Network Drive Keeps Disconnecting Windows 11 Fix [2026]

Quick Answer: Network drives disconnect due to power management or SMB timeout. Disable "Allow computer to turn off this device" on network adapter and use net use /persistent:yes when mapping drives.

Symptoms

Mapped drives show red X after sleep
Must reconnect manually
"Network path not found" errors
Drives disconnect randomly

Root Cause

Power saving, SMB idle timeout, or VPN conflicts.

Fix

Method 1: Disable Power Management

Device Manager → Network adapter → Properties → Power Management → Uncheck "Allow computer to turn off"

Method 2: Map with Persistent Flag

net use Z: \\server\share /persistent:yes

Method 3: Registry SMB Keep-Alive

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters]
"autodisconnect"=dword:00000000

Method 4: Group Policy

Enable "Always wait for network at computer startup and logon"

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Againly runs check_vpn_routing to detect drive mapping issues.

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Related: VPN Blocking Local

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