How to create Network shares in Windows 11

Network sharing is a feature that allows resources, such as files, documents, folders, media, etc., to be shared over a network. These resources are made accessible to other users/computers over the network. In this post, we will describe how to enable a user account to create network shares in Windows 11/10.

What are Network shares in Windows?

Network shares in Windows are folders or drives on a PC, Mac, or server that are made accessible to other devices on the same local network. This allows users to share files and resources efficiently, improving collaboration and resource management.

Network sharing is also known as Shared resources. It enables more than one person to access information through more than one device at the same time or at different times. By connecting a device to a network, other users/devices can share and exchange information through this network.

Create Network shares in Windows 11/10

For administrators who want to enable a user account to create Shares in Windows 11/10, do the following:

• Add the user account to the Power Users administrative group. By default, the Power Users’ administrative group has permission to create shares.
• Enable the File and Printer Sharing group in the firewall. When the first user share is created (not counting default shares), the File and Printer Sharing group in the firewall is enabled automatically.

If the first user share is created using a user account that does not have permission to enable that group, the action will fail. In that case, you can grant the account permission to allow the user to enable firewall settings. To do this, add the user account to the Network Configuration Operators group.

Additional information

In Windows 11/10, when a user account in Power Users administrative group logs on, two separate access tokens are created for the user:

• A Standard Users administrative group access token.
• A Power Users administrative group access token.

By default, Standard Users and Power Users administrative group both access resources and run applications in the security context of the Standard Users administrative group. To use the Power User administrative group access token, run the application as administrator.

However, you can configure the Local Security Policy snap-in (Secpol.msc) or Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) to allow a power user who opens a Command Prompt window as an administrator to create a share by running the command below:

net share sharename=drive:path

That’s it!

I hope you find the post informative.

Related read: How to share Files and Folders over a Network in Windows.

How do I create a SMB share in Windows?

To create an SMB share in Windows 10, right-click the folder you want to share, select “Properties,” go to the “Sharing” tab, click “Advanced Sharing,” check “Share this folder,” set permissions, and click “OK.” This will enable SMB sharing on your Windows system.

How to create a new Network drive?

To create a new network drive, open File Explorer, right-click on “This PC,” select “Map network drive,” choose a drive letter, and enter the network path. Click “Finish” to complete the setup.