Windows 10 supports adding Network Location to This PC folder. A special shortcut will be created that will show up in This PC and the Network drives mapped under “Network Location”. It can point to a website, an FTP server, or a network share.
A Network Location shortcut in This PC is similar to a mapped network drive, but it has some differences. Although both the mapped network drive and the Network Location shortcut will point to a resource on your network, there won’t be a drive letter assigned to the shortcut. For some Network Location, you will be prompted to enter network credentials each time you connect.
To add Network Location to This PC in Windows 10, follow these steps.
1. Open This PC in File Explorer.
2. In the Ribbon user interface, click the Computer tab. There, you will find the command Add a network location. Click it.
Tip: If you have disabled the Ribbon UI, you can right-click This PC and choose Add Network Location from the context menu.
3. The Network Location Wizard will open. Click the Next button.
4. On the next page, click Choose a custom network location to select the shortcut destination.
5. Enter the desired Network Location address on the next page.
6. Depending on your location type, specify credentials for the location if needed.
7. On the page after Next, enter the desired name for your location.
8. The last page will allow you to open the location directly. Uncheck the checkbox “Open this network location when I click Finish”.
The Network Location shortcut will show up under This PC.
The shortcut you have created will be located under the following directory:
% userprofile% AppData Roaming Microsoft Windows Network Shortcuts
You can copy the above line and paste it into the File Explorer address bar to open it directly.
Tip: This way, you can set a shortcut to any local folder or application in the Network Shortcuts folder, and it will be displayed in This PC!
For example, I will add Notepad there. See the following screenshot.
To remove the Network Location shortcut from This PC, use one of the following methods.
- Right-click the shortcut in This PC and choose Delete from the context menu.
- Open the folder mentioned above and delete the shortcuts from there.