If you have been trying to resolve a Windows Error code 53 you are in luck. Our how-to guide will walk you through the steps needed to clean up the problem from your PC.

Description

When trying to connect to a network resource, like a shared file directory that is not found by Windows, you may get error code 53. Windows is unable to connect to the networked device and is telling you so in this error message.

Solution

Here are the steps you should take to resolve Windows error code 53.

Check the syntax of the path that you are trying to connect to. Be sure that the path is correct. Many times a character will be wrong in a path statement and the computer does not recognize the network path as valid, because it is not.

If you are trying to connect to a mapped drive, right click on the drive and choose properties from the menu. Double-click on the drive and open the Properties dialog box. Look at the path statement to make sure that it is correctly pointed to a valid network server or resource. You may have to speak with a system administrator to get the correct path location for the resource you are trying to connect to. If the path is different from what you have in your mapped drive properties, change the path statement and click Update and then OK.

You should also make sure that the box for “Reconnect at login” is checked. If you have not checked this in the past and have restarted your computer since the last time you accessed the needed network resource, your computer has simply followed directions and not connected to the network drive after you logged back in. To prevent this in the future, having the box checked should suffice.

There may be other reasons that you are getting error code 53, but these steps are standard resolution steps for the common problem of connecting to a mapped network drive.

TipFor more information, please see: How to fix Network error #53