How to Share a Folder on Windows Without Sharing the Whole PC
Windows 11; Windows 10 differences noted where they exist · Last checked · Suggest an edit
https://instructions.wiki/windows/share-a-folder-on-windows-without-sharing-the-whole-pc
You want another computer on your home or office network to open one folder on this PC, and nothing else. Windows shares a single folder at a time, so the rest of the drive stays private.
Set the network to Private
Open Settings, Network & internet, click the network you are connected to, and under Network profile type choose Private. Do the same on the other PC. Windows blocks sharing on Public networks.
Turn on discovery and file sharing
Open Settings, Network & internet, Advanced network settings, Advanced sharing settings. Under Private networks, turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing.
Share the folder
Right-click the folder, choose Properties, open the Sharing tab, and click Share. In the dropdown, pick Everyone or type a specific account name and click Add. Set the permission level to Read or Read/Write, then click Share.
Windows shows the network path, such as \\PCNAME\Folder. Copy it, then click Done.
Set a custom share name if needed
On the same Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing, tick Share this folder, and type a Share name. The other PC uses that name in the path instead of the folder's real name.
Open the folder from the other PC
On the other computer, open File Explorer, click the address bar, and type the path:
\\PCNAME\Folder
Press Enter. To keep it permanently, right-click This PC in File Explorer, choose Map network drive, and paste the path.
If it asks for a username and password. Password protected sharing is on, which is the default. The other person signs in with the name and password of an account that exists on your PC, such as your own. To allow anyone on the network without a password, turn off Password protected sharing under All networks on the same Advanced sharing settings page.
If you want to stop. Right-click the folder, choose Properties, Sharing, click Share, and pick Stop sharing. Sharing a folder never exposes the rest of the drive, and nothing outside that folder is reachable from the other PC.