How-To

FIX: Windows 10 Could not Reconnect all Network Drives

While using Windows, have you ever come across the “Windows 10 could not reconnect all network drives” pop-up alert flashing on the desktop? Well, you obviously shouldn’t ignore this notification as it may lead to system malfunction.


Wondering why this alert displays on the screen? Why is Windows unable to reconnect all network drives? In this post, we have covered a detailed guide on how to fix the “Windows 10 could not reconnect all network drives” issue offering a few troubleshooting methods to resolve this alert.

Also read: 9 Fixes For Windows 10 Can’t Connect To This Network

What Causes the “Could not reconnect all network Drives” alert?

As we tend to connect a couple of external devices to our machine, Windows 10 uses different network drives for mapping the devices. The network drives act as a medium for how your device can recognize external devices connected to your system.

So, well, this alert flashes on the screen when Windows is unable to detect external devices on any of the network drives. But don’t worry! You can easily fix this issue by following a few workarounds.

Let’s explore.

Also read: How to Fix System Error 67 on Windows 10

Fix Windows 10 could not reconnect all network drives

Solution #1: Update Devices Drivers

If any of the external devices connected to your Windows 10 PC is installed with outdated or corrupt system drivers, this error message may display on the screen. To fix this, we will try updating the device drivers to their latest version via Windows Device Manager.

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box.

Type “devmgmt. msc” in the textbox, hit Enter.

Image source: Windows Central

In the Device Manager window, locate the external device, right-click on it and select the “Update Driver” option.

Follow the on-screen instructions so that Windows can fetch the latest driver updates from the web.

After updating the device drivers, reboot your machine to check if you’re still viewing the “Could not reconnect all network drives” alert on the desktop.

Also read: 9 Best Driver Updater Software For Windows 10, 8, 7 PC

Solution #2: Customize Mapping Network Drivers Settings in Group Policy Editor

In our next workaround, we will try to change the network drivers’ settings via Windows Group Policy Editor. We just need to enable the “Always wait for the network at the computer startup and logon” option in the Group Policy Editor. Once you enable this setting, Windows will map all network drives at the start-up itself. Here’s what you need to do.

Press the Windows + R key combination to launch the Run box.

Type “gpedit.msc” in the textbox, hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.


In the Group Policy Editor window, navigate to Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates.

On the right side of the window, select “System” and then select “Logon”.

Image source: Zero Density

Double-tap the “Always wait for the network at the computer startup and logon” file and then select the “Enabled” option to configure this setting.

Hit the OK and Apply button to save the recent changes. Exit all windows and then reboot your device to check whether the issue was resolved.

Also read: How To Allow Group Policy Editor On Windows 10 Home Edition?

Solution #3: Re-establish the External Device

Tried the above-mentioned workarounds and still no luck? Let’s proceed to our next troubleshooting method. In our next solution, we will try re-establishing the external device by unplugging and plugging it safely via the DevEject software.

First, install “DevEject” software on your Windows and then launch this tool.

In the DevEject window, select the external device’s name from the list and then hit the “Replug” button.


After replugging all the external devices connected to your system, reboot your machine to check if you’re still viewing the “Could not reconnect all network drives” alert on Windows 10.

Also read: 10 Best USB Port Blocker Software

Solution #4: Disconnect Network Drive

As a last resort, we will try disconnecting the network drive of the external device and see if it helps you overcome the issue. Follow these quick steps to disconnect the network drive on Windows 10:

Launch Windows Explorer.

On the left menu pane, locate your external device’s name, right-click on it and tap the “Disconnect network drive” option.

After disabling the network drive manually, reboot your device so that Windows can automatically begin the network drive mapping of the connected external devices to start afresh.

Also read: The Best Tools to Remap the Keyboard on Windows 10.

Here were a few workarounds to fix the “Windows 10 could not reconnect all network drives” alert on your PC. You can use any of these troubleshooting hacks to stop seeing and remove this annoying alert from your Windows 10 device. Do let us know which solution worked out the best for you. Feel free to hit the comments box!

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