windows 10 file sharing not working

Windows 10 file sharing not working? Follow these simple Steps!

File sharing is a process of sharing public or private data or space into a network with various levels of access privileges. Windows 10 file sharing allows you to share files over a network.

The windows have made this file-sharing easy where it can be done in 2 or 3 clicks. This file-sharing is not only limited to windows but you can also view these files on an android phone. But sometimes you can face the issue of windows 10 file sharing not working.

This file system enables users to share files or folders in a local network in a secured environment, conveniently and easily.

Follow these steps to share files over the network in windows 10

  • To share a file or a folder in file explorer follow these steps- Right-click on the file, select “Give access to”, then select specific people with whom you want to share the files.
  • Select File, then select the Share tab at top of file explorer, and then in the Share with section select Specific people.

We can also choose multiple files at once to share, it can also be done in the same way. You can also choose folders where all the files stored inside that folder will also be shared at once.

Solutions to Fix: Windows 10 File Sharing Not Working Problem

windows 10 file sharing not working

Users will face Windows 10 file sharing not working issue after updating their OS version to 1809 or 1903. They may face issues such as the devices on the network may not find each other, the users may not find files or folders on other PC, sometimes users can’t see the shared folders. The following are the causes of this issue.

  • Password protection sharing would be turned on
  • Lack of ownership permissions to access the files and folders on the device
  • If you don’t have the credentials to access the target device.
  • IPv6 blocks the transfer of files
  • There is a chance that SMB 1.0/CIFS file-sharing support is disabled by updating the windows
  • There is a possibility that you have not enabled file-sharing or using that in a wrong way
  • You may not have installed the latest version of windows

We have got you covered. To fix the windows 10 file sharing not working issue, here are the few best ways mentioned.

Try to restart your PC

Sometimes restarting your PC may solve all the issues you are facing. Try to restart your PC and check whether the issue is solved or not.

Enable and use file sharing properly

The next solution for your windows 10 file sharing not working issue is that you need to enable the file-sharing settings in the proper way to enable its work efficiently. Make sure that you are sharing the data accurately. Follow these steps to enable file-sharing settings.

  • Go to Control panel -> Network and sharing center -> Change Advanced sharing settings
  • Below Private(current profile), enable “turn on network discovery” and “turn on file and printer sharing” and tap on “save changes” to confirm.

For the issue to be resolved, make sure that File and Printer Sharing in Windows firewall settings are enabled.

  • Navigate to Start menu, open control panel, open windows firewall, and then navigate to ‘Allow a program through Windows Firewall’
  • You will see a pop-up menu, check “file and printer sharing in the list” and click on ok to save changes.

If you continue facing issues, then try disabling windows defender temporarily, to check if the issue is resolved by doing this.

Turn password protection off

If your password protection is turned on, then the user on the other side may not be able to access the files as they do not have the user account on your PC or they should be able to access your PC with a password and Username.

To disable this password protection follow these steps

  • Go to the control panel, navigate to “Network and sharing center”, and then to “Change advanced sharing settings”.
  • And under all networks, check “Turn of password protected sharing” and click “save changes”

Add a windows credential

If you get an issue while trying to access a specific folder when connecting to a remote server, then you may need to give credentials to fix the problem. Forgoing further you may need to know the network address, username, and password of the remote computer or server.

  • Open control panel, click on credential manager
  • Select windows credentials and click the “add a window credential” button

Enter the target computer’s IP address in the Internet or network addressing the internet or network address and enter username and password respectively, this will solve this issue.

Disable IPv6

Coming to the next solution for the windows 10 file sharing not working problem. Sometimes disabling IPv6 solves the problem, To disable IPv6 follow these steps

  • Open the control panel, click on Network and sharing center, click on change adapter settings
  • Double-tap on an active network adapter on the Internet connection window
  • Click properties and find IPv6(Internet Protocol Version 6), Uncheck it and click ok. Then restart your computer and check whether the problem is solved or not.

Change file-sharing connections

The file-sharing is protected by 128-bit encryption in windows. The devices that do not support 128, uses 40 or 56-bit encryption. In real-time you need to deal with one of these two sharing connections.

  • Open the control panel, click on network and sharing center, choose change advanced sharing settings.
  • Below All Networks, find “File sharing connections”, You can also try 120-bit encryption or 40-56 bit encryption alternatively.

This is one of the resolutions for your windows 10 file sharing not working problem. Let’s move to the next section.

Disable antivirus on your PC

Disabling the antivirus can also cause windows 10 file sharing not working problem. Sometimes this antivirus may defend the file sharing. So you can temporarily disable your antivirus and check if the issue is solved or not. Try upgrading your antivirus to its latest version.

Enable the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support

The updated version of windows 10 may disable the SMB feature, which plays a key role in file sharing. So try fixing this issue and turn on SMB 1.0 in the Windows-features window.

  • Open control panel, then click on programs and features
  • Click on ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ at the left side panel. In the pop-up box find and check box ‘SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support’ this feature. Then click ‘ok’ and reboot the computer and check if the file-sharing is working fine or not.

Update windows to the latest version

Due to some bugs in the update, this windows file sharing may not work properly. So by updating to the latest version of windows 10 solves the problem.

  • Open settings on the PC, go to “Update and Security”, and click on the check for updates button, there you can check whether a new version of windows is available or not.
  • If you find an update, install and update it. Now restart your PC and check the issue is solved or not

These are the few best solutions that you can try in your windows 10 to fix the windows 10 file sharing not working issue. One of these solutions will help you to solve the file-sharing problem in windows and enables you to share files between two devices. Hope your problem will be fixed with any one of these feasible solutions.

To read more interesting articles like this, check them out at SocialMirror. If you have any queries or doubts, feel free to ask me in the comments section below!

Hi, I'm Jaahnavi. I work on Cyber-Security projects and in my free time, I do blogging. Currently pursuing MCA from Sastra University
"https://socialmirror.in/"