Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Network discovery and file sharing are two different settings that can be turned on or off separately. If you want to share a file or printer from a Windows 11 PC, you need to first turn on both network discovery and file and printer sharing on a particular computer. This post will show you how to turn on or off network discovery and file sharing in Windows 11/10.

  1. 1: Turn on or off network discovery in windows 11/10
  2. 2: Turn on or off file sharing in windows 11/10

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

1: Turn on or off network discovery in windows 11

Way 1: Via Windows settings

Step 1: Use the Windows + I to open the Windows Settings, first select Network & internet, and then select the Ethernet option.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 2: Under Network profile type, select Private. This profile will allow devices on your network to be discovered. The private profile is intended for home, workplace and trusted networks. If you want to turn off network discovery, just click the Public option. This action will make your device undiscoverable on the network.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Note: If you use Wi-Fi, click on Wi-Fi option. Select Private under Network profile type. This profile will enable discovery of devices within your network. If you use file sharing or apps that communicate over the network, select this profile for better Ethernet connectivity.

Way 2: Via command prompt

Step 1: Search for Command Prompt in the search bar and click Run as administrator.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 2: Run the commands below to turn on Network discovery for all networks.

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=Yes

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 3: Run the following command to turn off network discovery for all networks.

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=No

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

2: Turn on or off file sharing in windows 11

Way 1: Via control panel

Step 1: Search for Control Panel in the Start menu bar and Open it.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 2: Select Network and Internet option.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 3: Click on Network and Sharing Center.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 4: In the left panel, select Change advanced sharing settings.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 5: Click to expand the Private option and select to Turn on or off file and printer sharing. And finally Save changes.

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Tip: You can also turn Network Discovery on or off here.

Way 2: Via command prompt

Step 1: Repeat Way 2 Step 1 above.

Step 2: Enter the following command and press enter. Once done, it will turn on file and printer sharing.

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=Yes

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Step 3: Enter the following command to turn off file and print sharing.

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=No

Turn on File sharing Windows 11

Why can't I turn on file sharing?

Solution 1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings. 2. Select Turn on network discovery to enable network discovery. Select Turn on file and printer sharing to enable file sharing.

Why can't I share a folder in Windows 11?

There are many reasons for the “cannot access shared folder Windows 11” issue. There may be a misconfigured network, incorrect drive settings, and misspellings of the folder names mentioned above. And in some cases, the user account behind the folder has inappropriate permissions settings.

Can Windows 11 share files with Windows 10?

You can share files between PCs that are running Windows 10 or Windows 11. Notes: If the PC you're sharing from is running the latest version of Windows 11, you can share over Wi-Fi if the Windows 10/11 PC you're sharing to is connected to the same private Wi-Fi network.

Where is advanced sharing settings on Windows 11?

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys at the same time to open the Settings application. Step 2: Then, click the Network & Internet part and click Ethernet. Then, click the Change advanced sharing options option. Step 3: Under the Network profile type part, you can choose public or private.