How to Access a Network Location in Command Prompt on Windows 10
Use pushd to open a UNC network path in Windows 10 Command Prompt, run commands in the shared folder, and return with popd.
How to Access a Network Location in Command Prompt on Windows 10
Use pushd with the full UNC path to enter a network share in Windows 10 Command Prompt, for example, pushd "\\FILESERVER\Team Share\Reports". The cd command cannot set a UNC path as the CMD current directory, so it returns “CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories.” pushd temporarily maps the share to an available drive letter and changes into the folder. Run popd afterward to return to where you started. Replace this fictional server path with one you can access.
The interface examples below use a fictional share path and sample filenames.
1. Find the complete UNC path
A UNC path starts with two backslashes and follows the pattern \\server\share\folder. In \\FILESERVER\Team Share\Reports, FILESERVER is the server, Team Share is the share, and Reports is a subfolder. Windows documents this server-and-share path format.
Open the folder in File Explorer and check its address bar. If Explorer shows a mapped drive such as Z:\Reports, run net use in Command Prompt to list network connections and find its remote UNC path.
2. Open Command Prompt
Open Start, type cmd, and select Command Prompt. For routine file commands, use a standard prompt under the same account as File Explorer. An elevated prompt may not see the same mapped drives.
3. Why cd does not work with a UNC path
Typing cd "\\FILESERVER\Team Share\Reports" does not move CMD into the share. Instead, it displays the UNC-path error and leaves the prompt at its previous location. Quotes handle spaces, but they do not overcome this limitation.
cd is pointed directly at a UNC path.4. Enter the share with pushd
At the prompt, type this command and press Enter:
pushd "\\FILESERVER\Team Share\Reports"Keep both leading backslashes and quote the full path when it contains spaces. With command extensions enabled, pushd accepts a network path and temporarily assigns the highest unused drive letter, starting with Z:. It then moves into the requested folder. If Z: is occupied, CMD uses another available letter; the assigned letter is not fixed.
5. Confirm the current folder
Type cd by itself to display the current directory. Run dir to list folder contents or dir /b for a compact list of names. This confirms the prompt is on the share before you continue.
6. Run a command in the network folder
Commands now work from the network folder as they do from a local directory. For example, dir /b *.xlsx lists spreadsheet files, and type "Notes.txt" displays a plain-text file. Replace these example names with real ones and quote any filename containing spaces. pushd changes the working location; it does not grant permission to read or modify files.
*.xlsx to list matching files.7. Return to the original location
When finished, run popd. It returns CMD to the location saved by the most recent pushd. With command extensions enabled, it also removes the temporary drive-letter assignment. If you used pushd multiple times, run popd once for each saved location, in reverse order.
pushd.8. Troubleshoot access errors
- Network path not found: check the server, share, and folder spelling, connect to the correct network or VPN, and confirm the UNC path opens in File Explorer.
- Access is denied: use an account with permission to the share and its files. Share and file-system permissions can both apply; ask the owner or administrator to check them.
- A mapped drive is missing in an administrator prompt: try a standard Command Prompt under the same account as Explorer. Windows can keep mappings in separate logon sessions, so an elevated prompt may not see a mapping from the standard session.
pushdwill not accept a network path: command extensions may be disabled. Start a command session withcmd /e:onto enable them, then retry.
Microsoft references
- Microsoft Learn: pushd covers network paths, temporary drive letters, and
popd. - Microsoft Learn: cd documents the current-directory command.
- Microsoft Learn: Windows path naming describes the UNC format.
- Microsoft Learn: cmd documents
/e:onand command extensions. - Microsoft Learn: net use explains how to view network connections.
- Microsoft Learn: mapped drives in elevated prompts explains why a mapped drive may be unavailable in an elevated session.
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