I hope that your network administrator also routinely backs up the contents of the network server’s disk to tape. (Yes, tape — see Chapter 22 for details.) That way, if something happens to the network server, the data can be recovered from the backup tapes.
Oh, the Network Places You’ll Go
Windows enables you to access network resources, such as shared folders, by browsing the network. In Windows 7, choose Network from the Start menu. In Windows 10, open Windows Explorer (click File Explorer on the taskbar) and then click Network. Figure 3-2 shows the Windows 10 version of the network browser.
The network shown in Figure 3-2 consists of just two computers: the desktop client computer running Windows 10 (WIN10-01) and a server computer running Windows Server 2016 (WIN1601). In an actual network, you would obviously see more than just two computers.
FIGURE 3-2: Browsing the network in Windows 10.
You can open a computer by double-clicking its icon to reveal a list of shared resources available on the computer. For example, Figure 3-3 shows the resources shared by the WIN1601 computer.
FIGURE 3-3: The resources available on a server computer.
You can also browse the network from any Windows application program. For example, you may be working with Microsoft Word and want to open a document file that’s stored in a shared folder on your network. All you have to do is use the Open command to bring up the dialog box, and then choose Network in the Navigation pane to view the available network devices.
Mapping Network Drives
For example, you can map a shared folder named Data on the server named Win1601 Files to drive K: on your computer. Then, to access files stored in the shared Data folder, you look on drive K:.
To map a shared folder to a drive letter, follow these steps:
1 Open File Explorer.Windows 7: Choose Start ⇒ Computer.Windows 8, 8.1, and 10: Open the desktop and click the File Explorer icon on the taskbar, and then click Computer in the Location list on the left side of the screen.
2 Open the Map Network Drive dialog box.Windows 7: Access this dialog by clicking the Map Network Drive button located on the toolbar.Windows 8 and 8.1: Click Map Network Drive on the Ribbon.Windows 10: Click the Computer tab, and then click Map Network Drive.Figure 3-4 shows the Map Network Drive dialog box for Windows 10. The dialog box for earlier versions of Windows is similar.
3 (Optional) Change the drive letter in the Drive drop-down list.You probably don't have to change the drive letter that Windows selects (in Figure 3-4, drive Z:). If you’re picky, though, you can select the drive letter from the Drive drop-down list.FIGURE 3-4: The Map Network Drive dialog box.
4 Click the Browse button.The dialog box shown in Figure 3-5 appears.FIGURE 3-5: Browsing for the folder to map.
5 Use the Browse for Folder dialog box to find and select the shared folder you want to use.You can navigate to any shared folder on any computer in the network.
6 Click OK.The Browse for Folder dialog box is dismissed, and you return to the Map Network Drive dialog box (refer to Figure 3-4).
7 (Optional) If you want this network drive to be automatically mapped each time you log on to the network, select the Reconnect at Sign-in check box.If you leave the Reconnect at Sign-in check box deselected, the drive letter is available only until you shut down Windows or log out of the network. If you select this option, the network drive reconnects automatically each time you log on to the network. Be sure to select the Reconnect at Sign-in check box if you use the network drive often.
8 Click OK.You return to the This PC folder, as shown in Figure 3-6. Here, you can see the newly mapped network drive.
FIGURE 3-6: The This PC folder shows a mapped network drive.
Your network administrator may have already set up your computer with one or more mapped network drives. If so, you can ask her to tell you which network drives have been mapped. Or you can just open the This PC folder and have a look.
Here are a few additional tips:
Assigning a drive letter to a network drive is called mapping the drive, or linking the drive, by network nerds. “Drive Q: is mapped to a network drive,” they say.
Network drive letters don't have to be assigned the same way for every computer on the network. For example, a network drive that’s assigned drive letter M on your computer may be assigned drive letter Z on someone else’s computer. In that case, your drive M: and the other computer’s drive Z: refer to the same data. This arrangement can be confusing. If your network is set up this way, put pepper in your network administrator's coffee.
Accessing a shared network folder through a mapped network drive is much faster than accessing the same folder by browsing the network. Windows has to browse the entire network to list all available computers whenever you browse the network. By contrast, Windows doesn’t have to browse the network to access a mapped network drive.
If you select the Reconnect at Sign-in option for a mapped drive (refer to Figure 3-4), you receive a warning message if the drive isn’t available when you log on. In most cases, the problem is that your computer can’t connect to the server. Double-check all your network connections and settings to make sure.
Using a Network Printer
Using a network printer is much like using a network hard drive: You can print to a network printer from any Windows program by choosing the Print command to call up a Print dialog box from any program and choosing a network printer from the list of available printers.
Keep in mind, however, that printing on a network printer isn’t exactly the same as printing on a local printer; you have to take turns. When you print on a local printer, you’re the only one using it. When you print to a network printer, however, you are (in effect) standing in line behind other network users,