Windows file explorer keeps loading due to mapped network drive not available

Siddhesh Mayekar 70 Reputation points
2023-02-05T04:23:58.3466667+00:00

We have mapped the NAS share folder on windows 11/10 OS as network drives which was only available when the laptop is connected to office internal network or on VPN. when i open file explorer the mapped drivers are not accessible on mobile hotspot or home wifi network, than its very slow to open the This PC view and the progress bar just keeps loading in the address pane. Also this tends to lock up file explorer entirely, Such that i am unable to open other explorer windows as well. Please help with the solution.

Windows 10
Windows 10
A Microsoft operating system that runs on personal computers and tablets.
10,601 questions
Windows 11
Windows 11
A Microsoft operating system designed for productivity, creativity, and ease of use.
8,141 questions

4 answers

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  1. Kenny hoflack 5 Reputation points
    2023-07-15T10:26:42.84+00:00

    I had the same issue with my mapped network drives from work since win 11 upgrade. Explorer kept freezing on startup unless my VPN was connected. Tried the reg edit above, didn't help.

    Fixed it by opening File Explorer Options ->'General' tab -> 'Open file explorer to' was set to 'This PC' changed it to 'Home'.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Sana'a BAWADI 5 Reputation points
    2023-10-19T17:44:39.5833333+00:00

    Hello my friends ,

    I had the same issue with my mapped network drives the only Win 11 OS. Explorer kept freezing on startup unless my VPN was connected. Tried the reg edit above, didn't help.

    And the file explorer already set to open as home not this pic.

    This is very annoying!

    Can you advice pls.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  3. Mihkel Kiil 11 Reputation points
    2023-02-05T06:31:22.7433333+00:00

    You can create a registry key to disable the automatic reconnection after login. Please take care when editing the registry, as unintended changes may cause system instability.

    1. As an administrator, hold the Windows Key, while pressing “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
    2. Type “Regedit“, then press “Enter“.
    3. The Registry Editor window appears. Navigate to the following location in the Registry.
      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
      • SYSTEM
      • CurrentControlSet
      • Control
      • NetworkProvider
    4. Give “RestoreConnection” one of the values of “0” to disabled the mapped network drive message.
    5. If this value doesn’t exist, right-click, then choose “New” > “DWORD Value“ and name it “RestoreConnection”. Make sure you have "0" set as value.
    6. Restart your system.

    Sourced from https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/ie/en-US/9af9c7bd-8b7d-4428-97cb-5765f8618a6f/how-can-i-disable-the-notification-quotcould-not-connect-all-network-drivesquot?forum=win10itpronetworking

  4. Patrick Goovaerts 0 Reputation points
    2024-02-11T13:15:29.9333333+00:00

    Adding register entry 'RestoreConnection' works for me, but...

    i'm sure there is another solution, which is active on my other laptop. This surface with Win10 does not have this issue. A former colleague provided me with a setting a couple of years ago which did exactly what i wanted.

    NO waiting time opening explorer when connected to the office network: ==> 7 Network drives shown without red cross in icon
    ==> 2 Home drives shown with red cross in icon

    NO waiting time opening explorer when connected to the home network: ==> 7 Network drives with red cross in icon
    ==> 2 Home drives shown without red cross in icon

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