How to Create a Windows 10 File Share

One of the most common questions we get asked is about how to create a Windows 10 file share. Now more than ever before people are becoming increasingly dependent on their computers and we are seeing an increased amount of people asking about how they can share files between multiple computers. Most households now have multiple devices, from cellphones, laptops, desktops and tables. Below we will walk you through how to create a Windows 10 file share and in future articles we will discuss other methods you can use to share your data with multiple devices.

What Is a File Share?

Typically, a file share is a folder on your computer that is shared with devices that are on your local network. Meaning that if you have multiple computers at home, you can access the same data across all of your devices as long as they are on the same network. When using a file share it is easiest if you stick with the same operating systems. In this article we will be discussing Windows 10 directly.

So, how do I create a file share?

Creating a file share is fairly simple! I have outlined the steps below.

Right click on the folder you want to share then select “Properties”
Select the “Sharing” tab.
Select “Share”
In the Window you will want to specify the user or group that can have access to the share. You can also share with everyone by typing “Everyone” in the field, but this is not recommended. When done press “Add”.
On the right-hand side of the wizard you can select the permission you would like to give the user. To give them full access you would select “Read/Write”.
When this is completed you will see a summary that includes the UNC path that can be used to access the share. You can click the words “Copy” on the screen to copy the UNC path to your clipboard.

To access the share on another computer it is as simple as opening Windows Explorer and typing in the UNC path mentioned above in your address bar. If you are unable to access the path this usually means you have an issue with firewall rules allowing the field to be shared.

Things To Consider

Before you share any file, it is best to consider the security constraints you are waiting to put on the file. As mentioned above you can set permissions on the file share to limit who can read/write to a file. You might want to give a user access to read data but not write. This should all be considered before you start granting access. We would always advise following the policy of least privilege. This is simple as giving the user only the permissions they need to preform the desired function and nothing more.

File shares are only accessible if you are on the same network. If you are wanting to access it when you are away from your house your best option would be to consider cloud storage. There are many cloud storage programs that will allow you to share files with other users and devices. The most popular options are Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and Own Cloud. All these providers give you a way to share files and folders with devices when they are not on your local network.

Please note that when items are deleted from a network share they will be permanently deleted. By default, network share’s do not have a recycling been.

Shadow Copy – When doing anything with network shares, we highly recommend turning shadow copy on. It allows you to make snapshots of your data at certain time intervals. This will allow you to easily restore an item that was edited on a file share. We as always would still recommend a backup program.

Shadow copy can be turned on by:

right clicking “This PC” in file explorer and selecting Properties.
Select “System Protection” on the right hand side.
Select “Turn on System Protection”.
You will want to increase the Disk Space usage to allow for system restore points and shadow copy data. To add custom time schedule to shadow copy you will need to use Windows Task Scheduler.

We hope this guide helps you in creating your network share. Check back for updates and check our blog for more information about using your computer.