Create a Shared Network Folder on Windows 10/11 for Home or Small Office

Create a Shared Network Folder on Windows 10/11 for Home or Small Office​

Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 20 minutes
Sharing a folder on your network is a simple way to let multiple PCs access the same files—photos, documents, media, or backups—without using USB drives or cloud services. This guide walks you through creating a shared folder on Windows 10/11, perfect for home or small office networks.

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Prerequisites​

Before you start, make sure:

1. All PCs are on the same network
   • Typically the same Wi‑Fi router or wired LAN.
   • Example: All devices connected to “HomeWiFi” or your office router.
2. You know your Windows version
   • Right-click Start > System. Look for:
     • Edition: Windows 10 Home/Pro or Windows 11 Home/Pro
     • Steps below apply to both Windows 10 and 11 (noted where they differ).
3. You’re using a private (trusted) network
   • Your PC should see the network as Private (Windows trusts it) rather than Public (café, airport, etc..
4. You’re signed in with an account that has administrator rights
   • Needed to adjust sharing and security settings.

Warning: Do not enable file sharing on public or untrusted networks. This can expose your files to others.

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Part 1 – Set Your Network to Private and Enable Network Discovery​

Step 1 – Check your network profile (Private vs Public)​

On Windows 11​

1. Click Start > Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to Network & internet.
3. Click Wi‑Fi (or Ethernet if you’re wired).
4. Click your connected network name.
5. Under Network profile type, select Private.

On Windows 10​

1. Click Start > Settings.
2. Go to Network & Internet.
3. In the left pane, click Wi‑Fi or Ethernet.
4. Click your connected network name.
5. Under Network profile, choose Private.

Note: The Private profile tells Windows you trust this network and want to allow device discovery and file sharing.

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Step 2 – Turn on Network Discovery and File Sharing​

On Windows 11 and 10​

1. Press Windows key + R, type:
   control
   and press Enter to open Control Panel.
2. Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
3. In the left pane, click Change advanced sharing settings.
4. Under Private (current profile), make sure:
   • Turn on network discovery is selected.
   • Check Turn on automatic setup of network-connected devices (optional but helpful).
   • Turn on file and printer sharing is selected.
5. Scroll down to All Networks:
   • You can leave Public folder sharing off unless you plan to use it.
   • Under Password protected sharing:
     • For better security on a home/office network, keep Turn on password protected sharing enabled.
       You will then need a username and password to access the shared folder from another computer.
6. Click Save changes.

Tip: If another PC can’t see your computer, double-check these settings and that both PCs are on the Private profile.

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Part 2 – Create the Folder You Want to Share​

You can share an existing folder (e.g., Documents) or create a new one dedicated to sharing.

Step 3 – Create a dedicated shared folder​

1. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E).
2. Choose where you want the folder, for example:
   • This PC > Local Disk (C
   • Or inside your Documents folder.
3. Right-click in an empty area, choose New > Folder.
4. Name it something clear, e.g.:
   • Shared_Files
   • Office_Share
   • Family_Share

Tip: Put shared folders on a drive with sufficient free space and in a location you can easily find again.

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Part 3 – Share the Folder with the Network​

Step 4 – Use the basic sharing wizard​

1. Right-click the folder you created (e.g., Shared_Files).
2. Click Properties.
3. Go to the Sharing tab.
4. Click the Share… button (this opens the File Sharing wizard).

A new window titled Network access appears.

1. In the drop-down box:
   • To quickly share with all other PCs/users on the network, select Everyone and click Add.
   • Or choose a specific user if you share within a domain or have multiple local users (more advanced).
2. In the Permission Level column:
   • Read – Other users can only open files (recommended for most shared libraries).
   • Read/Write – Other users can open, change, create, and delete files (use only if you trust all users).
3. Click Share.
4. Windows will configure the share and show a confirmation with the network path, like:
   \\YOUR-PC-NAME\Shared_Files
5. Click Done.

Warning: Granting Read/Write to Everyone means anyone on your network can modify or delete files in that folder. Use with caution, especially in small offices.

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Part 4 – (Optional) Advanced Permissions and Folder Security​

The basic wizard is enough for most home users. However, if you’re in a small office or want tighter control, you can adjust advanced settings.

