This article explain how to access your university filestore from Windows, macOS, and Linux when you are away from campus.

This guidance is for laptops not owned by the university or managed by iSolutions.

 

Accessing your Personal Filestore from the Southampton Virtual Environment (SVE)

You can access your Personal Filestore using the Southampton Virtual Environment (SVE).

If you can find guidance on accessing SVE in the knowledge base article "How to access Southampton Virtual Environment (SVE) and Common Learning Spaces (CLS) workrooms".

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Accessing your Personal Filestore (My Documents) using Windows

What to do if you are accessing your Personal Filestore for the first time

If you are trying to access your Personal Filestore for the first time, you might need to "map" it first.

If you are away from campus, you will need to be connected to GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Instructions for Windows 11 users

1. Select the File Explorer icon from the taskbar

2. Right-click the This PC icon from the menu on the left

 

3. From the new menu, select the option Map network drive...

4. The "Map Network Drive" screen will appear. To map your Personal Filestore, please:

1. Leave the Drive field as it is (the default option is Z:)
2. Enter the following path: \\filestore.soton.ac.uk\users\<your username>
3. Change "<your username>" with your university username (for eaxample: ab1c23)
   
   
   
   

5. Select the button Finish

6. You will see your filestore listed in the File Explorer within the This PC section

 

Instructions for Windows 10 users

If you are away from campus, you will need to be connected to GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN).

1. From the Windows Start Menu type "This PC". It will appear a new window

2. Click on "Map network drive" icon and then "Map network drive" again from the drop-down menu

3. The "Map Network Drive" screen will appear. To map your Personal Filestore, please:

1. Leave the Drive field as it is (the default option is Z:)
2. Enter the following path: \\filestore.soton.ac.uk\users\<your username>
3. Change "<your username>" with your university username (for eaxample: ab1c23)
   
   

 

4. Select the button Finish

5. You will see your filestore listed in the File Explorer within the This PC section

 

Accessing your Personal Filestore already mapped in your computer

To access your Personal Filestore, please:

1. Connect to GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN) if you are away from campus

2. Open File Explorer

3. Select This PC

4. Your Personal Filestore will appear under:

• Network locations, if you are using Windows 11
• The folders "Network > Filestore > Users" if you are using Windows 10

 

Get quick access

You can also follow the steps below to access quickly your Personal Filestore:

1. Connect to the university Virtual Private Network (VPN) through GlobalProtect. If you need guidance on setting up a VPN, please read the knowledge base article "How to set up the Virtual Private Network (VPN) via GlobalProtect"

 

2. Press the Window key on your keyboard + R. This prompt will open the Run screen

 

3. Enter \\filestore.soton.ac.uk\users\<your username> and replace <your username> with your University username (for example: ab1c23)

 

A new window show your Personal Filestore and its folders.

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Accessing your Personal Filestore (My Documents) using Apple macOS

1. Connect to the university Virtual Private Network (VPN) through GlobalProtect. If you need guidance on setting up a VPN, please read the knowledge base article "How to set up the Virtual Private Network (VPN) via GlobalProtect"

 

2. Click on the desktop background to produce the “Finder” toolbar along the top:

 

2. Click on Go and then "Connect to Server”

 

3. Enter the following path: smb://<your username>@filestore.soton.ac.uk/users/<your username>

Please change "<your username>" with your university username (for example: ab1c23)

You can save this path by selecting the "+" button on the bottom-left corner of the dialogue box "Connect to Server" shown above.

 

4. Then click on Connect. It will appear a new window with your folders.

Once connected to the server, you will see a the filestore.soton.ac.uk folder under the Locations list:

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Accessing your Personal Filestore (My Documents) using Linux

1. Connect to the university Virtual Private Network (VPN) through GlobalProtect. If you need guidance on setting up a VPN, please read the knowledge base article "How to set up the Virtual Private Network (VPN) via GlobalProtect"

2. In GNOME or Ubuntu or XFCE, load the file manager

3. Press Ctrl+L to enter a path:smb://filestore.soton.ac.uk/users/<your username>. Replace <your username> with your actual username (for example: ab1c23)

4. You might be prompted for your university username and password

5. If your username and password combination do not work, try entering your username as “SOTON\<your username>”

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Related content

How to access Southampton Virtual Environment (SVE) and Common Learning Spaces (CLS) workrooms

How to set up the Virtual Private Network (VPN) via GlobalProtect

How to access the Shared Resource Filestore