# PLEX WON'T RECOGNIZE NETWORK DRIVE **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952 "2016-03-07T02:41:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![genegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f4b2a3/32.png) [@genegeist](https://forums.plex.tv/u/genegeist)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/1 "2016-03-07T02:41:22Z")
After the last update, plex does not recognize the networked drive where all the media lives. I cant add a location and previously added files are listed as “unavaliable” ---
**Author:** ![HypKin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/hypkin/32/82745_2.png) [@HypKin](https://forums.plex.tv/u/HypKin)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/2 "2016-03-07T06:59:40Z")
had the same problem - it worked after i restarted the computer ---
**Author:** ![tristan\_palmer.net.nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tristan\_palmer.net.nz](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tristan_palmer.net.nz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 8:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/3 "2016-04-06T08:18:55Z")
I am having same issue, have restarted PMS, server & NAS (where netowrk drive is located) and still no luck. Drive is still mapped to PC and usable, when I try and create a new library i cannot select the network location. ---
**Author:** ![iridum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@iridum](https://forums.plex.tv/u/iridum)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/4 "2016-05-15T13:25:53Z")
I have the same issue. I have mapped a drive from my synology NAS to my Windows 7 PC. It does require a username/password for the mapping. I am not able to see the Z: (the drive letter for the mapped NAS drive) under PMS. Nor am I able to see any media from that drive when I add using server-name/drive or ip-address/drive. Server Version 0.9.16.6. Can someone please look at this issue? ---
**Author:** ![Elijah\_Baley](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/elijah_baley/32/10336_2.png) [@Elijah\_Baley](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Elijah_Baley)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/5 "2016-05-15T13:50:36Z")
You might want to take a look at this thread. [https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/comment/1108969#Comment\_1108969](https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/comment/1108969#Comment_1108969) It discusses using UNC paths instead of mapped drives. When I had a separate file server I used UNC paths for all my access and never had a problem but I did have occasional problems with mapped drive letters. There are a number of things that can go wrong with mapped drive access and there are fewer such with UNC paths. Of course things like the drive not being available at the source or it going to sleep etc are not really mitigated by UNC paths but a lot of other potential problems are. ---
**Author:** ![cul8rmom1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@cul8rmom1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/cul8rmom1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/6 "2016-05-20T16:26:04Z")
I have had similarly weird issues with windows on occasion. It just starts giving you the finger when accessing a share. If you use the name instead of the ip or a different ip on the same nas box it works fine. It doesnt happen often enough to me to get to the bottom of it. Try using ips instead of names and vice versa? Look at your network card power saving mode and turn that off. Mess around with the SMB settings. What do the windows event logs look like. Hit me up and I will try to help. Can you replicate the problem easily? ---
**Author:** ![jhs39](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@jhs39](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jhs39)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/7 "2016-06-03T02:08:56Z")
Having the same problem. This is the address to one of the media folders on my network drive: \READYSHARE\T\_Drive\Video Emby recognizes this address no problem but Plex can’t see anything on my network drive. There is also no option to directly map the location because the network drives do not show up as an option to select. Am I missing something here? ---
**Author:** ![jhs39](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@jhs39](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jhs39)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/8 "2016-06-03T03:13:37Z")
I was able to get around the problem by mapping the network drive and then using path Z:\Video. I’m not the most computer literate person in the world so maybe that should have been an obvious solution. ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 8:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/9 "2016-06-03T08:45:40Z")
> @jhs39 said: > I was able to get around the problem by mapping the network drive and then using path Z:\Video. I’m not the most computer literate person in the world so maybe that should have been an obvious solution. Unfortunately this may appear an obvious solution, but it has its drawbacks. Drive letters are only restored upon a user ‘logging in’ to a Windows account. sometimes Plex server is ‘faster’ there than the drive letter, which leads to ‘unavailable’ files sometimes. You could copy the UNC path `\\READYSHARE\T_Drive\Video` into the Windows clipboard (CTRL+C), and then paste it into the input field (CTRL+V) which appears when you click on ‘Add folder’. ![](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/uploads/default/original/3X/e/d/edcf11ce2cb98d48cbf6dbe0c46eafeb337a5c76.png) ---
**Author:** ![Tr00perThorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@Tr00perThorn](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Tr00perThorn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/10 "2016-06-03T20:32:53Z")
I run Plex as a service and utilize Symbolic Links. This method not require a user to be logged in, and I set my service as an account, this way I can set permissions to the shares. In Command Prompt: mklink /d C:\Folder\ShareName \\Server\ShareName\Directory It will create a link folder named ShareName. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-wont-recognize-network-drive/137952/11 "2020-01-07T21:08:36Z")