Windows 11 Folder Sharing Guide: Easily Share Your Files and Data

In daily life and work, we often need to share files and folders between different devices. Windows 11 system provides convenient built-in folder sharing functions, allowing us to easily and securely share the content we need with others within the same network while protecting the privacy of personal files. This feature makes file sharing simple and efficient without worrying about leaking private information. Through the folder sharing function of Windows 11 system, we can cooperate, communicate and collaborate more conveniently, improving work efficiency and life convenience.

In order to successfully configure the shared folder, we first need to meet the following conditions:

• All devices (participating in sharing) are connected to the same network.
• Enable "Network Discovery" and configure sharing.
• Know the username and password in the target device (if required).

Below, we will explore how to enable the Network Discovery feature in Windows 11, configure folder sharing options, and access shared folders on the network.

How to enable network discovery

Network discovery is a key feature in Windows. Once enabled, your IP address and other related information will be exposed on the network, allowing other users to discover and access your shared resources such as files, folders, and printers. This helps facilitate connections and resource sharing between networks, but needs to be used with caution to avoid information leakage or security breaches. Make sure you carefully select which resources can be shared in your settings and take appropriate security measures, such as password protection or restricted access. The correct configuration of the network discovery function can make file sharing more convenient and efficient. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that

Here are the steps to enable and configure network discovery on Windows 11:

Enabling network discovery will increase the likelihood that your computer will be discovered on the network, thereby increasing the risk of network attacks. Therefore, it is recommended not to enable this feature when using a public network.

1Use the Windows I shortcut key to open "Settings" and click "Network and Internet" > "Advanced network settings".

2 Click "Advanced Sharing Settings" and expand the "Private Network" settings:

• Turn on the "Network Discovery" switch.
• Check "Automatically set up network connected devices".
• Turn on the "File and Printer Sharing" switch.

3 Expand the "All Networks" settings:

• Turn on the "Password Protected Sharing" switch. In this way, other users need to verify the account and password on this computer when accessing shared content, thereby increasing security.

Enable "Network Discovery" function

Easily configure shared folders on Windows 11

Method 1: Using the Sharing Wizard (Getting Started)

On Windows 11, sharing files and folders with other users is easy and enjoyable using the Sharing Wizard (called "Simple File Sharing" in early Windows). The specific steps are as follows:

1 Open File Explorer: Use the Windows E shortcut key to open File Explorer.

2 Select the folder to be shared: Find the folder to be shared, right-click and select "Properties".

Files cannot be shared directly and must be placed in a folder.

3 Enter the sharing settings: switch to the "Sharing" tab and click the "Share" button (if it is grayed out, please see the FAQ at the end of the article).

4 Configure permissions: Select the user or group with permission to access in the pop-up drop-down menu, or "Everyone", and then click "Add".

Add shared object

5 Assign sharing permissions: Next, in the permission selection menu, you can choose:

• Read: You can only view and open files, but cannot modify, add, or delete content.
• Read/Write: In addition to viewing and opening files, you can modify, add, and delete content in shared folders.

Set sharing permissions

6 Save settings: After setting permissions, click "Share" and then select "Finish".

Click "Finish" to save settings

After completing the above steps, other devices on the network can access the contents of the folder.

Method 2: Advanced File Sharing (Advanced)

Windows 11 not only provides the "Simple File Sharing" function, but also supports "Advanced Sharing", allowing you to more precisely control user access permissions to shared folders. Here are the setup steps:

1Open File Explorer: Use the Windows E shortcut key to open Windows Explorer.

2 Select the folder to be shared: Select the folder to be shared, right-click and select "Properties".

3 Enter advanced sharing settings: Go to the "Sharing" tab and click the "Advanced Sharing" button.

4 Enable folder sharing: Check the "Share this folder" option, set the share name and the maximum number of user connections.

Enable folder sharing

The "share name" can be different from the folder name; after clicking "Apply", you can also add multiple share names to the same folder and specify the maximum number of connections respectively.

5 Configure permissions: Click the "Permissions" > "Add" > "Advanced" button to add a new user or group.

Configuration Permissions

If the device is a domain member, you can click "Location" to select a specific device on the network. By default, only local users and groups are displayed.

6 Select a user or group: Click "Find Now", select a user or group from the results list as the sharing object, and click "OK". If you want everyone to have access, select "Everyone".

Add shared object

7 Assign sharing permissions: In the permission setting window, assign "Read", "Change" or "Full Control" permissions to the selected user or group as needed, and then click "OK" to complete the settings.

Assign sharing permissions

Denied permissions have the highest priority. For example, if a user belongs to multiple groups at the same time, and as long as one of the groups is set to deny permissions, the denied permissions will take effect first. This means that even if other groups have allow permissions set, denying permissions will override them and ultimately the user will not be able to access the shared folder.

8Save settings: Close all dialog boxes to save your settings.

After completing these steps, the user or group you selected will be able to access the shared folder on the network according to the set permissions.

Access shared folders on the network

In Windows systems, accessing shared folders on the network is a basic operation. The following are 2 common methods:

Method 1: Via File Explorer

1Use the Windows E shortcut key to open File Explorer.

2 In the left navigation bar, click "Network" (this machine needs to enable network discovery). Double-click the shared device from the list to open and browse the shared folder.

Discover and access shared devices through the "Network" option

3 If authentication is required, enter the corresponding username and password, and then access the files in the shared folder.

Method 2: Through the "Run" dialog box

1Use the Windows R shortcut key to open the "Run" dialog box.

2Enter the full UNC path of the shared folder and press Enter. For example:

\sysgeek-nasdemo

3 Verify the username and password required to access the shared folder, and then enter the specified shared folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a UNC path?

UNC path (Universal Naming Convention, Universal Naming Convention) is the standard path format for accessing network shared resources. . The format is as follows \\server\share\path, where:

• server represents the server name or IP address.
• share is the name of the shared resource (folder).
• path is the path to a file or subdirectory.

Why is the "Share" button gray and unclickable?

If the "Share" button becomes grayed out and unavailable, please try the following steps to enable "Simple File Sharing":

1. Open File Explorer
2. Click the "···" icon and select "Options".
3. Go to the "View" tab, check "Use the Sharing Wizard (recommended)" and click "Apply".

After setting the sharing permissions, why can’t I still access it?

In Windows systems, accessing shared folders requires both "Share" and "NTFS" permissions. After setting the sharing permissions, you also need to check the "Security" tab in the folder "Properties" to confirm the NTFS permissions.

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