the drive mapping FAQs.