How To Setup A Home Network Windows 10

On Windows 10, you tin can share files with other users over the network. While this might seem complicated, information technology'due south technically a elementary task when using the operating organization'southward congenital-in tools.

Depending on your network environs and what you want to accomplish, there are at to the lowest degree four ways to gear up file sharing on Windows 10. Y'all can use the Public folder, a specific setup that lets yous share files over the local network without configuring permissions. Or you can share content using the File Sharing feature on Windows 10. And if yous are looking to share files with other people across the internet, you tin can use file sharing with OneDrive.

In previous versions, you were also able to utilize Homegroup, which, unlike the Public folder, automatically shared Windows 10 libraries folders (Pictures, Videos, Music, Documents), Printers, and other devices connected to your computer. However, information technology is no longer a characteristic on Windows 10. (Since there are still computers with older releases of Windows, the instructions to configure this characteristic will proceed to be available in this guide.)

This guide will teach you how to share files over the network using File Sharing and OneDrive on Windows ten.

How to share files using File Explorer
How to share files over the network without countersign
How to share files using Homegroup (removed)
How to share files using OneDrive

How to share files using File Explorer

Using the congenital-in File Sharing feature on Windows 10 is the best method y'all can use to share files in a local network, equally information technology is more flexible. Y'all tin employ more restrictive permissions and share files with virtually whatever device, including Mac, Android, and Linux devices.

At that place are two ways to share files using File Explorer. You can use the bones settings, which allows yous to share files on the network with minimal configuration quickly, or yous tin can utilise the advanced settings to set up custom permissions and prepare other advanced options.

Sharing files using bones settings

To share files on a local network using the express settings, apply these steps:

Open up File Explorer on Windows 10.
Navigate to the folder you want to share.
Right-click the item, and select the Properties choice.
Click on the Sharing tab.
Click the Share button.
Use the drop-down menu to select the user or group to share a file or folder. (For this guide, select the Everyone group.)
Click the Add button.
Under the "Permission Level" section, select the sharing permissions yous desire the folder to have. For case, y'all can choose Read (default) if you but desire users to view and open up files. If y'all select Read/Write, users tin view, open, change, and delete the content on the folder you are sharing.
Click the Share push button.
Ostend the folder'southward network path that other users demand to access the network's content and click the Done button.
Click the Shut button.

Share files using advanced settings

To share files on a local network using the advanced sharing settings, apply these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Open up the location with the folder to share.
Right-click the detail and select the Properties selection.
Click on the Sharing tab.
Click the Advanced Sharing button.
Check the Share this folder selection.
Click the Permissions button.

Quick note: Windows ten allows other users read-only access to the content you share by default, meaning they can only view files, but they cannot do anything else. If y'all desire users to edit the files, delete, and create new documents in the location, you must manually select the permissions.
Select the Everyone grouping.
Check the permissions to access the contents of the folder:
- Full Control: Enables users to read, modify, edit permissions, and it allows them to take ownership of files.
- Change: User can read, execute, write, delete files and folders in share.
- Read: Allows users to access and view the contents of the folder.
Click the Apply button.
Click the OK push button.
Click the Security tab.
Click the Edit button.
Click the Add button.
Click the Advanced button.
Click the Discover now push button.
Select the Everyone group.
Click the OK push.
Click the OK push button again.
Select the Everyone grouping again.
Check the Full control selection.
Click the Apply button.
Click the OK push.
Click the Close push.

Once you complete the steps, the shared content should be available when browsing the remote computer on File Explorer > Network.

If you lot have a device ready with a Microsoft business relationship, you will get a prompt to sign in to access the network contents in the share, and using your email and password is likely to fail. You tin can get around this problem past using a local account if you configure the share with the "Everyone" group or the user and password of an account available on the remote computer.

Alternatively, you could switch your Microsoft business relationship to a local account and and then once again to a Microsoft business relationship, and then y'all volition be able to use the business relationship to sign in.

How to share files over the network without password

On Windows 10, any file you share is by default secured with a username and password, which means that only people who accept an account and password on the computer tin access shared files.

If y'all're setting up file sharing on a local network for your family members or people you lot know, information technology is possible to disable the requirement to sign in with Windows credentials to allow users to access files on the sharing computer without needing a password.

