Sharing folders in Windows is useful for accessing files on your computer from other devices and vice-versa on a local network. The good thing is that Windows makes sharing folders easy. Configuring permissions—i.e., who can access the shared folder and what they can do with it—is also easy. You can either share an existing folder or create a dedicated shared folder to store all the files and folders you want to share. For example, I have a dedicated shared folder on my media center PC that I access from my desktop and laptop.
In this detailed tutorial, I will guide you through the steps to share a folder in Windows 10 & 11 and how to configure it with proper permissions. Let’s get started.
Before You Begin
- Administrator rights are required to share folders and configure advanced sharing settings, such as share permissions and who can access the folder.
- Before sharing a folder, ensure you are on a private network. If your network is set to Public, change it to private (steps for Windows 10). Never share folders on a public network unless it is necessary and you know what you are doing.
- Make sure network discovery and file sharing are turned on (steps for Windows 10). Without this, you will not be able to access shared folders.
Steps to Share a Folder in Windows
To share a folder in Windows 10 and Windows 11, follow the below steps:
- Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
- Right-click on the folder you want to share.
- Select the Properties option.
- Go to the Sharing tab in the “Properties” window.
- Click the Share button.
- Select a specific user or Everyone in the dropdown menu.
- Click Add.
- Click the Share button in the “Network Access” window.
- Click Done to close the “Network Access” window.
- The folder is shared and anyone on the network can access the folder.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open File Explorer (press Windows key + E). Next, right-click on the folder you want to share and select the Properties option.
In the “Properties” window, go to the Sharing tab and click the Share button under the “Network File and Folder Sharing” section.
Now, click the dropdown menu, select a specific user or Everyone, and click Add. If you select Everyone, anyone on the network can access the shared folder. If you select a specific user, Windows will prompt the user to log in over the network using that specific user account credentials to access the shared folder.
By default, the share permission is set to Read. That means, the user can access the Share folder and its contents but cannot modify (add, change, or delete) them. If you wish to allow the users to modify the contents of the shared folder, click the down arrow next to “Read” and select Read/Write.
Finally, click the Share button to share the folder.
Once the folder is shared, Windows will display the shared folder path. Click the Done button to close the “Network Access” window.
You’ll also see the shared folders network path in the Sharing tab under the “File and printer sharing” section. Click the Close button to close the Properties window.
Managing Shared Folder Permissions
After sharing a folder, you can configure or manage permissions via Advanced Sharing Settings. This gives you granular control over who can access a shared folder and what they can do. For example, you can only allow specific users to access shared folders and set custom permissions for each user. Here’s how.
First, open File Explorer (press Windows key + R), right-click on the shared folder and select the Properties option. Next, go to the Sharing tab and click the Advanced Sharing button.
Click the Permissions button.
In the “Permissions” window, you will now see all the users (or user groups) who can access this shared folder. In my case, two user groups, Everyone and Administrators, can access the shared folder.
Remove User Access from a Shared Folder
If you don’t want a specific user or user group to access a shared folder, simply select the user and click the Remove button. For example, I’m removing the Everyone user group.
Add User Access to a Shared Folder
To add a specific user to the shared folder, click the Add button under “Group or user names”.
Type the username in the blank field and click Check Names.
Windows will automatically fill in the actual username. Click OK to add the user to shared folder access list.
Modify User Permissions for a Shared Folder
For each user under the “Group or user names” list, you can modify the permissions. To do that, select a user or user group. Next, select the permissions you want to assign under the “Allow” and “Deny” columns.
For example, to allow the user to modify the shared folder (i.e., add, remove, or modify files), select the “Full Control” checkbox under the “Allow” column. If you don’t want users modifying the contents of the shared folder, uncheck both the “Full Control” and “Change” checkboxes and only select the “Read” checkbox under the “Allow” section.
Note: You can use the “Deny” column to restrict access, but be cautious. Deny permissions override Allow permissions. For instance, if a user is part of multiple groups and one group is denied access, the user will be denied access even if other group permissions allow it. Use Deny permissions sparingly and only when necessary to explicitly block access.
Next, click the Apply and OK buttons.
Click OK in the permissions window and close all other windows.
That is it. With that, you now have the full knowledge of how to configure shared folder permissions in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Stop Sharing a Folder in Windows
Follow the below steps to stop sharing a folder in Windows 10 and Windows 10.
First, open File Explorer (press Windows key + E). Right-click on the shared folder, click on Show more options, and then select the Give access to > Remove access option.
Now, click the Stop sharing option.
That is it. As soon as you select the option, Windows will remove the folder from shared access. The folder will no longer be available on the network.
Wrapping — Sharing Folders in Windows
As you can see, sharing folders in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is a fairly straightforward affair. However, make sure to set proper permissions so that the shared folder is accessible by people you know and trust. When you no longer need a shared folder, remember to stop sharing it.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
