How to Share Folders and Drives in Windows 10/11

What Folder and Drive Sharing Means in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Folder sharing allows other devices on your local network to open a selected folder on your computer. Depending on the permissions you choose, other users can only view files, or they can also create, edit, rename, and delete them.

Drive sharing works in a similar way, but it exposes an entire disk or partition, such as D: or E:. It is useful on a trusted home or office network, but it should be configured more carefully because it can expose many more files than a single shared folder.

Before You Start: Enable Network Discovery and File Sharing

Windows file sharing works best when both computers are on the same local network and the network profile is set to Private. On a Public network profile, Windows normally blocks discovery and sharing to protect you on Wi-Fi networks in cafés, hotels, airports, and other untrusted places.

Set the network profile to Private

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Network & Internet.
3. Open Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on your connection.
4. Select your active network connection.
5. Set Network profile type to Private network.

Turn on Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Go to Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center.
3. Click Change advanced sharing settings.
4. Under Private, turn on Network discovery.
5. Turn on File and printer sharing.
6. Save the changes.

How to Share a Folder in Windows 10 and Windows 11 Using File Explorer

This is the simplest method. It is suitable when you want to share one folder with another user account or with a small group of trusted users on the same network.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-click the folder you want to share.
3. Select Properties.
4. Open the Sharing tab.
5. Click Share.
6. Choose a user account from the list, or type a user name and click Add.
7. Choose the permission level: Read or Read/Write.
8. Click Share, then copy or note the network path shown by Windows.

How to Use Advanced Sharing in Windows for More Control

Advanced Sharing gives you more precise control over the share name, maximum simultaneous users, and share-level permissions. It is often the better option when you are sharing folders between several Windows PCs.

1. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.
2. Open the Sharing tab.
3. Click Advanced Sharing.
4. Enable Share this folder.
5. Enter a clear Share name, such as Projects, Media, or Transfer.
6. Click Permissions.
7. Select a user or group and configure Read, Change, or Full Control.
8. Click OK to apply the settings.

Recommended Advanced Sharing settings

How to Share an Entire Drive in Windows 10 and Windows 11

You can share an entire drive, but it should be done only when necessary. A full drive share is convenient for a dedicated storage drive, but risky for a system drive because it may expose private folders, downloads, application data, backups, and other sensitive files.

1. Open File Explorer and go to This PC.
2. Right-click the drive you want to share and choose Properties.
3. Open the Sharing tab.
4. Click Advanced Sharing.
5. Enable Share this folder.
6. Enter a share name, for example Data or Storage. Avoid confusing names like C or System.
7. Click Permissions and assign only the access level you really need.
8. Click OK to save the configuration.

Better alternatives to sharing the whole drive

• Create a folder such as D:\Shared and share only that folder.
• Create separate folders for Read-only and Read/Write access.
• Use a network-attached storage device or a dedicated file server for long-term shared storage.
• Use cloud sync for files that must be available outside the local network.

Sharing Permissions vs NTFS Permissions: What Is the Difference?

Windows uses two permission layers for shared folders on NTFS drives: sharing permissions and NTFS security permissions. The effective access is the most restrictive result of both layers.

Example

If a folder has Read/Write share permission but the same user has only Read permission on the Security tab, that user will still be limited to read-only access. Both permission layers must allow writing for editing to work.

How to Access a Shared Folder from Another Windows Computer

After you share a folder or drive, another PC can open it using the computer name or IP address of the computer that hosts the share.

Open a share by computer name

1. On the second computer, press Win + R.
2. Type the network path in this format: \\ComputerName\ShareName.
3. Press Enter.
4. If Windows asks for credentials, enter the user name and password of an account that exists on the computer hosting the share.

Open a share by IP address

If the computer name does not resolve correctly, use the local IP address instead:

Example network path\\192.168.1.7\Shared

You can find the host computer name by opening Settings → System → About. You can find the IP address by running this command in Command Prompt:

Command Promptipconfig

How to Map a Shared Folder as a Network Drive in Windows

Mapping a network drive gives a shared folder its own drive letter in File Explorer, such as Z:. This is useful for folders you access every day.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Go to This PC.
3. Click Map network drive. In Windows 11, open the three-dot menu first if the button is hidden.
4. Choose a drive letter, for example Z:.
5. In the Folder field, enter the network path, for example \\Office-PC\Projects.
6. Enable Reconnect at sign-in if you want Windows to restore the connection automatically.
7. Click Finish.

You can also map a network drive from Command Prompt:

Command Promptnet use Z: \\Office-PC\Projects /persistent:yes

To remove the mapped drive later, use:

Command Promptnet use Z: /delete

How to Stop Sharing a Folder or Drive in Windows

If you no longer need network access, remove the share. This is especially important after temporary file transfers or when you change your network environment.

1. Right-click the shared folder or drive.
2. Open Properties.
3. Go to the Sharing tab.
4. Click Advanced Sharing.
5. Clear the checkbox Share this folder.
6. Click OK.

View all current shared folders

To check what your computer is currently sharing, press Win + R, type the following command, and press Enter:

Run commandfsmgmt.msc

In the Shared Folders console, open Shares. You will see shared folders, share names, and local paths.

Fix Windows 10 and Windows 11 File Sharing Problems

If another computer cannot see or open your shared folder, the cause is usually network profile settings, firewall rules, name resolution, credentials, or permissions.

Check required services

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and make sure these services are not disabled:

• Function Discovery Provider Host
• Function Discovery Resource Publication
• Server
• Workstation

Check Windows Defender Firewall

Open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall. Make sure File and Printer Sharing is allowed for Private networks.

Clear saved network credentials

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Go to User Accounts → Credential Manager.
3. Open Windows Credentials.
4. Remove old credentials for the remote computer.
5. Reconnect to the shared folder and enter the correct user name and password.

Security Tips for Shared Folders and Drives in Windows

Windows sharing is convenient, but it should not be treated as a public file hosting system. It is designed mainly for trusted local networks.

FAQ: Sharing Folders and Drives in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Summary: The Best Way to Share Files on a Windows Network

For most home and small office networks, the safest approach is to share a dedicated folder, keep the network profile set to Private, use password-protected sharing, and grant write access only to the accounts that need it. Sharing an entire drive can be useful, but it should be reserved for trusted environments and dedicated data drives.