How to Turn On or Off File and Printer Sharing in Windows 11

What is File and Printer Sharing?

File and Printer Sharing in Windows 11 lets you easily share files, folders, and printers with other computers on your home or office network. This feature means others can access your shared items or use your printer without needing to copy files around, making it simple to collaborate or access resources across your network.

• File sharing: Lets others on your network see, copy, or change files in a shared folder.
• Printer sharing: Lets others use a printer connected to your computer.

Windows uses different network types: Domain, Private, and Public. You can choose to turn sharing on or off for each type separately.

Option 1Turn File and Printer Sharing On or Off Using ⚙️ Windows Settings

1. Press Win + I on your keyboard to open Settings.
2. Click Network & internet on the left side.
3. On the right, click Advanced network settings.

4. Click Advanced sharing settings.

You can turn File and Printer Sharing on or off in Windows 11 using ⚙️ the Settings app, which is a straightforward method for managing network access. By opening Settings and navigating through network options, you can easily control whether other computers can share files or printers with yours.

5. Click the arrows next to Private networks and/or Public networks to expand each section.
6. Turn File and printer sharing On or Off for each network type as you wish.

Once done, you can close ⚙️ the Settings window.

Option 2Turn File and Printer Sharing On or Off Using PowerShell

This option is for users who are comfortable using commands.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Make sure you are in the Windows PowerShell tab.

To Turn On File and Printer Sharing

To turn on File and Printer Sharing for all network types in Windows 11, you can use a simple PowerShell command. Open PowerShell as an administrator and type the command Get-NetFirewallRule -Group ‘*-28502*’ | Where-Object ‘Profile’ -Match ‘Any’ | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled ‘True’, then press Enter to enable sharing across all network profiles.

• All network profiles:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Any' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'True'

• Domain network:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Domain' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'True'

• Private network:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Private' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'True'

• Public network:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Public' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'True'

To Turn Off File and Printer Sharing

To turn off File and Printer Sharing for all network types in Windows 11, you can use a straightforward PowerShell command. Open PowerShell as an administrator and enter Get-NetFirewallRule -Group ‘*-28502*’ | Where-Object ‘Profile’ -Match ‘Any’ | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled ‘False’, and press Enter to disable sharing for all network profiles.

• All network profiles:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Any' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'False'

• Domain network:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Domain' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'False'

• Private network:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Private' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'False'

• Public network:
  
  ⬛PowerShell

  Copy

  Get-NetFirewallRule -Group '*-28502*' | Where-Object 'Profile' -Match 'Public' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled 'False'

When finished, you can close PowerShell.

Summary

• File and printer sharing lets you share files and printers with other devices on your network.
• You can control sharing separately for different network types: Domain, Private, and Public.
• You can use the easy ⚙️ Settings app or PowerShell commands if you prefer.
• Make sure you are signed in as an administrator before changing these settings.
• Knowing how to manage sharing helps keep your network safe and useful.

File and printer sharing in Windows 11 allows you to share files and printers with other network devices. You can control this file and printer sharing feature using ⚙️ the Settings app or PowerShell commands. Sign in as an administrator when making changes to file and printer sharing to ensure the changes are applied correctly.