Moving a file from one computer to another doesn’t always require emailing it to yourself, uploading it to the cloud, or carrying around a USB drive.
If two Windows 11 computers are connected to the same home or office network, you can share a folder from one PC and open it directly from another. Once everything is set up, the shared folder can behave almost like another drive connected to your computer.
This is called network file sharing.
It can be useful when you want to move photos between a desktop and laptop, access documents stored on another computer, share files between family members, or create a common folder for a small office.
The setup isn’t difficult, but Windows has several settings that need to be correct before the computers can see each other.
Here’s how it works.
What Does Network Sharing Actually Do?
When you share a folder over your local network, the files stay on the computer where they’re stored.
Another computer on the same network is simply given permission to open that folder through the network.
For example, suppose you have a desktop computer named OFFICE-PC with a folder called “Shared Documents.”
Another computer on the network might access it using an address that looks like this:
\\OFFICE-PC\Shared Documents
That type of address is called a network path. Unlike cloud storage, the files aren’t automatically uploaded to the internet. The computer hosting the files also needs to be turned on and connected to the network for the shared folder to be available.
Microsoft describes Windows network sharing as sharing files and folders across a local area network, or LAN, rather than over the internet.
Step 1: Make Sure Both Computers Are on the Same Network
Start with the simplest requirement: both PCs need to be connected to the same local network.
They can usually be connected through Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or a combination of the two. For example, a desktop connected to your router with an Ethernet cable can normally share files with a laptop connected to that same router over Wi-Fi.
Problems can occur if one device is connected to a guest Wi-Fi network while the other is connected to the main network. Many routers deliberately prevent devices on guest networks from communicating with other devices.
If you’re having trouble later, this is one of the first things worth checking.
Step 2: Set Your Network to Private
Windows classifies networks as either Public or Private.
A Public network is intended for places such as airports, hotels, coffee shops and other networks you don’t fully trust. Windows limits device discovery on these networks for security reasons.
A Private network tells Windows that you trust the local network and may want your PC to communicate with other devices.
- For a trusted home or small-office network, open:
Settings -> Network & internet - Select your current Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and make sure its network profile is set to Private.
Don’t change an unfamiliar public Wi-Fi network to Private just to enable sharing. Microsoft also recommends using a Private network when troubleshooting file sharing between Windows computers.
Step 3: Turn On Network Discovery and File Sharing
Next, Windows needs permission to find other computers and advertise shared resources on your network.
Open Settings and search for:
Manage advanced sharing settings
Under “Private networks,” turn on:
- Network discovery
- File and printer sharing
Network discovery allows compatible computers and devices to find one another. File and printer sharing allows your computer to offer shared folders and printers to other devices.
If Network Discovery is disabled, File Explorer may show a message saying that network discovery is turned off. Microsoft says you can also enable it directly from that warning in File Explorer.
Step 4: Choose the Folder You Want to Share
Now decide what you actually want other computers to access.
Rather than sharing an entire drive or your whole user folder, it’s usually better to create a dedicated folder for network sharing.
You might create something like:
C:\Shared
or a folder named:
- Family Files
- Office Shared
- Scans
- Photos
This makes it easier to control what other people can see and reduces the chance of sharing something unintentionally.
Once you’ve chosen the folder, right-click it and select:
Show more options -> Give access to -> Specific people
Windows will open the network access window.
Microsoft’s current Windows 11 instructions use this same File Explorer method for sharing folders.
Step 5: Decide Who Can Access the Folder
Windows lets you choose which users should have access.
You may also see an Everyone option.
Despite the name, Everyone does not mean that the folder suddenly becomes available to everyone on the internet. It relates to users who can reach the computer through your local network and who are permitted by Windows to access the share.
Still, sharing with a specific account is generally the better approach when the files aren’t meant for everyone on the network.
Windows can also give users different levels of permission.
- Read – access lets someone open and copy files without changing them.
- Read/Write – access allows them to create, change and delete files in the shared folder.
Think carefully before granting Read/Write access. If a user can modify a shared folder, accidental deletions or unwanted changes can affect the original files stored on the host computer.
When ready, select Share. Windows should display the network path for the folder. It may look something like:
\\OFFICE-PC\Shared
Make a note of it.
Step 6: Open the Shared Folder From Another PC
Move to the second Windows computer.
Open File Explorer by clicking its icon (or pressing Windows key + E).
Select Network in the left side of File Explorer.
If network discovery is working correctly, you may see the other computer listed there.
Open the computer and then open the shared folder.
You can also skip Network browsing entirely and enter the network path directly into File Explorer’s address bar:
\\COMPUTER-NAME\SHARE-NAME
For example:
\\OFFICE-PC\Shared
Press Enter.
If Windows asks for credentials, you’ll need to sign in with an account that has permission to access the computer or shared folder.
Once connected, you can work with the files much like you would with files in another folder.
Make the Shared Folder Appear Like a Drive
If you use the shared folder regularly, typing its network address every time gets old quickly.
Windows can assign the folder a drive letter such as S: or Z: for easier access. This is called mapping a network drive.
Open File Explorer and select “This PC.”
