How to Create Shared Folders in Windows 11

Prerequisites for Network Sharing

Before you share anything, check these things on the PC that holds the folder:

• Both computers are on the same network, for example the same router.
• Network discovery is turned on.
• File and printer sharing is turned on.

Create a folder to share

If you don’t already have a folder to share, create one:

1. Open File Explorer📁.
2. Go to the location where you want the folder, such as your Documents folder or another drive.
3. Click New in the toolbar, then select Folder. A new folder appears with its name highlighted for editing.

Type a descriptive name and press Enter. A clear name like “Family Photos” or “Project Files” helps other people recognize the share on the network. Short names without unusual symbols are easier to type into an address later.

Create a share in 🪟 Windows 11

Sharing a folder lets other people on your network open specific files from their own computers. The quickest route is the built-in Computer Management tool. With it you pick a folder on your drive, name the share, and choose who can view or change the files. You need to be signed in with an administrator account to do this.

1. Click the Start button and type “Computer Management”.
2. Select Computer Management from the search🔍 results.
3. If Windows asks for permission, click Yes. The Computer Management window opens, with a tree of tools on the left.

1. In the left pane, expand Shared Folders.
2. Right-click Shares.
3. Select New Share. The wizard opens.

The wizard walks you through the setup one page at a time. Read the first page, then click Next to continue.

1. Click Browse next to the folder path box.

A window opens where you can look through your drives and folders. Use it to find the folder you created earlier.

1. Select your folder in the list.
2. Click OK. The full path to the folder now appears in the wizard.
3. Click Next.

Give your share a name. This is the name other people see on the network. You can keep the default, which matches the folder name, or type a new one. Keep it simple, because people will type it into an address. Click Next when you are done.

Folder permissions control who can see files and who can change them. By default the wizard offers read-only access for most users. To let everyone open and edit files in this one folder, choose the option to customize permissions on the permissions page. This opens a permissions window where you set access yourself.

1. In the permissions list, select Everyone.
2. In the lower box, check Allow next to Full Control. The Change and Read boxes are checked as well.
3. Click OK.

If you only want people to view files, check Allow for Read only.

1. Click Finish to close the wizard.

The wizard may show a summary of the share. Your new share should now appear in the Shares list in Computer Management.

Your folder is now shared. To reach it from another computer, type the name of the PC that holds the folder, followed by the folder’s share name, in this format:

\\COMPUTERNAME\SharedFolderName

For example, if your computer is named COMPUTERNAME and the folder is PublicDocument, you would type \\COMPUTERNAME\PublicDocument.

On the other computer, type this into the File Explorer address bar, or into the Run box (Win plus R), and press Enter. If Windows asks for a username and password, sign in with an account that exists on the PC that holds the folder. Don’t use the account from the PC you are sitting at.

Managing Permissions and Security

You manage who sees and changes a shared folder through its Properties, mainly on the Sharing and Security tabs. They do different jobs:

• The Sharing tab controls access over the network.
• The Security tab controls permissions on the folder itself. These apply to local users and network users.

When both are set, the stricter rule wins. If someone can open the folder but can’t save changes, check both places.

1. Right-click the shared folder in File Explorer📁 and select Properties.
2. Open the Sharing tab to review the share, then click Advanced Sharing and Permissions to adjust access for each user or group.
3. Open the Security tab to review who has access to the folder itself, and click Edit to change it.
4. Click OK to save your changes.

How to stop sharing a folder

You can stop sharing a folder at any time. Your files are not deleted. Only the network access is removed.

1. Open Computer Management.
2. Expand Shared Folders and click Shares.
3. Right-click the folder you want to stop sharing.
4. Select Stop Sharing.
5. If Windows asks you to confirm, click Yes.

Network access is removed immediately for all users, and the share disappears from the list. Anyone connected at that moment loses access. To share the folder again, run the New Share wizard once more.

Troubleshooting Connectivity Errors

When you can’t reach a shared folder, the cause is usually one of three things. Work through them in this order:

1. Same network. Check that both computers are on the same network. A PC on a guest Wi-Fi📶 network usually can’t see a PC on the main network. Also check that the network profile on both PCs is set to Private.
2. SMB. Check that SMB (Server Message Block, the protocol Windows uses for file sharing) is turned on. Current Windows 11 uses the newer SMB versions by default. The old SMB 1 is switched off for security, and you should leave it off unless an old device absolutely needs it.
3. Saved login details. Check your saved login details. An old or wrong saved password stops you from connecting. Remove the saved entry in Credential Manager, then try again and enter the correct username and password for the PC that holds the folder.

If the computer name doesn’t work, try the PC’s IP address in place of the name. Also check that Network discovery and File and printer sharing are still turned on, since changes to the network profile can switch them off.

Summary

Shared folders make it easy to collaborate and swap files on a local network. Be careful about who has access. Give people only the permissions they need, such as Read instead of Full Control, and don’t store sensitive data in a folder that many people can reach. Stop sharing a folder as soon as you no longer need it.