Sharing files between accounts does not work

Question

When I give access to another account and share it with them, it doesn't show up in the file explorer when I switch to the other account.

Answer 1

Hello, Sienna ODonnell

Welcome to the Microsoft community.

Thank you for your feedback. This issue can be caused by several reasons. Here are some troubleshooting options:

Confirm the sharing settings:

Right-click on the folder you want to share

Select “Properties” > “Sharing” tab

Ensure that other accounts have been added correctly and that permissions are set correctly.

Check network discovery and file sharing:

Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change Advanced Sharing Settings

Ensure that Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing are both enabled.

Check firewall settings:

Open Windows Defender Firewall

Make sure File and Printer Sharing rules are enabled

Use advanced sharing:

Right click on the folder > Properties > Sharing > Advanced Sharing

Check “Share this folder”.

Set appropriate permissions

Check the User Account Control (UAC) settings:

Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control Settings

Make sure it is not set too high

Use network paths:

In other accounts, try to access the shared folder via a network path

Example: \Computer name\Shared folder name

Make sure that both accounts are administrator accounts or that the shared account has sufficient permissions

Use command line sharing:

Run a command prompt as an administrator

Use the net share command to create a share

Example: net share share name=C:\path /grant:username,FULL

Check the group policy:

Run gpedit.msc (if available)

Check to see if there are any policies that prevent file sharing.

If none of the above work, you may want to consider resetting your file sharing and network settings, or in extreme cases, reinstalling Windows. be sure to back up important data before making any major changes.

How to: Perform a Custom Installation of Windows 11 and Windows 10 - Microsoft Community

I look forward to your feedback, which will help me pinpoint your problem.

Best Regards,

Aaron| Microsoft Community Support Specialist