Mount Azure File Share with Entra ID User Rights for Windows

This article provides a detailed guide on how to mount Azure File Share with Entra ID user rights on a Windows 11 PC. The article covers key concepts, including Entra ID, Azure Files, and how to configure user rights to access the fileshare.

What is Entra ID?

Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management solution from Microsoft that enables organizations to manage access to applications and resources from a single platform. Entra ID provides a secure and seamless way for users to access applications and resources, whether they are on-premises or in the cloud.

What is Azure Files?

Azure Files is a fully managed file share service in Azure that can be used to replace traditional on-premises file servers. Azure Files provides a shared file system accessible from Windows, Linux, and macOS, and is fully managed, providing automatic storage scaling, backup, and disaster recovery.

Mounting Azure File Share with Entra ID

To mount an Azure File Share with Entra ID user rights on a Windows 11 PC, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create an Entra ID User

Before you can mount the fileshare, you need to create an Entra ID user with access to the fileshare. To create an Entra ID user, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Azure portal.
2. Navigate to the Entra ID service.
3. Click on "Users" and then "New user".
4. Enter the user's details and click "Create".

Step 2: Assign User Rights to the Fileshare

Once you have created the Entra ID user, you need to assign user rights to the fileshare. To assign user rights, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Azure Files service.
2. Click on the fileshare you want to mount.
3. Click on "Access control (IAM)" and then "Add role assignment".
4. Select the "Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor" role and click "Next".
5. Search for the Entra ID user you created in step 1 and click "Save".

Step 3: Mount the Fileshare on Windows 11

Now that you have created the Entra ID user and assigned user rights to the fileshare, you can mount the fileshare on a Windows 11 PC. To mount the fileshare, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer on the Windows 11 PC.
2. Click on "This PC" and then "Map network drive".
3. Enter the UNC path of the fileshare in the "Folder" field, for example \\mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net\myfileshare
4. Select "Connect using different credentials".
5. Enter the Entra ID user's credentials and click "OK".
6. Check the "Reconnect at sign-in" option and click "Finish".

In this article, you learned how to mount an Azure File Share with Entra ID user rights on a Windows 11 PC. You created an Entra ID user, assigned user rights to the fileshare, and mounted the fileshare on the Windows 11 PC. With Entra ID and Azure Files, you can securely manage access to your fileshares from a single platform.

References

• What is Entra ID?
• What is Azure Files?
• Create an Azure File Share
• Use Azure AD DS for authentication with Azure Files