Disconnect a Network Mapped Drive in Windows OS

If you are having trouble accessing a College network drive, disconnecting and reconnecting the drive may resolve the issue.

Off Campus?
You must be using a College-owned device to access College network drives from off campus. Personal devices no longer have access to campus network resources.

Option 1: Disconnect the Drive Using File Explorer

This is the recommended method.

  1. Open File Explorer by clicking the folder icon on the taskbar or pressing Windows key + E.
  2. Select This PC from the left side of File Explorer.
  3. Locate the network drive you want to disconnect under Network locations.
  4. Right-click the network drive.
  5. In Windows 11, select Show more options.
  6. Select Disconnect.

The network drive should disappear from File Explorer.

Reconnect the Drive

After disconnecting the drive, reconnect it using the College's network drive mapping process.

If your College network drives are normally added automatically, you can refresh your College settings:

  1. Click Start and type Command Prompt.
  2. Open Command Prompt.
  3. Type:

gpupdate /force

  1. Press Enter.
  2. Wait for the update to complete.
  3. Restart your computer or sign out and back in if prompted.
  4. Open File Explorer > This PC and check for your network drives.

If this doesn't work, you may need to manually re-map the drives using these directions: Article - Mapping Drives in Windows OS

Option 2: Disconnect a Drive Using Command Prompt

If the drive will not disconnect through File Explorer, you can remove it using Command Prompt.

  1. Open File Explorer > This PC and note the letter of the network drive you want to remove, such as Z:.
  2. Click Start and type Command Prompt.
  3. Open Command Prompt.
  4. Enter the following command, replacing Z: with the letter of the drive you want to disconnect:

net use Z: /delete

  1. Press Enter.
  2. Return to File Explorer > This PC and confirm that the drive is no longer listed.

Important: Make sure you enter the correct drive letter. This command disconnects the drive associated with that letter.

Still Having Trouble?

If the network drive does not reconnect or you continue to receive an error when opening it:

  • Make sure you have an active internet connection.
  • Restart your computer and try again.
  • If the problem continues, contact the IT Help Desk for assistance.

 

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