Giving Local Windows Account Access to a NAS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Giving Local Windows Account Access to a NAS: A Step-by-Step Guide

In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on how to give local Windows account access to a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. This process is essential for users who want to map a NAS drive to their Windows system and manage it using their local Windows account.

Prerequisites

• A NAS device with the necessary administrative privileges
• A local Windows account with administrative privileges
• A network connection between the Windows system and the NAS device

Step 1: Enable SMB on the NAS

The first step is to enable SMB (Server Message Block) on the NAS device. SMB is a protocol used by Windows systems to share files and resources over a network. To enable SMB, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the NAS administrative interface
2. Navigate to the File Services or Network Services section
3. Enable SMB and configure the necessary settings, such as the workgroup name and the SMB version

Step 2: Create a Network Share on the NAS

Next, create a network share on the NAS that will be accessible from the Windows system. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the File Sharing or Network Sharing section of the NAS administrative interface
2. Create a new share and specify the necessary settings, such as the share name, the folder to be shared, and the access permissions

Step 3: Map the NAS Drive in Windows

Once the network share has been created, it can be mapped as a network drive in Windows. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer in Windows
2. Click on "This PC" and then "Map network drive"
3. Select an available drive letter and enter the network path of the NAS share in the format "\\NAS\_IP\_ADDRESS\SHARE\_NAME"
4. Check the "Reconnect at sign-in" option to automatically reconnect the drive at each login
5. Click "Finish" to map the drive

Step 4: Grant Local Windows Account Access to the NAS Share

Finally, grant local Windows account access to the NAS share. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the mapped NAS drive and select "Properties"
2. Navigate to the "Security" tab
3. Click on "Edit" and then "Add" to add the local Windows account
4. Specify the necessary access permissions for the local Windows account, such as "Read" or "Read/Write"
5. Click "OK" to save the changes

References

• Book: "Network Attached Storage for Dummies" by Laura LeBlanc

• Article: "How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 10" by Ed Bott, https://www.pcworld.com/article/3170221/how-to-map-a-network-drive-in-windows-10.html

• Online Resource: "Setting up a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device" by Western Digital, https://support.wdc.com/knowledgebase/answer.aspx?ID=1492