How to mount an NFS export on Windows

Mounting an NFS export on Windows maps a Linux or UNIX file share to a Windows drive letter such as Z:. This is useful when an application, desktop user, or administrator needs direct access to an existing export without changing the server to SMB.

Windows uses Client for NFS and the Windows command-line mount.exe utility for this job. In PowerShell, the bare word mount can resolve to a shell alias, so call mount.exe explicitly or run the command from Command Prompt.

Windows Client for NFS mounts NFSv2 and NFSv3 exports. An NFSv4-only export needs a Linux client or a server-side NFSv3 export for Windows access, and the server export must allow the Windows client host plus the authentication mode used by the mount command.

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session on the Windows computer.
2. Confirm that the Client for NFS mount utility is available.

   C:\> where.exe mount.exe
   C:\Windows\System32\mount.exe

   If mount.exe is not found, install Client for NFS before continuing. On a supported Windows client edition, enable Services for NFS → Client for NFS from optionalfeatures.exe or run Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName ServicesForNFS-ClientOnly,ClientForNFS-Infrastructure -NoRestart. On Windows Server, use Server Manager or Install-WindowsFeature -Name NFS-Client.

3. Query the server export list from Windows.

   C:\> showmount.exe -e files.example.net
   Exports list on files.example.net:
   /srv/nfs/projects 192.0.2.0/24

   A missing export, timeout, or RPC: Program not registered response usually points to server export rules, firewall rules, or an NFSv4-only server rather than a Windows drive-letter problem.

   Related: How to list NFS exports from a client

4. Choose an unused drive letter for the mount, such as Z:.

   Mounting to a drive letter that is already mapped disconnects or hides the previous mapping for that session.

5. Mount the export to the drive letter.

   C:\> mount.exe -o mtype=hard files.example.net:/srv/nfs/projects Z:
   Z: is now successfully connected to files.example.net:/srv/nfs/projects
   
   The command completed successfully.

   Add anon to the mount options only when the server export is intentionally configured for anonymous access. Do not use anonymous mounting for Kerberos-protected exports or shares that require user mapping.

6. List the mounted drive to confirm Windows can read the export.

   C:\> dir Z:\
   
    Directory of Z:\
   
   06/06/2026  10:15 AM    <DIR>          releases
   06/06/2026  10:16 AM                32 README.txt
                  1 File(s)             32 bytes
                  1 Dir(s)  129,278,197,760 bytes free

7. Confirm that Windows records the drive as an NFS mount.

   C:\> mount.exe
   
   Local    Remote                                 Properties
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Z:       files.example.net:/srv/nfs/projects    mtype=hard, timeout=0.8
                                                   rsize=32, wsize=32

   If this was only a temporary test mount, close open files and disconnect it with umount.exe Z: after verification.