Mapped Network Drives Registry Location for Current User

When working with Windows, network drive mappings configured for the currently logged-in user are maintained within specific subkeys in the Windows Registry. This article details the exact registry location where persistent mapped network drives are stored under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, explains the configuration values saved within each drive’s key, and outlines how to inspect these entries using the Registry Editor (Regedit).

The Registry Path

For the current user, Windows stores all persistent mapped network drive configurations in the following registry path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Network

Structure and Stored Values

Inside the Network key, Windows creates a distinct subkey for every mapped drive letter. For example, if drive Z: is mapped to a network share, the registry structure will include:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Network\Z

Within each drive letter subkey, several specific values define the connection:

• RemotePath (REG_SZ): The UNC path of the mapped network share (e.g., \\ServerName\ShareName).
• UserName (REG_SZ): The specific username used to establish the connection, if credentials different from the current Windows session were supplied.
• ProviderName (REG_SZ): The network provider handling the connection (typically Microsoft Windows Network or LanmanWorkstation).
• ProviderType (REG_DWORD): The numeric identifier for the network provider type.
• ConnectionType (REG_DWORD): Defines the connection type, indicating how the redirected device communicates with the host.

Accessing the Keys via Regedit

1. Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. In the left navigation pane, expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
3. Expand the Network folder.
4. Select the specific drive letter key (such as Z, Y, or X) to view and edit its connection parameters in the right pane.

Cached Connection Information

While HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Network stores explicit persistent drive letter assignments, Windows also caches connection states and server history for Explorer under:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2

This key contains GUID- and UNC-based entries representing network locations and shares the user has previously accessed.