Slideshow: Quick networking mapping with PushD and PopD

If you have connected to the drive before, you can find the network path on the Folder drop down

When you see the Map Network Drive window you use the Drive drop down to select a drive letter. Then, you can use the Folder drop down to select a drive you've previously mapped or click the Browse button and use the Browse For Folder dialog box to locate the network folder that you want to map to a drive. Be sure to leave the Reconnect at logon check box unselected.

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To disconnect, just select the icon and click OK

When you are done using the drive, you must then return to Windows Explorer, pull down the tools menu and then select the Disconnect network drive command. When you see the Disconnect Network Drive dialog box  just select the drive icon and click OK.

As you can see using Windows Explorer's network drive mapping feature really isn't that complex but it does require a multitude of steps. This is especially apparent when you see how quickly the same operation can be performed using the PushD/PopD commands.

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The PushD and PopD commands in action

The PushD/PopD commands

As you may know, the PushD and PopD commands have been around since Windows 2000 and are quite powerful little commands that can save you quite a bit of time when you are working on the command prompt. However, they are often overlooked.

Basically, the PushD/PopD commands are used to maintain a history list of directory paths in what is called a directory stack. In addition, these commands function like the Change Directory (CD) command.

The syntax for the PushD command is:

pushd [path]

When you use it, the PushD command stores the current path in the directory stack and then immediately changes to the specified path. When you use the PopD command, it retrieves the path at the top of the stack and changes to that path.

For example, if you are currently in the C:\Users\Greg\Documents directory and you type the command:

pushd c:\users\public

Then the C:\Users\Greg\Documents path is stored in the directory stack and the current directory becomes C:\Users\Public. When you are done working in the C:\Users\Public directory, you just type:

popd

When you do, the C:\Users\Greg\Documents path is retrieved from the directory stack and the current directory becomes C:\Users\Greg\Documents.

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Mapping a network drive with the PushD and PopD commands is a piece of cake

Mapping network drives

In addition to making it easy to change back and forth between directories, the PushD and PopD commands also work with network paths. When working with network paths, the syntax for the PushD command is:

pushd \\Server\Share\path

Where \\Server\Share\path is the network resource to which you want to map a drive letter. As soon as you use it, the PushD command will instantly map a drive letter to the network resource and then change to that drive right in the Command Prompt window. When you're done, just type PopD and the mapped drive letter will be disconnected and you'll return to your original drive.

Keep in mind that, the PushD command allocates drive letters from Z: on down and will use the first unused drive letter that it finds.

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