However, if you no longer need such a shortcut, it only creates more branches on your network locations. Additionally, if you have multiple network drives, it can be complicated to track which drive links to which folder. In such scenarios, it’s better to delete the drive network drive. There are many ways to do so on the Windows system, which we have provided in this guide.
How to Delete Mapped Network Drive on Windows
Below mentioned are the different ways to delete a mapped network drive on Windows. You can pick and use any one of them.
Through File Explorer
The usual way to delete a mapped network drive on Windows is through the file explorer. Here are the necessary steps: You can also right-click on the network drive under Network locations and select Disconnect or Show more options > Disconnect. If you have mapped a network location instead of a drive, it shows up as a folder in this group. To remove it, you need to right-click on it and select Delete or Show more options > Delete.
Using Command-line Interface
You can also use the command-line interfaces like Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell to delete a mapped drive. They use separate default commands, but you can also use the Command Prompt’s command with PowerShell. Here’s how you can use the two CLIs to delete a mapped network drive on Windows:
Command Prompt
If you want to delete all mapped network drives, enter the command net use * /d and then, type Y and press Enter to confirm.
Windows PowerShell
With Registry Editor
It is also possible to disconnect the mapped drives by deleting the registry entries related to the drive. First, back up your registry to account for system issues due to unintentional changes. Then, follow the instructions below to delete mapped drives using the Registry Editor: Restart your PC to delete the mapped drive.
From Network Shortcuts
You can also delete your mapped network locations or folders from within the Network Shortcuts directory. This method only deletes the mapped folders and not the mapped drives. Here’s how you can do it:
Troubleshooting Can’t Delete Mapped Network Drive
If you can’t delete the mapped network drive using any of the above methods, it’s likely that there’s some temporary issue in the Windows Explorer app. This may happen if you are running many tasks that use this process. First, try refreshing by pressing Ctrl + R or F5 inside This PC. If the drive is still present you need to restart Windows Explorer. To do so, Check if the drive is gone. If not, try deleting it again. We also recommend updating your Windows OS to the latest version to prevent any outdated OS issues from hindering this process.
