How To Access Files Shared on Another Computer Within Your Network

Sharing files over the same network is honestly pretty handy. No need to fuss with USB sticks or messing around with cloud services, especially when both computers are on the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet. But – and here’s the catch – your PC needs to be set up to share those files, and you gotta know the login info of the other machine. Not that complicated in theory, but sometimes Windows acts up, or you forget to tweak a setting. Plus, if you’re on a Mac, it’s a slightly different game—everything’s about SMB, AFP, and making sure sharing is enabled properly. So this guide is about ironing out those kinks to make network sharing work smoothly, whether it’s Windows or Mac.

How to Access Files from Another Computer on the Same Network on Windows

Windows has a few built-in ways to grab files from another PC. Usually, folder sharing is the easiest. Just been through it a million times—enabling some network discovery, sharing specific folders, and navigating to them from File Explorer. But don’t forget, Windows can be stubborn—sometimes it’s just a matter of checking that all the right services are running or re-enabling network discovery. If sharing still doesn’t work, PowerShell commands or even Remote Desktop are fallback options. You might find that rebooting is necessary after changing some sharing settings—Windows loves to make those changes stick.

Using Folder Sharing

This method is what most folks try first because it’s visual and straightforward—once all the little moving parts are in place. It applies when your network is set as Private (not Public), and you’ve enabled file sharing and network discovery. Basically, you make a folder shareable, then access it from the other PC via network browse or direct IP address. You’ve gotta make sure the right network profile is active and that Windows Firewall isn’t blocking file sharing. Sometimes, after changing these settings, restarting the PC or resetting network settings can help if things just refuse to see each other.

Turn On Network Discovery and File Sharing

• Open the Run box with Win + R.
• Type control /name Microsoft. NetworkAndSharingCenter and hit Enter to go into the network settings.
• Click on Change advanced sharing settings in the sidebar.
• In the Private network section, turn on:
  • Network discovery
  • Automatic setup of network-connected devices
  • File and printer sharing
• If using a public network for some reason, toggle the same options under Guest or Public, but it’s not usually recommended.
• In the All Networks section, turn on Password protected sharing—this keeps your stuff safe if it’s a bigger network. Otherwise, anyone on the network can peek if that’s turned off. It’s a trade-off between security and convenience.
• Click Save changes—sometimes, a reboot helps after this.

Some people say you might need to enable media sharing or tweak network profiles in your adapter settings if sharing still won’t show up. Windows can be picky.

Check Necessary Services

• Open the Run box again, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Look for these services:
  • Function Discovery Provider Host
  • Function Discovery Resource Publication
  • SSDP Discovery
  • UPnP Device Host
• Double-click each, set Startup type to Automatic, then click Start if they’re not active. This step solves most weird network discoverability issues.

Sharing the Folder or File

• Head to the folder you want to share. Right-click > Properties > Sharing tab.
• Click Share or Advanced Sharing for more options.
• In Share with, pick Everyone for open access, or specify a user. Adjust permissions based on whether you want read-only or read/write access—just be careful if you’re on a shared network.
• Hit Share or Apply and close out.

Tip: To share a file directly, it’s easiest if it’s inside a shared folder or within your user profile folder. Otherwise, sharing individual files can be a bit fiddly. Alternative is to right-click > Properties > Sharing > Share on the parent folder.

Access the Shared Files from Your PC

• Open File Explorer (Win + E)
• Click Network in the sidebar.
• You should see the other computer’s name. Double-click it—if not, use the Run dialog and type \\ or \\.
• If prompted, enter the credentials (username and password) for the sharing account on that PC.
• Navigate to the shared folder, then you can open, copy, or move files like normal. Easy.

Some folks prefer to access shares directly via IP, like \\192.168.1.100. It’s especially handy if name resolution acts up. Also, to find out that IP, run ipconfig in the Command Prompt and look for the IPv4 address.

Using PowerShell for File Sharing and Connectivity

If GUI feels too slow or frustrating, some guys swear by PowerShell commands. Less clicking, more scripting. Here’s how to set up shares quickly:

• On the PC you want to access, run PowerShell as admin (hit Win + R, type powershell, then Ctrl + Shift + Enter).
• Create a share with:

  net share MyShare="D:\SharedFolder" /grant:everyone, full

  This shares D:\SharedFolder as MyShare with full permissions for everyone. You can replace everyone with specific users for extra security.

• Enable network discovery:

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

• Get the computer name or IP:
  • Hostname: hostname
  • IP: Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4
• On your PC, open PowerShell and view the share:

  net view \\

• Map a network drive:

  net use Z: \\\MyShare

  Now Z: points to the shared folder. You can use dir Z:\ or copy files with Copy-Item.

Using Remote Desktop with File Access

If remote control is a must, RDC can get you into another PC’s desktop, making file transfers possible once the drives are redirected. In the connection options, make sure to check Drives under Local Resources so your local drives show up on the remote PC. Then, just copy or drag files between the systems as if they’re connected directly. That’s often easier than messing with shared folders if remote access is already a need.

How to Access Files on Mac on the Same Network

Macs use SMB or AFP for sharing. Setting up sharing is mostly a one-time thing, then it’s just a matter of connecting. Kind of weird, but once you get used to the interface, it’s smoother.

Share a Folder on Mac

• Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Sharing.
• Check File Sharing. It’s the toggle for sharing services.
• Add a folder under Shared Folders by clicking + and choosing your target.
• Under Users, set permissions—Read & Write or Read Only—based on needs. For anyone to access, select Everyone.
• Note your Mac’s Computer Name and IP (found at the top of the Sharing window); you’ll need it to connect later.

Access Shared Folder from Another Mac

• Open Finder.
• Select Go > Connect to Server (or hit Command + K).
• Enter smb://<computername> or smb://<ip address>. If AFP preferred, change to afp://.
• Hit Connect, log in with the sharing credentials, and navigate the files.
• If you want to mount it permanently, you can add it to your Login Items.

On the other side, just make sure the folder is shared, and permissions are set to allow your user or everyone, depending on your security needs. Playing around with sharing permissions, especially on a Mac, can be a little trial-and-error. Because of course, macOS has to make it just a tad more complicated than it needs to be.

So, yeah. If network sharing is being a pain, check the sharing settings, services, and if all else fails, reboot. Sometimes that helps clear up weird connection issues. Not sure why it works, but it’s the classic fix.

Summary

• Make sure sharing settings are enabled both sides (Windows or Mac).
• Check that relevant services are running (like SMB, UPnP).
• Use direct IP address if PC names aren’t resolving well.
• Confirm user accounts and permissions are set right.
• Restart machines if needed—Windows especially likes to hold onto old settings.

Wrap-up

Getting file sharing working on a local network can be a bit of a headache, but once everything’s configured, it’s a huge time saver. Sometimes Windows can be stubborn about network discovery; other times, macOS needs a nudge in sharing permissions. Usually, just checking those main settings and rebooting solves the mystery. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone—because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.