Windows 10: Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10

How to: Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10

How to Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10


File sharing over a network in Windows 10 allows you to share files and folders on your computer with other users over a domain.

You can set the permissions of a shared file or folder to allow groups or users to have a read only, change (modify), or full control access rights.

Starting with Windows 10 printers and files by using features that are built into Windows 10.

This tutorial will show you how to setup and share files and folders over a network in Windows 10.

You will only be able to share files and folders that are on ReFS volumes.

When you share a folder, all files in the folder will be shared.




Contents

• Option One: Set Up File Sharing on a Windows 10 PC
• Option Two: Share File or Folder using "Give access to" Context Menu
• Option Three: Stop Sharing File or Folder using "Give access to" Context Menu
• Option Four: Share File or Folder using Share tab in File Explorer
• Option Five: Stop Sharing File or Folder using Share tab in File Explorer
• Option Six: Share Folder using Sharing Properties
• Option Seven: Share Folder or Drive using Advanced Sharing
• Option Eight: Stop Sharing Folder or Drive using Advanced Sharing
• Option Nine: Stop Sharing Folder or Drive using Shared Folders MMC Snap-in

EXAMPLE: File sharing over a network in Windows 10











OPTION ONE [/i] Set Up File Sharing on a Windows 10 PC
This option needs to be done on each Windows 10 PC you want to be able to share files and folders between before doing any of the other options below.


1 Make sure each computer on the network has a different computer name.

2 Enable SMB Direct. If you have an older USB network drive or connecting to an older Windows than Windows 10, then you may need to also enable SMB1. (see screenshot below)

SMB Direct will not be available in the Windows 10 Home edition. You will need to enable SMB1 instead.

If you enable SMB1, be sure to uncheck Automatic Removal.




3 Make sure Use Sharing Wizard is checked in Folder Options > View tab. (see screenshot below)



4 Make sure the Function Discovery Resource Publication and Function Discovery Provider Host services are started (running) and their startup type is set to automatic. (see screenshots below)





5 Turn on private or public network.

6 Turn on private or public network.

7 Turn on Public folder sharing if you want to share items in the C:\Users\Public folder.

8 Turn on or off password protected sharing for what you want.

9 Select the file sharing connections encryption level you want to use.

When password protected sharing is turned on, only people who have a Public folders.

If you want to give access to shared files to other people without requiring them having an account and password on your computer, then turn off password protected sharing.














OPTION TWO [/i] Share File or Folder using "Give access to" Context Menu
1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and select one or more file, folder, and/or library you want to share, right click or press and hold on the selected item(s), click/tap on Give access to, and click/tap on Specific people. (see screenshot below)



3 You will now see the people that you are currently sharing this with and their permission level. (see screenshot below)

The owner will be listed by default.





4 Select a name of a user account on your PC or everyone you want to share with. (see screenshot below)



5 Click/tap on Add. (see screenshot below)



6 Select (check) the permission level you want for this user or everyone. (see screenshot below)

If you want to stop sharing with a specific user, select the user's name, and click/tap on Remove in their permission level.





7 When finished adding people to share with, click/tap on the Share button at the bottom. (see screenshot below)



8 Click/tap on Done. (see screenshot below)








OPTION THREE [/i] Stop Sharing File or Folder using "Give access to" Context Menu
This option will have no effect on people you choose to share with in advanced sharing from Option Eight.


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and select one or more file, folder, and/or library you want to stop sharing with everyone, right click or press and hold on the selected item(s), click/tap on Give access to, and click/tap on Remove access. (see screenshot below)








OPTION FOUR [/i] Share File or Folder using Share tab in File Explorer
1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and select one or more file, folder, and/or library you want to share, click/tap on the Share tab, and click/tap on Specific people in the "Share with" section of the ribbon. (see screenshot below)



3. You will now see the people that you are currently sharing this with and their permission level. (see screenshot below)

The owner will be listed by default.





4 Select a name of a user account on your PC or everyone you want to share with. (see screenshot below)



5 Click/tap on Add. (see screenshot below)



6 Select (check) the permission level you want for this user or everyone. (see screenshot below)

If you want to stop sharing with a specific user, select the user's name, and click/tap on Remove in their permission level.





