Adding network drives to desktop

Hello, I'd like to add network drives to my desktop, so that they appear alongside my machine's HD. Is this possible?

I tried dragging the network drives' icons from the "Computer" window to my "Desktop" folder: that didn't work. I tried selecting the network drive and looking in the "File" menu for "Make Alias": it was grayed out.

I know you can add network drives to the sidebar (File->Add to Sidebar) and the dock (drag the drive's icon to the dock's right side). It seems like there should be a way to add an alias to the desktop.

Related-question: I have network drives auto-mount upon start-up (done through the "Login Items" section of the "Accounts" preference pane). I then add those drives to the sidebar, but when I restart my computer, they are gone from the sidebar and I have to re-add them. Is there a way to keep them there, so that even after a restart, they remain?

Thanks!

Message was edited by: Todd W.

iMac g4, Mac OS X (10.4.1)

Posted on Nov 7, 2008 8:22 AM

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4 replies

Nov 7, 2008 10:19 AM in response to Todd W.

To have them appear in the sidebar, go to Finder > Preferences ... and click on the General tab.
Check the box marked "Connected Servers" and also go to the Sidebar tab and check "Connected Servers".

Now, connect to the remote share (you can use Finder > Go > Connect to Server ... or navigate there using the sidebar if its in your local network). After the remote folder is connected, you'll note that there's an icon on the desktop for the drive. Single-click on the share icon so that it is selected, and then select the menu item "Finder > File > Make alias". Ta-da. You can uncheck the "Connected Servers" in the General tab of the Finder preferences.

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Adding network drives to desktop

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