Automatically Map SharePoint Libraries in File Explorer Using Intune (Step-by-Step Guide)

Introduction

One of the significant challenges when moving away from on-premises file shares is that users may be confused about where their data went. In the past, they were used to opening their file explorer and opening up their ‘A’ drive for all their accounting files or the ‘H’ drive for HR documents. But now with SharePoint sites, finding files may be more difficult and users may forget the manual option for syncing sites to their file explorer.

This guide will walk you through configuring your SharePoint sites to be automatically mapped to users’ file explorers, just like what they are used to, without having users have to sync the files themselves.

Requirements Checklist

Admin Permissions

• Intune Administrator with permissions allowing management of the SharePoint site, or
• Global Administrator

Licensing

• A license that includes at least Intune Plan 1 license assigned to the target user(s)

Device Requirements

• Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined or Entra-joined
• User must be signed into OneDrive on their device
• The user must already have access permissions to the SharePoint site

Steps

SharePoint Admin Center

We first need to obtain the library ID:

• Navigate to the SharePoint site you wish to map and access the documents.
• For this example, we will sync the entire ‘Consulting’ site on Covene’s SharePoint.
  • You may also choose to sync child folders within a SharePoint site, for example, just a folder titled ‘Internal’ found within the ‘Consulting’ site.
• The easiest way to obtain the library ID is to select the Sync button.

📌 Tip: You can remove this sync after you obtain the library ID.

• Then select Copy library ID and note this.

Repeat the steps above for all the library IDs that you may need. It is recommended to document these for future use.

Intune Admin Center

We will create a configuration profile to automatically sync the library to a user or group’s file explorer:

• Navigate to the Intune admin center: https://intune.microsoft.com/
• On the left-hand menu, navigate to Devices > Windows > Configuration > Create > New Policy

• Select the following platform and profile.

• Choose a concise, but descriptive name, and optionally a description.
• On the configuration settings page, select Add settings and search for ‘Configure team site libraries to sync automatically (User)’ found within the OneDrive.

• Enter the name and SharePoint library ID you noted earlier.

• Add scope tags to your policy (optional)
• Within the assignments tab, choose your group of users to whom this policy should be applied.
• Review + create your policy, and deployment will begin once the device checks in with the Intune service.
• The file explorer will now show the synced library underneath the organization’s SharePoint name.

Always test new policies with a test group before assigning the policy to the intended group!

FAQ

Q: Do users need to sync SharePoint libraries with this setup manually?
A: No, this method uses Intune to map SharePoint document libraries in File Explorer automatically.

Q: Can this be applied to hybrid-joined and Entra-joined devices?
A: Yes, both Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined and fully joined devices are supported.

Q: What if a user doesn’t see the library appear?
A: Ensure they are signed into OneDrive, have permissions to the SharePoint site, and the device has checked in with Intune.

Want More?

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