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Update storage-how-to-use-files-windows.md
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articles/storage/files/storage-how-to-use-files-windows.md

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@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ description: Learn to use Azure file shares with Windows and Windows Server. Use
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author: khdownie
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ms.service: azure-file-storage
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ms.topic: how-to
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ms.date: 02/19/2025
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ms.date: 04/04/2025
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ms.author: kendownie
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ms.custom: ai-video-demo
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ai-usage: ai-assisted
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## Using an Azure file share with Windows
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To use an Azure file share with Windows, you must either mount it, which means assigning it a drive letter or mount point path, or [access it via its UNC path](#access-an-azure-file-share-via-its-unc-path).
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To use an Azure file share with Windows, you must either mount it, which means assigning it a drive letter or mount point path, or [access it via its UNC path](#access-an-azure-file-share-via-its-unc-path).
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This article uses the storage account key to access the file share. A storage account key is an administrator key for a storage account, including administrator permissions to all files and folders within the file share you're accessing, and for all file shares and other storage resources (blobs, queues, tables, etc.) contained within your storage account. Shared access signature (SAS) tokens aren't currently supported for mounting Azure file shares.
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This article uses the storage account key to mount the file share, which is only appropriate for admin access. Mounting the share with the Active Directory or Micosoft Entra identity of the user is preferred. See [identity-based authentication overview](storage-files-active-directory-overview.md).
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A common pattern for lifting and shifting line-of-business (LOB) applications that expect an SMB file share to Azure is to use an Azure file share as an alternative for running a dedicated Windows file server in an Azure virtual machine (VM). One important consideration for successfully migrating an LOB application to use an Azure file share is that many applications run under the context of a dedicated service account with limited system permissions rather than the VM's administrative account. Therefore, you must ensure that you mount/save the credentials for the Azure file share from the context of the service account rather than your administrative account.
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A storage account key is an administrator key for a storage account, including administrator permissions to all files and folders within the file share you're accessing, and for all file shares and other storage resources (blobs, queues, tables, etc.) contained within your storage account. You can find your storage account key in the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com/) by navigating to the storage account and selecting **Security + networking** > **Access keys**, or you can use the `Get-AzStorageAccountKey` PowerShell cmdlet.
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### Mount the Azure file share
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Shared access signature (SAS) tokens aren't currently supported for mounting Azure file shares.
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The Azure portal provides a PowerShell script that you can use to mount your file share directly to a host using the storage account key.
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> [!NOTE]
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> A common pattern for lifting and shifting line-of-business (LOB) applications that expect an SMB file share to Azure is to use an Azure file share as an alternative for running a dedicated Windows file server in an Azure virtual machine (VM). One important consideration for successfully migrating an LOB application to use an Azure file share is that many applications run under the context of a dedicated service account with limited system permissions rather than the VM's administrative account. Therefore, you must ensure that you mount/save the credentials for the Azure file share from the context of the service account rather than your administrative account.
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> [!IMPORTANT]
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> Connecting to a file share using the storage account key is only appropriate for admin access. Mounting the share with the Active Directory or Micosoft Entra identity of the user is preferred. See [identity-based authentication overview](storage-files-active-directory-overview.md).
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### Mount the Azure file share using the provided script
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The Azure portal provides a PowerShell script that you can use to mount your file share directly to a host using the storage account key.
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To get this script:
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