If you have used a computer on campus you have probably seen or heard someone talk about the U drive. If you have any reason to share files with someone else in the Statistics department you have also probably heard of the T drive.
Many computers you log in to will already have these drives mapped for you, but on occasion you might have to map them yourself. If you are familiar with this process and just need the paths, they are listed here. If you need step by step instructions keep reading!
'U Drive'
\\iastate.edu\files\Users\<your_NetId_here> (replace <your_Netid_here> with your netid, as in '..\Users\johndoe')
Or
On your own NON-IASTATE computer and/or off campus via a vpn.iastate.edu connection:
\\my.docs.iastate.edu\Users\<your_NetID_here>
'T Drive'
\\iastate.edu\Files\las\dept\stat
(Note: The drive letters we use are just labels, what actually matters is the path you are telling the computer to associate with them. For consistency, the drive letter U is used campus wide to refer to individual user storage space so if you talk to someone from another department they should know what you mean. The Statistics department has chosen to use the letter T for the departmental network share, but that letter doesn't mean anything outside of our department; other departments could use another letter, or use the 'T drive' but use it for an entirely different purpose. You may want to use terms such as the 'departmental share' or 'my personal network share' if someone isn't sure what you mean by U or T.)
If you are not familiar with mapping network drives the process is relatively simple. To find the option open up the 'Computer' window
- Windows 10/11 : Open the Start menu, click 'File Explorer', then on the left side of the window click on 'This PC'
Next we need to click the Map Network Drive button
- Windows 10/11: There is also a 'Map Network Drive' button, but you might have to click on the 'This PC' button in the toolbar first to make it appear
You should now be asked for a drive letter and a folder path to map. For the letter select T or U depending on which drive you want to map, then fill in the corresponding path listed above in the second box. You should leave the checkboxes alone in most circumstances. Remember to replace "<your_NetID_here>" with your NetID and also replace \\my.files.iastate.edu\users<your_NetID_here> with \\iastate.edu\files\Users\<your_NetID>.
NOTE: If you are on your own person personal computer and/or off campus with a vpn connection you will need to use: \\my.docs.iastate.edu\Users\{netid}.
Click 'Finish' when you have filled in the drive letter and path.
If you didn't log in to the machine you are using with your ISU account, you will now be asked to log in with your ISU netid and password. There is a checkbox on the prompt to save your password which you should NOT check unless you are logged in to an account ONLY YOU will have access to.
*If you save your password on a public account you are responsible for any damage someone else might cause in your name!*
At this point if you entered the path and (if necessary) your password correctly you should see the folder you mapped pop up in a new window, and the Computer window in the background should now list your newly mapped drive! If you got an error message, you might have typed something in wrong. Please double check that both the path and the login you are using is correct, then if you are still having trouble feel free to contact Statistics IT for help (stat-tech@iastate.edu).