From the toolbar’s “More” menu, choose Map network drive. (If you don’t see the option there, right-click “This PC” and look for Map network drive)
Choose an available drive letter and enter the folder’s network path:
\\OFFICE-PC\Shared
Enable “Reconnect at sign-in” if you want Windows to reconnect automatically whenever you sign in.
Then select Finish. The shared folder should now appear under “This PC” alongside your other drives.
Microsoft recommends mapping a network drive when you want regular access to a shared location without searching for it or entering its network path each time.
What If the Other Computer Doesn’t Appear?
Don’t assume file sharing is broken just because a computer doesn’t appear under Network.
Windows network browsing can occasionally be less reliable than connecting directly.
Try entering the computer name manually:
\\COMPUTER-NAME
If that works, you’ll see the folders that computer is sharing even if the computer wasn’t appearing automatically in the Network section.
You can find the Windows computer name under:
Settings -> System -> About
The network name is usually shown as the device name.
If Windows Says “Network Path Was Not Found”
One of the most common network-sharing errors is that Windows can’t find the other computer or folder.
Start with the basics.
Confirm that both PCs are turned on, connected to the same network, and using a Private network profile. Check that Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing are enabled on the computers involved.
Then try the computer’s network address directly rather than relying on the Network screen:
\\COMPUTER-NAME
Also check the spelling of both the computer name and shared-folder name.
Microsoft recommends checking that the computers are on the same network, running current Windows updates, and have the necessary discovery and sharing settings enabled when troubleshooting file sharing.
If the Computer Appears but You Get “Access Denied”
This usually points to permissions rather than connectivity.
The good news is that the computers are probably communicating.
Return to the computer hosting the folder and check who the folder is shared with.
Right-click the folder and choose:
Show more options -> Give access to -> Specific people
Make sure the account you’re trying to use has permission.
Also check whether the account has Read, or Read/Write access depending on what you’re trying to do.
If you can open files but can’t save, rename or delete them, you probably have read-only permission.
If Windows Keeps Asking for a Username and Password
Modern Windows file sharing is designed to work with authenticated users rather than anonymous access.
If a connection prompts for credentials, use an account that is permitted to access the computer hosting the shared folder.
Avoid solving credential problems by simply disabling every security setting you can find.
Microsoft’s general troubleshooting page mentions turning off Password Protected Sharing as one troubleshooting option, but newer versions of Windows also include stronger SMB security protections and restrictions around unauthenticated guest connections. For normal home and small-business use, authenticated sharing is the safer configuration.
Older NAS or Storage Device Suddenly Stopped Working?
There’s another issue worth knowing about if you’re connecting Windows 11 to an older network-attached storage device, router-based USB drive, media box or other file server.
Windows network file sharing commonly uses a technology called SMB, short for Server Message Block.
You don’t need to understand SMB to share files between modern Windows PCs. But newer Windows 11 releases have strengthened SMB security, including stricter signing behavior and protections against insecure guest connections.
That means some older storage devices that previously connected without a problem may be rejected by newer Windows installations.
Windows may display an error about your organization’s security policies blocking unauthenticated guest access, or it may simply report that the network path cannot be found.
If that happens, don’t immediately disable Windows security features. First check the device manufacturer’s website for a firmware update and see whether the device supports current SMB versions, user accounts and SMB signing.
Microsoft specifically recommends fixing or updating incompatible third-party SMB servers rather than weakening SMB signing as a workaround.
Network Sharing & OneDrive
Both solve different problems.
Network sharing is useful when the computers are in the same home or workplace and you want direct access to files stored on another machine.
OneDrive and other cloud-storage services are better when you need the files while you’re away from home, want them synchronized across several devices, or need to share them with someone outside your local network.
A network share isn’t automatically available over the internet, and that’s usually a good thing. Exposing ordinary Windows file sharing directly to the public internet is not a safe substitute for a cloud-storage service, VPN or properly managed remote-access system.
Microsoft similarly distinguishes local network file sharing from internet-based sharing and recommends OneDrive when files need to be shared outside the local network.
How to See What Your Computer Is Sharing
Wondering whether you’ve left an old folder shared?
Open File Explorer and enter:
\\localhost
Windows will show resources available from your own computer.
One detail can be confusing: if you’re viewing your own user profile this way, you may see files that aren’t actually shared with other computers. Microsoft notes that seeing your own files through \\localhost doesn’t automatically mean those files are available to other network users.
How to Stop Sharing a Folder
When you no longer need a folder available over the network, removing access is simple.
Right-click the folder and choose:
Show more options -> Give access to -> Remove access
One Windows quirk is worth mentioning: File Explorer may show the “Remove access” command even for folders that aren’t currently shared. Microsoft confirms that this is normal behavior.
A Few Minutes of Setup Can Save a Lot of File Shuffling
Windows network sharing is one of those features that’s easy to overlook because cloud storage has become so common.
But when several computers are sitting in the same house or office, a shared folder can still be one of the simplest ways to move and access files.
The basic recipe is straightforward: use a trusted Private network, enable discovery and file sharing, share only the folders you actually need, give users the appropriate permissions, and connect using the computer’s network path.
Once everything is working, mapping the folder as a network drive makes it feel almost like local storage.
And if something stops working after a Windows update or with an older NAS device, disabling security is a last resort—not the first troubleshooting step.
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