Sometimes when working outside the office, whether that's at home or on the road, you will lose access to your network drives. Here are some reasons why this might happen, and how to resolve these issues:


  1. I Don't Have Access to the Internet
    1. This can be resolved by connecting to a device (such as a wifi connection) or to a hard line (if your laptop can support this type of connection.)
    2. At the bottom right of the laptop, near the time and date, look for one of these icons:
      • This means you do not have access to the internet, and need to restore access before you'll be able to connect to Network Drives or use the VPN. Please connect to a Wifi network or an ethernet cable
      • This means that you are connected to a wifi device, and should be receiving internet access
      • This means that you are connected to a hard line (ethernet cable) and are receiving internet access. This is the most stable form of internet connection
  2. I Don't Have Access to my Network Drives

There are generally a few options that will resolve this issue for most people. Each scenario below will help you gain access to the network drives again: 

  1. I have access, but I cannot see my network drives...
    • When looking for your network drives, confirm that in Explorer (the yellow folder icon on your bar) you are looking in the "This PC" section, and not in the "Network" section.
      • The difference between these two sections is that "This PC" refers to the computer you are on, and the access this computer has. The "Network" section will show you other devices on your network, not your access to those devices. Remember, "This PC" is for me.
  2. I am in the right spot, but I still don't see my network drives...
    • First, confirm you are connected to the VPN
    • After connecting to the VPN, wait 5 minutes
    • If the Network Drives do not appear, do the following:
      1. Open the search button at the bottom (looks like either a bar, or a magnifying glass)
      2. Search for: cmd
      3. Run as Administrator
      4. Then, in the black box, type: gpupdate /force
      5. Wait for the box to finish. If it asks you a yes or no question, press: N, and then hit the Enter key on your keyboard 
      6. See if your network drives have appeared
    • If this does not resolve your issue, continue onto the next section...
  3. I changed my password recently, and now nothing is working right...
    • This is the most common issue when working outside the office, and here are the steps to resolve this issue
      1. Login to your laptop using your old password (or the last password you can remember when using your laptop)
      2. Connect to the VPN using your new password
        • This is the most vital step to this process, and must be completed before proceeding...
      3. Once connected to the VPN, press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard
      4. Choose "Lock" which will lock your computer
      5. Log back into your computer using your newest password
        • Your laptop is now synced up to your VPN password, and your login for the laptop will now be your latest password...
      6. Restart your computer
      7. Log into computer with your new password, and reconnect to the VPN
      8. Wait up to 5 minutes for your network drives to appear
        • If they do not appear, follow the steps for section 2 labelled "I am in the right spot etc."


If you are still unable to access your network drives when working from outside the office, and you have followed every step in this troubleshooting guide, please contact the Help Desk by submitting a ticket to the online portal or emailing us at help@burgsimpson.com