7 When finished adding people to share with, click/tap on the Share button at the bottom. (see screenshot below)



8 Click/tap on Done. (see screenshot below)








OPTION FIVE [/i] Stop Sharing File or Folder using Share tab in File Explorer
This option will have no effect on people you choose to share with in advanced sharing from Option Eight.


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and select one or more file, folder, and/or library you want to stop sharing with everyone, click/tap on the Share tab, and click/tap on Remove access in the "Share with" section of the ribbon. (see screenshot below)








OPTION SIX [/i] Share Folder using Sharing Properties
1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and right click or press and hold on the folder you want to share, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)



3 Click/tap on the Sharing tab, and click/tap on the Share button. (see screenshot below)



4 You will now see the people that you are currently sharing this with and their permission level. (see screenshot below)

The owner will be listed by default.





5 Select a name of a user account on your PC or everyone you want to share with. (see screenshot below)



6 Click/tap on Add. (see screenshot below)



7 Select (check) the permission level you want for this user or everyone. (see screenshot below)

If you want to stop sharing with a specific user, select the user's name, and click/tap on Remove in their permission level.





8 When finished adding people to share with, click/tap on the Share button at the bottom. (see screenshot below)



9 Click/tap on Done. (see screenshot below)



10 Click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)








OPTION SEVEN [/i] Share Folder or Drive using Advanced Sharing
You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and right click or press and hold on the folder or drive you want to share, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)



3 Click/tap on the Sharing tab, and click/tap on the Advanced Sharing button. (see screenshot below)



4 Perform the following actions: (see screenshot below)
A) Check Share this folder.

B) If you want a different share name, then you can change it.

C) Limit the number of simultaneous users to the number you want. The default is 20.

D) Add any comments you want for this share.

E) Click/tap on the Permissions button.




5 Select a group or user, select (check or uncheck) the permissions (allow or deny) you want for this group or user, and click/tap on OK when finished. (see screenshots below)

Everyone is allowed to read this share by default.










Note If you want to stop sharing with a group or user, select the user or group, and click/tap on the Remove button.

If you want to add a user or group to share this folder or drive with, click/tap on the Add button, and perform the following steps:

A) Click/tap on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)



B) Click/tap on the Find Now button, select a user or group you want to share with, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



C) Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



6 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



7 Click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)








OPTION EIGHT [/i] Stop Sharing Folder or Drive using Advanced Sharing
You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option only affects what you shared in Advanced Sharing from Option Seven, and will have no effect on people you choose to share with from Option Two, Option Four, and Option Six.


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and right click or press and hold on the folder or drive you want to stop sharing with everyone, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)



3 Click/tap on the Sharing tab, and click/tap on the Advanced Sharing button. (see screenshot below)



4 Uncheck Share this folder, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



5 If prompted, click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)



6 Click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)








OPTION NINE [/i] Stop Sharing Folder or Drive using Shared Folders MMC Snap-in
You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option will have no effect on people you choose to share with from Option Two, Option Four, and Option Six.

This option is the same as doing Option Eight, and affects what you shared in Advanced Sharing from Option Seven.


1 Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type either compmgmt.msc (Computer Management) or fsmgmt.msc (Shared Folders) into Run, and click/tap on OK.

2 Expand open Shared Folders in the left pane, click/tap on Shares, right click on the share name (folder or drive) without $ at the end of the name you want to stop sharing, and click/tap on Stop Sharing. (see screenshots below)





3 Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)



4 When finished, you can now close Computer Management or Shared Folders if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to View All Network Shares on a Windows PC
• How to Backup and Restore Network Shares and Permissions in Windows
• How to Share Your OneDrive Files and Folders
• How to Share Files using an App in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Nearby Sharing in Windows 10
• How to Share a Printer in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off File and Printer Sharing in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Password Protected Sharing in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Public Folder Sharing in Windows 10
• How to Change File Sharing Encryption Level in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Network Discovery in Windows 10
• How to Set Network Location to be Public, Private, or Domain in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove 'Give access to' Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Create a Shared Folders Shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable SMB1 File Sharing Protocol in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Offline Files in Windows

:)

 

?? How do I PW protect Folders in windows

hmmm?
Sharing files and folders overview You can share the files and folders stored on your computer, on a network, and on the Web. The method you choose depends on whom you want to share files with, and what computer they will use to access the files.