Step 5 – Check advanced sharing settings​

1. Right-click your shared folder > Properties.
2. Go to the Sharing tab.
3. Click Advanced Sharing….
4. Ensure Share this folder is checked.
5. You can:
   • Change the Share name (how it appears on the network).
   • Limit the Number of simultaneous users if needed.
6. Click Permissions:
   • By default, Everyone might have Read permission.
   • You can:
     • Leave Read only for basic access, or
     • Add specific users/groups if you’re on a domain or using multiple accounts.
7. When done, click OK to close Permissions, then OK again to close Advanced Sharing, and Close the folder properties.

Note: There are two layers:

• Share permissions (who can access the folder over the network).
• NTFS permissions (Security tab – who can access the folder on the local machine).
  For most home users, if your local account is admin and you use the basic sharing wizard, you usually don’t need to change NTFS (Security) permissions.

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Part 5 – Access the Shared Folder from Another Windows PC​

Now that the folder is shared, let’s connect to it from another Windows 10/11 computer on the same network.

Step 6 – Find the shared folder via Network​

1. On the second PC, open File Explorer.
2. In the left pane, click Network.
   • If you see a message at the top “Network discovery is turned off…”, click it and choose Turn on network discovery and file sharing.
3. Look for the name of the computer that hosts the shared folder (e.g., YOUR-PC-NAME).
4. Double-click that computer.
5. You should see the shared folder name (e.g., Shared_Files). Double-click to open.

If prompted for credentials:

1. Enter the username and password of an account on the computer that is sharing the folder.
   • Optionally tick Remember my credentials if this is a trusted PC.

Tip: If you don’t know your computer name, on the sharing PC go to Settings > System > About (Windows 10/11). Under Device name you’ll see it.

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Step 7 – Access via UNC path or map as a network drive (optional)​

If you know the network path, you can connect directly or map a drive letter.

Method A – Connect with UNC path​

1. On the second PC, open File Explorer.
2. Click the address bar and type:
   \\COMPUTER-NAME\Shared_Files
   (Replace COMPUTER-NAME and Shared_Files with your actual names.
3. Press Enter.

Method B – Map as a network drive​

1. In File Explorer on the second PC, right-click This PC and select Map network drive….
2. Choose a Drive letter (e.g., Z:).
3. In Folder, type the network path:
   \\COMPUTER-NAME\Shared_Files
4. (Recommended) Check Reconnect at sign-in so it’s always available.
5. Click Finish.
6. If prompted, enter credentials for the sharing PC.

Your shared folder now appears as a regular drive (e.g., Z:) in This PC, making it very easy to use.

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Tips and Troubleshooting​

1. “Network path not found” or can’t see the other PC

• Confirm both PCs:
  • Are connected to the same router/Wi‑Fi.
  • Have Private network profile selected.
  • Have Network discovery and File and printer sharing enabled.
• Disable or adjust third-party security suites/firewalls that might block file sharing.
• Try using the IP address instead of the computer name:
  • On the sharing PC, run ipconfig in Command Prompt and note the IPv4 Address (e.g., 192.168.1.20).
  • On the other PC, use:
    \\192.168.1.20\Shared_Files

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2. Permission denied / Access is denied

• Check that the account you’re using on the second PC is allowed:
  • If Password protected sharing is ON, you must use a valid username/password from the sharing PC.
• Revisit Sharing > Advanced Sharing > Permissions and ensure:
  • Everyone (or the specific user) has at least Read permission.
• Advanced: If you changed things in the Security tab, ensure your user or Users group has at least Read & execute permission.

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3. Shared folder suddenly disappears after restart

• If you mapped a network drive:
  • Make sure Reconnect at sign-in is checked.
• Verify the hosting PC:
  • Is powered on and awake (not in hibernation).
  • Is connected to the network.

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4. Mixing Windows 10 and Windows 11

• Windows 10 and 11 can share folders with each other without issue.
• Just ensure:
  • Same workgroup (usually WORKGROUP by default) – this is rarely an issue now.
  • Same Private network and similar sharing settings as described above.

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Conclusion​

With a shared network folder set up, you can easily exchange files between PCs without USB sticks, email, or cloud uploads. Home users can centralize family photos and media; small offices can keep shared documents in one place accessible to everyone on the network. Once configured, network shares make working across multiple computers faster, simpler, and more organized.

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Key Takeaways:

• Setting your network to Private and enabling Network discovery and File and printer sharing are essential first steps.
• Use the basic sharing wizard to quickly share a folder with Everyone as Read or Read/Write.
• For better security, keep Password protected sharing on and use known user accounts.
• Access shared folders from other PCs via Network in File Explorer, a UNC path (\\Computer-Name\Share), or a mapped network drive.
• If something doesn’t work, first verify network profile, discovery settings, and permissions.

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This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.