If you own a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device like a Synology or a QNAP, or if you simply share a massive hard drive from a central Windows PC, accessing that data from your Mac requires opening Finder, clicking on the Network tab, double-clicking the server, and manually mounting the SMB share every single time you turn on your computer.
If you use that network drive daily for video editing or Time Machine backups, this manual process is incredibly tedious. You can configure macOS to automatically mount your preferred network drives the moment you log in, ensuring your server files are always instantly available on your desktop.
Step 1: Connect to the Server Manually (One Time)
Before we can automate the process, macOS needs to know the exact address of the server and store your login credentials securely in the Keychain.
- Click anywhere on your desktop so that it says Finder in the top left corner of the menu bar.
- Click Go in the top menu, then select Connect to Server… (or press Cmd+K).
- In the Server Address box, type your SMB address (e.g.,
smb://192.168.1.100/SharedDrive). - Click Connect.
- When prompted, enter your username and password for the server.
- CRITICAL: Check the box that says “Remember this password in my keychain.” If you do not check this box, the automation will fail.
- Click Connect. The drive will mount and appear on your desktop.
Step 2: Add the Drive to Login Items
Now that macOS knows how to connect to the drive automatically without asking for a password, we simply need to tell the system to execute that connection at boot.
- Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions).
- Navigate to General in the left sidebar, then click on Login Items.
- You will see a list of applications that open automatically when you log in. Click the small + (Plus) button at the bottom of that list.
- A Finder window will appear. Look at the left sidebar of this window under the “Locations” or “Shared” section and click on your mounted network drive.
- Select the specific folder you want to mount (or the root of the drive) and click Add.
The network drive will now appear in your list of Login Items.
Step 3: Hide the Annoying Pop-Up Window
By default, when macOS auto-mounts a drive at login, it rudely forces a Finder window open to show you the contents of that drive. This is highly disruptive to your workflow.
To fix this, look at the Login Items list you just modified in System Settings. Next to the name of your network drive, check the small box labeled Hide. This ensures the drive mounts silently in the background without launching a window.
The next time you reboot your Mac, your SMB share will instantly appear on your desktop, fully connected and ready to use.