Windows 10 can’t see network drive

I had a problem where my windows 10 can’t see network drive, all the mapped drive can’t be accessed. I had been pulling my hair over this issue. I got a new HUAWEI router (NBN) but somehow this muck up my Windows 10 mapped drive. I had a NAS drive that was mapped in windows 10 and every now and again the Windows 10 Home will no longer able to access the NAS drive. Strangely all the other computers, I had several Mac in the house, they are all working fine connected via the same router. Here are some instruction on how to fix Windows 10 Network file sharing, it works for me, so I hope it will save you some time.

After countless of hours of tweaking and google searching for why windows 10 can’t see network drive, I found the following Method is the most effective to resolve the issue.

Step 1. Go to the settings from clicking “Windows” button on your bottom left corner and select settings as shown in the picture.

Step 2. Click on the Network & Internet icon

Step 3. You will see the similar screen to the one below, scroll down until you find the “Sharing option” and click on it.

Step 4. If you have the sharing turn on, turn it all off, do the same with the printer sharing as shown below.

Step 5. Still on the same screen, open the Guest or public option, and turn it all off as well. Then click on “save changes” button at the bottom.

Step 6. You will then go back to the network and Internet options, from this screen click on the home button as shown below.

Step 7. Now you can click on the Devices icon as shown below.

Step 8. The devices screen will be shown as below, navigate to the right hand side and click on the “Device Manager”

Step 9. The device manager screen will pop up as per below, you will need to expand the “Network Adapters”, this will show the list of the adapters that you have. The list of adapters might be different in your screen.

Step 10. Delete the Network adapter related to your wireless adapter, in this case I will delete the Wireless-N 2230 and Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller. Don’t worry, we will add them again in the next step.

Step 11. Right Click on the “Network Adapter” node and select “Scan for hardware changes”, at this post Windows should add the two adapters back. You will loose your network connection.

Step 12. Connect back to your wireless network, by selecting the right wireless access point and enter your password to reconnect to your wireless network.

Step 13. Go back to the Network sharing option, and now turn back the “Turn on Network Discovery” and “Turn on File and Printer sharing”.

Step 14. Then click on the Guest or public options and do the same as above by selecting “Turn on Network Discovery” and “Turn on File and Printer sharing”

Now hopefully you should be able to browse to your network drive, and the mapped network drive should now magically working again.