File sharing

Ron Verdon 0 Reputation points
2026-10-17T10:49:42.8966667+00:00

How do I check if check sharing permissions, confirm firewall settings allow file sharing on Windows 11?

Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | Networking | Network connectivity and file sharing
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  1. Marcin Policht 110.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-17T14:23:40.2066667+00:00

    In Windows 11, you can check file-sharing permissions and firewall settings through File Explorer, Advanced sharing settings, and Windows Defender Firewall. First, confirm that both computers are connected to the same network and that the network profile is set to Private if it is a trusted home or office network. Go to Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi or Ethernet → your connected network, and verify the network profile. Avoid setting an untrusted public network to Private simply to enable sharing.

    To check sharing permissions, open File Explorer, right-click the folder you want to share, select Properties → Sharing → Advanced Sharing, and confirm that Share this folder is selected. Click Permissions to review which users or groups have access and whether they have Read, Change, or Full Control permissions. Then open the Security tab in the folder's Properties window to check NTFS permissions. A user generally needs appropriate permissions at both the share level and the Security tab level - the more restrictive permission takes precedence. For troubleshooting, grant access only to the intended user or group rather than enabling unrestricted access.

    To enable file sharing in Windows 11, open Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Advanced sharing settings. Under Private networks, enable Network discovery and File and printer sharing. These settings allow your computer to discover other devices and share files over a trusted network. If you are using a Public network profile, Windows applies more restrictive settings, which is generally appropriate for public Wi-Fi.

    To verify firewall settings, open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall. Select Change settings if necessary, then locate File and Printer Sharing and verify that it is allowed for the appropriate network profile, typically Private. If the entry is missing or sharing still fails, open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security and inspect the inbound rules for File and Printer Sharing, including the SMB-related rules. Do not disable the firewall entirely - enable only the necessary rules for the trusted network profile.

    Finally, test access from the other computer by opening File Explorer and entering \\ComputerName\ShareName in the address bar, replacing the placeholders with the sharing computer's name and shared folder name. If the connection fails, try \\IPAddress\ShareName to help distinguish name-resolution problems from sharing or firewall problems. You can find the computer name under Settings → System → About and its local IP address by running ipconfig in Command Prompt. If you receive an Access denied message, investigate permissions and credentials - if you receive a network path not found error, check connectivity, name resolution, and firewall rules.

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-17T10:49:56.6033333+00:00

    On Windows 11, check both sharing settings and firewall rules with these steps:

    1. Verify the network is set to Private
      • Go to Start > Settings > Network & internet.
      • Open the connected network and make sure the profile is Private.
      • File and printer sharing is normally enabled for Private networks.
    2. Check sharing settings
      • Go to Start > Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings.
      • Under Private networks, make sure:
        • Network discovery = On
        • File and printer sharing = On
      • Under All networks, if needed for easier access in a workgroup setup, turn password protected sharing Off.
    3. Confirm the required discovery services are running
      • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, then select OK.
      • For each of these services, open Properties and make sure they are running and set to Automatic:
        • Function Discovery Provider Host
        • Function Discovery Resource Publication
        • SSDP Discovery
        • UPnP Device Host
    4. Check whether the folder is actually shared
      • Open File Explorer.
      • Type \localhost in the address bar.
      • This shows folders shared from the PC.
      • If a folder is under the user profile, seeing profile files there does not mean all files are shared; it can also reflect access to local files.
    5. Confirm Windows Defender Firewall allows file sharing
      • Open Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.
      • Select Advanced settings.
      • Select Inbound Rules.
      • Find these rules and make sure both are enabled:
        • File and Printer Sharing (NB-Session-In)
        • File and Printer Sharing (SMB-In)
      • Enabling these rules requires membership in the Administrators group or equivalent.
    6. Quick check from File Explorer
      • Open File Explorer > Network.
      • If the banner says Network discovery is turned off, select it and then choose Turn on network discovery and file sharing.

    If file sharing still does not work, make sure all PCs are on the same network and fully updated.

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