From time to time, I fumble around trying to remember how to copy mapped network folder locations to emails for others within the same organization who don’t share my network mappings.
The big problem is that this task is not intuitive within Windows. To allow another person to see my files on some mapped network folder location, it is necessary to copy the “UNC” or raw address, so that it can be pasted into an email.
Since discoverability is nearly zero within Windows, here are the instructions:
- Open Windows Explorer.
- Within Windows Explorer, navigate to the mapped network folder location that you wish to share. (This assumes you’ve already set up that folder to be shareable.)
- Start a new email from Outlook.
- Make sure both Windows Explorer and your email windows are open and visible on the screen.
- Within Windows Explorer, right-button click and hold on any folder or file within the shared folder, or right-button click and hold on the folder icon to the far left of the address field.
- While still holding down the right-mouse button, drag the selection over to the body of your open email and release the button. A new dialog appears.
- From this dialog, select Create Hyperlink Here.
- Voile! You automatically have an unmapped hyperlink to your folder location.
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This method may not work directly with other applications. However, you can still use this method to share raw addresses in other documents. Just copy your newly placed address from your email into the editor of whatever document you wish. Repeat as needed.