How to mount Windows share on Chromebook

How To:

Mount A Windows Network Share 
On a Chromebook

This HelpDoc describes how to mount your BHRSD “H:” drive on your Chromebook. Access to this drive is helpful for retrieving older files, but please note that new work should be saved to your Google Drive. It also makes sense to move files that you commonly use to your Google Drive now so that they are readily available and shareable. 

If you need additional help migrating your H: drive files to your Google Drive, contact the IT department.

Steps to using you “H:” drive on your chromebook:

1. Pin the Google Files app to your taskbar for easy access

2. Launch the Network File Share utility

3. Log into your H: drive 

4. Access your H: drive files

1. Pinning the Google Files App to your Taskbar:

The first thing you can do to make things easier is to pin the Chrome “Files” app to your doc for quick access. Unlike Google Drive, Files allows you to see all of the disks or cloud storage connected to your Chromebook including your “H:” drive -- or any other external drive such as thumb drives or DVD drives whenever they are mounted. 

Google Files is always available in the App Launcher, but if you intend to use your H: drive often, adding it to the Dock will prove very convenient. The App Launcher is initiated by clicking on the circle icon in the lower left corner of your screen:

Please note that your “H:” drive will not appear in your Google Drive since the files it contains are not stored in the Google Drive (they are stored on the bhrsd.org network). You can copy any files from your H: drive to your Google Drive, but you will need to access H: drive files using the Google Files App.

2. Launch the Network File Share Extension

We have pinned a shortcut to the Network FIle Share Extension for ChromeOS to the Taskbar to get you started:

Click on the icon to open the Network File Share for Chrome OS extension from bottom left hand side of the Taskbar. (note: the icon is the small grey folder with the cloud on it on the left side of the Taskbar)

If you do not see the icon as pictured above, contact IT for help.

3. Mounting Your H: Drive

When the extension window opens, click the “My file share needs a password to expose the login options:        

You will need a “Share Path, your Windows username, and your Windows password. You can also choose to add a name for the share like “my H: drive” if you like, but this is optional.

The share path is smb://bhrsd-file/users/staff/yourusername 

where yourusername = your Windows username (first initial last name, e.g. john smith = jsmith)

The window that opens should look like this:

Be sure to check “Store credentials” to make it easier to connect in the future. Click “Mount” to connect to your H: drive and you’re done. 

4. Access your H: drive files:

Check to see that you have mounted your drive by going to Files to see that your H: drive is there and your files are accessible: