How to share files over home network

Hello, Paul Schuler

Welcome to the Microsoft community.

Thank you for your feedback. Sharing files on a home network, especially across devices with different operating systems (Windows 10 and Windows 11), is possible in several ways. The issue you mentioned is that the devices can't see each other, which is usually because some settings are not configured correctly. Here are some possible solutions:

1. Make sure all devices are connected to the same network

First, make sure your desktop, laptop, and Android devices are all connected to the same Wi-Fi or LAN. If they are not on the same network, it is impossible to share files.

2. Enable network discovery and file sharing

In order for devices to recognize each other, you need to enable network discovery and file sharing in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

On Windows 10:

Click the Start button and select Settings (gear icon).

Go to Network and Internet → Status → Network and Sharing Center.

Click Change advanced sharing settings on the left.

Under Home or Work (current configuration), make sure:

Select Enable network discovery.

Select Enable File and Printer Sharing.

Enable Allow Windows to manage home group connections, if this option is available.

Save the settings and restart the computer.

On Windows 11:

Click Start and select Settings.

Go to Network and Internet → Advanced Network Settings → Advanced Sharing Settings.

Under Private configuration, make sure:

Select Enable Network Discovery.

Select Enable File and Printer Sharing.

Save and restart your computer.

3. Check the firewall settings

Make sure the firewall is not blocking network sharing. You can temporarily disable the firewall to test the sharing function:

Press Win + R to open the Run box, type control and press Enter to enter the Control Panel.

Select Windows Firewall → Enable or Disable Windows Firewall.

Temporarily disable the firewall and check if file sharing is restored.

If you are able to share files after disabling the firewall, you may need to manually configure the firewall rules to allow file sharing.

4. Using Shared Folders

On your desktop or laptop, select the folder you want to share and set it as a shared folder:

On Windows 10 or Windows 11:

Right-click the folder you want to share and select Properties.

Switch to the Sharing tab.

Click Share and select the user you want to share it with (if sharing to other devices on your local network, select Everyone).

Click Share and confirm the permissions (check the “Read/Write” permission if needed).

Click Done.

Now, other devices can access your shared folder through the network.

5. Check the workgroup settings

Ensure that the workgroup settings are consistent across all devices. If the workgroup names do not match, they may not recognize each other.

On your desktop and laptop, right-click this computer and select Properties.

Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, check the workgroup name.

Ensure that the workgroup name is the same for both devices, if not, click Change Settings and change the name to the same.

6. Accessing shared files

In Windows 10 or Windows 11 File Explorer, click Network.

If the device has been set up correctly, you should be able to see the shared folders on your desktop or laptop.

Double-click the target device and enter the required credentials (if any) to access the shared file.

7. Access via IP address

If there is a problem with network discovery, you can access the shared folder directly from the IP address:

Press Win + R to open the Run box and type cmd to open a command prompt.

At the command prompt, type ipconfig and press enter to find the IPv4 address of the device (usually something like 192.168.x.x).

In File Explorer, type \[IP address of the device] (e.g. \\192.168.1.2) and press Enter.

You should be able to access the folder shared by the device.

Disclaimer: Temporarily turn off antivirus protection. However, keep in mind that if you do so, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once issue fixed. 

8. Accessing Shared Files on Android Devices

If you want to access Windows shared files on your Android device, you can use some file management apps (e.g. Solid Explorer or CX File Explorer) to connect to the shared folder. Windows shared folders can be accessed using the SMB protocol.

If the above methods didn't solve your problem, you can also ask questions in IT pros board, where there are more professional people to answer your questions.

Results in Windows Client for IT Pros - Microsoft Community

I look forward to your feedback.

Best Regards,

Aaron| Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Aaron... greetings.

I have tried on/off for years to get a Windows 10 and now 11 home network up and running.

I have used many checklists and chatGPT and looked up many "solutions" but only on one recent occasion has computer (FIVE) been able to access my main laptop (FOUR) with all it's files.

1. Computer "FOUR" (dell laptop G7) can send and receive files to/from drives C: and D: on computer "FIVE" (Dell laptop Inspiron). Great, no problem!
2. However, computer "FIVE" continuously gets the error "Windows cannot access FOUR, Contact your network administrator to request access.

They are both Win 11 (x64) pro. Both completely up to date. Both using WiFi on the same network. Both have identical settings as per all the checklists. I've renewed all the Windows credentials - and removed them too.

On one occasion last week, after doing another "checklist", the network worked fine for 2 or three hours until I shut down - and that was the end of it all ! Back to 1) and 2) above.

[computers 1, 2 and 3 died years ago - I feel like I might too by the time this is fixed].