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3 Easy Ways to Access a Shared Folder With Different Credentials
Check out our quick methods right away
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Windowsincludes networking features that enable users to share folders between their PCs via local networks. As a result, sharing a folder on oneWindowsPC with another can be very convenient.
You can set up shared folders, which can be accessed with different credentials, withMap Network Drive.
What is a mapped network drive?
A mapped network drive points to a shared folder on a user’s local network. Those are drives you can assign letters to that include shared network resources.
You can share a folder between two PCs on a mapped network drive with File Explorer’s Map Network Drive wizard.
Why can’t I access a shared folder with different credentials?
The default Map Network Drive wizard settings configureWindowsto connect with shared folders using the PC’s local user account and password.
You can’t access a shared folder with different credentials unless you select Map Network Drive’sConnect using different settingsoption.
Even with that setting enabled,Windowssaves entered credentials for users who select theRemember my credentialsoption.
Credential Manager saves the shared folder’s login credentials in a vault. Users need to erase saved credentials to access shared folders with different credentials.
How can I access a shared folder with different credentials?
1. Use the Map Network Drive option
2. Remove saved credentials for the shared folder
3. Clear temporarily cached credentials
Why can’t I set up a shared folder with Map Network Drive?
If you can’t select a folder to share with Map Network Drive, network discovery is probably disabled. So first, make sure network discovery is enabled in Windows 10. You can enable that feature as follows.
So, just make sure you select theConnect using different credentialsoption whenmapping a driveif you need to access a shared drive with different user credentials.
Then you can access the shared folder with different credentials so long as you don’t select theRemember my credentialsoption.
Users can access a shared folder with different credentials without restarting by clearing temporarily cached user credentials via the Command Prompt.
Matthew Adams
Windows Hardware Expert
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles on various topics related to technology. His main focus is the Windows OS and all the things surrounding it.
He is passionate about the tech world, always staying up-to-date with the latest and greatest. With an analytical view, he likes problem-solving, focusing on errors and their causes.
In his free time, he likes to read and write about history and tries to always develop new skills.
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Matthew Adams
Windows Hardware Expert
He is passionate about everything surrounding Microsoft’s OS, focusing on troubleshooting guides & tips for everyday problems.
