Desktop as a service

Overview

Network drives allow you to access shared folders from your company, your team, or other cloud desktops.

Once a drive is mapped, it appears in This PC with its own letter (for example, Z: or X:), and behaves just like a local folder.

This guide explains how to connect, reconnect, and manage these shared folders.

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1. What You Need Before Mapping a Drive

You’ll need:

  • The shared folder path (for example: \\192.168.20.10\shared)
  • A username and password for that share (if required)
  • VPN must be ON
  • You must be inside the Vying.io private network

Once your cloud desktop is connected through OpenVPN, you can access any share in your company or internal cloud network.

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2. Map a Network Drive (The Quick Method)

Inside your cloud desktop:

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Right-click This PC
  3. Select Map network drive…
  4. Choose a drive letter (example: Z:)
  5. In Folder, enter the shared path:
    \\192.168.x.x\foldername
  1. Check Reconnect at sign-in
  2. If needed, check Connect using different credentials
  3. Click Finish

If the share requires credentials, Windows will ask you for a username and password.

Once done, your drive appears under This PC with your chosen letter.

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3. Mapping a Drive Using Run Command (Fastest Method)

This is the shortcut method professionals use.

Inside the cloud desktop:

  1. Press Windows + R
  2. Type:
    \\192.168.x.x\folder
  1. Press Enter

If the folder opens, you can right-click the folder and select:

Map network drive… → choose your letter → save.

This method is great for quick troubleshooting.

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4. Using “Connect Using Different Credentials”

If your shared folder belongs to another user or server, check:

  • Connect using different credentials
  • Enter the credentials your admin gave you
  • Example format:
  • username: company\john  
  • password: ********


If you use the wrong credentials, the drive may appear but show “Access Denied.”

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5. Ensuring Drives Reconnect at Login

To make drives automatically reconnect:

  • Always check Reconnect at sign-in
  • Make sure the VPN is connected BEFORE you log in to Windows
  • For multi-user setups, each user must map their own drives

If a drive fails to reconnect, it’s usually because:

  • VPN was not active yet
  • Credentials changed
  • Network path changed
  • The share was moved on the server

Just remap it — it takes seconds.

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6. Unmapping (Removing) a Network Drive

If you no longer need a drive:

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Right-click the mapped drive
  3. Select Disconnect

This removes only the shortcut — not your data.

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7. Troubleshooting Tips

❌ “Windows cannot access \192.168.x.x”

  • Is VPN ON?
  • Are you using the correct private IP?
  • Is the shared folder spelled correctly?
  • Does the user have permission?

❌ “Access Denied”

  • Wrong username/password
  • User doesn’t have permission
  • Try “Connect using different credentials”

❌ Mapped drive disappears after restart

  • Reconnect at sign-in was not checked
  • VPN wasn’t connected early enough
  • Credentials expired or changed

❌ Drive is visible but empty

  • The share may contain subfolders with restricted permissions
  • Try opening the subfolders directly

✔ Summary

Mapping a network drive lets you access shared company folders easily.

The process is:

  1. VPN ON
  2. File Explorer → This PC → Map network drive
  3. Enter path: \\192.168.x.x\folder
  4. Choose a drive letter
  5. Check Reconnect at sign-in
  6. Enter credentials (if required)

Your shared drive is now ready in This PC and works just like a local folder.