Want access to your local files, folders, and drives on a remote session? It is pretty straightforward. Here are the steps to share a local driver or folder to a remote desktop session.
When you have to manage multiple computers simultaneously or need to access a computer located in another location, the remote desktop is the way.
Using the RDP or Remote Desktop feature in Windows, you can use a remote computer as if you are physically there. You can do almost everything like installing applications, using installed applications, configuring essential settings, and more.
You might sometimes need to access local files, folders, or drivers on a remote desktop session. For example, maybe there are files in your local drive that you need on a remote computer. In that case, you can share local files and drives with the remote computer with just a few clicks. That way, you don’t have to initiate a transfer every time.
The good thing is that the Remote Desktop Connection makes it easy to share local drives with the remote computer. All you must do is select a local drive to share with the remote session, and you are good to go.
So, let me show you how to access local files and drives from a remote desktop session without further ado.
Important note: The steps shown below work in Windows 8, 10, and 11.
Access local files and drives from a Remote Desktop session
To access local drives from a remote desktop session, you have to remote desktop settings to choose the local drive in the Remote Desktop Connection application. The whole process is as easy as selecting a checkbox. Let me show you the exact steps on how to do it.
- Press the Start key.
- Search and open the “Remote Desktop Connection” app.
- Choose the remote desktop from the dropdown menu.
- Click the “Show Options” button.
- Go to the “Local Resources” tab.
- Click “More” under “Local Devices and Resources.”
- Expand the “Drives” option.
- Select the local drive you want to share.
- Click “Ok.”
- Click “Connect” in the main window.
- When prompted, press “Connect” again.
- You will see the newly shared drive on the File Explorer’s “Network” page.
The first thing to do is open the Remote Desktop Connection application. You can search for it in the Start menu.
After opening the remote desktop application, choose the remote desktop from the top dropdown menu. Next, click the “Show Options” button at the bottom.
The above action shows all the available options to customize and manage the remote desktop connection. Here, go to the “Local Resources” tab. As the name implies, this tab hosts the settings to manage local resources. i.e., the host resources.
Click the “More” button at the bottom.
The above action shows additional local resources. Expand the “Drives” section and choose the local drive you want to access on the remote desktop session. Click the “Ok” button to save changes.
Press the “Connect” button in the main window. Click the “Connect” button again when you see the warning message.
As soon as you do that, you are logged into the remote machine (if it is available). Open the File Explorer on the remote desktop and click “Network” on the sidebar to see the newly added folder as a shared drive.
That is it. You can access local files and drives on a remote desktop session.
I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
