Share a folder, drive, or printer on the network in Windows

On this page:

Verify that the sharing component is installed

To verify that File and Printer Sharing is on your computer (typically installed by default):

1. Navigate to the Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click

   Change adapter settings

   .

3. Right-click the local connection icon and select

   Properties

   .

4. In the area below “This connection uses the following items:”, look for

   File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks

   .

   • If this component is not available:
     1. Click

        Install

        . Select

        Service

        , and then click

        Add…

        .

     2. Select

        File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft
        Networks

        , and then click

        OK

        .

     3. Click

        Close

        . If a dialog window appears telling you to restart your computer, do so.

   • If the component is available, make sure it is checked.

Share a folder, drive, or printer

Once File and Printer Sharing is installed, to share a folder or drive:

1. Right-click the folder or drive you want to share.
2. Click

   Properties

   . From the

   Sharing

   tab, click

   Advanced Sharing

   .

3. Click

   Share this folder

   .

4. In the appropriate fields, type the name of the share (as it appears to other computers), the maximum number of simultaneous users, and any comments that should appear beside it.
5. If you would like to grant access to particular groups or individuals, click

   Permissions

   to add the appropriate groups or usernames.

6. If you are using

   NTFS

   , check the permissions in the

   Security

   tab to ensure that they are properly set to allow access to the share. Because Security settings override Share permissions, it is possible for people on the Permissions list to be denied access to the share because they either are not specified or are denied specifically in the Security list.

   Note:

   FAT32

   does not provide the same level of security as NTFS; if you’re using FAT32, you will not see the

   Security

   tab.

7. Click

   OK

   .

To share a printer:

1. From the Control Panel, open

   Devices and
   Printers

   .

2. Right-click the printer you want to share. Click

   Printer Properties

   , and then select the

   Sharing

   tab.

3. Check

   Share this Printer

   . Under

   Share name

   , select a shared name to identify the printer. Click

   OK

   .

Access a shared folder or printer

To find and access a shared folder or printer:

1. Search for Network, and click to open it.
2. Select

   Search Active Directory

   at the top of the window; you may need to first select the

   Network

   tab on the upper left.

3. From the drop-down menu next to “Find:”, select either

   Printers

   or

   Shared Folders

   .

4. You can now enter search terms in the appropriate fields to modify the search; to start the search, click

   Find Now

   . To search for shared printers and folders that match any criteria, click

   Find Now

   without entering any search terms.

5. You will see a list of shared printers and folders that are available on the network. Double-click the item to which you want to connect.

If you know the exact name of the computer and the share, or the exact name of the printer, you can enter it directly:

1. Navigate to a search field. Enter two backslashes, the name of the computer, another backslash, and then the name of the share or printer. For example, if the name of the computer is
   bl-iub-threepio.ads.iu.edu and the name of the share is
   r2d2, type:

      \\bl-iub-threepio.ads.iu.edu\r2d2

2. Click

   OK

   .

If you need to repeatedly access a shared folder or network drive, you can map to it. Mapping creates a persistent link to the share, allowing you to double-click its icon in My
Computer whenever you want access.

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