On small networks, users usually map different shared folders to their computer from another computer to conveniently access or store different files. Windows 10 similar to previous version includes Libraries, which is a way to group different storage locations logically by file type.
However, the problem comes when you need to add a network location on one of these libraries. If you don’t do it properly, you’ll end up with a “This network location can’t be included because it is not indexed” error message.
Often this problem happens because you’re trying to include a mapped folder, which the operating system thinks is a local storage, and mapped drives don’t get indexed. You can quickly fix this issue using a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path instead.
In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to properly add a network shared folder to a library on Windows 10, but you can use the same instructions on Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.
How to add network shared folder to Libraries
- Open File Explorer.
- Expand Libraries.
- Select the library, right-click on it and click Properties.
- On “Properties”, click Include a folder.
- Click on Network from the left pane.
- Double-click the computer where the shared folder is located.
- Double-click the folder you want to add to your library, and click Include folder.
- Click Apply,
- Click OK to complete the task.
If you want to add more network shared locations simply repeat the steps mentioned above.
Open File Explorer.
Expand Libraries.
Select the library, right-click on it and click Properties.
On “Properties”, click Include a folder.
Click on Network from the left pane.
Double-click the computer where the shared folder is located.
Double-click the folder you want to add to your library, and click Include folder.
Click Apply,
Click OK to complete the task.