When you share files or folders, they are not as protected as they are when you do not share them. People with access to your computer or your network might be able to read, copy, or change files that are in a shared folder. You should always be aware that the files and folders that you share are available to other people and be sure to monitor your shared files and folders on a regular basis.

Important

If your computer is not joined to a domain, you can use the Network Setup Wizard to automatically turn file and printer sharing on or off. To start the Network Setup Wizard, click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Setup Wizard.
If you both use the same computer

You can put the files you want to share in the Shared Documents folder. Files stored in the Shared Documents folder or its subfolders are always available to other users on your computer.

Step-by-step procedure
Note

If you are connected to a network domain, the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music folders are not available.
If both computers are on the same network

You can share a folder or drive on your computer with others on the network. You can also control whether the files in the shared folder can be modified by other users.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
Note

If you are connected to a network domain, you will need to set the Access control for the folder or drive after sharing it. For more information, go to To set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions.
If you want to share your files online

You can publish pictures and documents on the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard. The files will be stored in a private, online folder that you manage.

Step-by-step procedure

If you don't want others to access your files

You can prevent other users from accessing your folders and the files they contain. When your computer is connected to a domain, this is called setting permissions for your file or folder. When your computer is connected to a workgroup, this is called making your folders private.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure

'HELP' it can be your friend *Smile

 

Sharing folders over network - access denied

Hello,

To troubleshoot your concern with sharing files over the network using your Windows 10 device, we suggest that you run the Shared folders troubleshooter and check if it helps. Kindly refer to the steps below:

• Type in Troubleshooting in the search box and press
  Enter.
• Click View all.
• Click Shared Folders.
• Click Next and follow on-screen instructions.

Hope it helps.

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.

 

Share Files and Folders Over a Network with Win10Home & Pro & Win7Pro

@Brink,

I followed Option 1 with the following exceptions:

• Windows 7 Pro: SMB 1.0 CIFS File Sharing Support, Automatic Removal, Client and Server and SMB Direct are not options.
• Windows 10 Home: SMB 1.0 CIFS File Sharing Support, Automatic Removal, Client and Server are checked and SMB Direct is not an option.
• Note: Windows 10 Pro: SMB 1.0 CIFS File Sharing Support, Automatic Removal, Client and Server and SMB Direct are checked.

Clearly the problem is sharing with Windows 10 Pro...

Sharing with Windows 10 Pro

• Windows 10 Pro can reach files and folders on Windows 7 Pro
• Windows 10 Pro cannot reach files and folders on Windows 10 Home; Message: Windows cannot access...
• Windows 10 Home cannot reach files and folders on Windows 10 Pro; Message: Enter your credentials
• Windows 7 Pro cannot reach files and folders on Windows 10 Pro; Message: Enter your password

Sharing Between Windows 10 Home and Windows 7 Pro

• Windows 10 Home can reach files and folders on Windows 7 Pro
• Windows 7 Pro can reach files and folders on Windows 10 Home

Any thoughts on what I should do?

Thanks!



- - - Updated - - -

I followed Option 2 without exceptions and received the same results as above.

Any thoughts on what I should do?

Thanks!



- - - Updated - - -

I with much help, I solve my networking problem!

The first step was to follow Option 1 and Option 2 from the first post of this thread/tutorial.

The second step was to create a new password-protected local (user) account with administrator privileges and without using an email or phone number when creating the new user account on the Windows 10 Pro machine.

The third step was to create a new password-protected user account with administrator privileges on the Windows 7 Pro machine with the exact same username and password as the new local account on the Windows 10 Pro machine.

When I attempted to share/access a file on the Windows 10 Pro machine from the Windows 7 Pro machine, I simply entered the new username and password from above when asked for my network credentials and puff, it worked.

A similar process was followed for networking the Windows 10 Pro and Home machines.

 

Need Help With File Sharing over a network

this can definitely be made to work, as i do it in my house easily.


that said, there is so many steps along the way you've ignored and not told us about, you REALLY need to go back to the basics and start from scratch.


share a folder, and see if you can connect manually via the IP address of the system.

do NOT ever expect the shares to magically just show up in the networking section of windows XP, that was an old, buggy, almost useless feature that never really worked right.