To disable password protection for file sharing on Windows 10, employ these steps:

Open Control Panel.
Click on Network and Net.
Click on Network and Sharing Center.
On the left pane, click the Change advanced sharing settings link.
Expand the All Networks tab.
Under the "Password protected sharing" section, select the Turn off countersign protected sharing option.
Click the Salve changes button.

After you lot complete the steps, users should be able to access the shared folder without a password.

How to share files using Homegroup (removed)

Microsoft created Homegroup as an easy-to-utilise method for non-technical users to securely share files between computers running Windows vii and subsequently versions of the operating system connected to the same local network.

Usually, dwelling users are the ones who will use Homegroup, every bit information technology offers a straightforward and convenient fashion to share files, just this method has limited options. For example, yous can share your libraries (Pictures, Videos, Music, Documents), folders, printers, and other devices connected to your computer. However, you cannot share files with versions of Windows older than Windows 7 or other devices running a different operating system, such as Android and iOS.

Important: Starting with version 1803 and afterwards, Windows ten no longer includes support for Homegroup, but y'all can all the same employ the feature in older versions of the operating system.

Creating a Homegroup

To create a Homegroup on a local network, use these steps:

Open Control Panel.
Click on Network and Net.
Click on Homegroup.
Click the Create a homegroup button.
Click the Side by side button.
Use the driblet-downward card to select which folders and resources (Pictures, Videos, Music, Documents, Printer & Devices) yous want to share. If you don't want to share an item, make sure to select the Not Shared selection.
Click the Adjacent button.
Make sure to note the Homegroup password every bit you will demand it to bring together other computers, and click Cease to consummate the job.

Once you complete the task, the Homegroup settings page will be updated, displaying the libraries you are currently sharing and additional options, including the ability to go out the Homegroup and change the resources you are sharing.

Bring together a Homegroup

Use these steps to join another figurer to the Homegroup to access the files you are sharing on your device:

Open up Control Panel.
Click on Network and Internet.
Click on the Choose homegroup and sharing options link.
Click the Join now button.
Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the setup.

If yous do non see the Join now button, click the Start the Homegroup troubleshooter choice, which volition force a rescan of the network and make the option bachelor.

Share files on a Homegroup

Once yous have a Homegroup created, the computer already shares those files and folders within the libraries you shared during the setup process. Notwithstanding, if you want to share files on a different location with users connected to the Homegroup, do the post-obit.

Use these steps to offset sharing files using Homegroup:

Open File Explorer.
Navigate to the content you want to share.
Right-click the folder you want to share and select the "Give access to" choice.
You will see several sharing options in the submenu, including Homegroup (view) and Homegroup (view and edit).

If you simply want users to read permissions to your files, select the Homegroup (view) option.

If you lot want users to accept read and write permissions (which also allows them to delete and create files and folders), select the Homegroup (view and edit) option.

If you want to stop sharing a previously shared folder, right-click the folder, select the Requite access to option and select the Remove admission selection.

Once yous complete the steps, the shared content should be available when browsing the remote figurer from File Explorer > Homegroup.

How to share files using OneDrive

Y'all can also share files with other people across a network or around the world using OneDrive.

To share files using OneDrive on Windows 10, use these steps:

Open your OneDrive folder on Windows 10.
Navigate to the folder you want to share.
Right-click the folder and select the Share pick.
Ostend the email of the person to share the content. (Or the available options to re-create the link or share files using other apps.)
Click the Send button.

Any user who receives your message can click the link and view the folder's content on any web browser.

Share OneDrive files from the web

If you want users to view and edit the content inside of a OneDrive folder, you will need to share the folder using OneDrive on the spider web.

To share OneDrive files from the web, utilise these steps:

Open OneDrive online.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share.
Right-click the item and select the Share option.
Specify the email for the person to share the files. (Or the available options to copy the link.)
Click the Send button.

Once you complete the steps, anyone with the link can edit the files in the folder.

If you lot simply want to share files with specific users privately, you lot tin share the content through e-mail.

Files you share will simply be bachelor to users as long equally your computer is turned on, except for the OneDrive sharing method. All the same, using OneDrive, users must have an cyberspace connection to access the shared content.

Update March 18, 2022: This guide has been revised to ensure the accuracy of the instructions.