{"id":9988,"date":"2026-02-13T16:06:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T16:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/?p=9988"},"modified":"2026-02-13T16:06:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T16:06:43","slug":"how-to-access-files-shared-on-another-computer-within-your-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/how-to-access-files-shared-on-another-computer-within-your-network\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Access Files Shared on Another Computer Within Your Network"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>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 \u2013 and here\u2019s the catch \u2013 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\u2019re on a Mac, it\u2019s a slightly different game\u2014everything\u2019s 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\u2019s Windows or Mac.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Access Files from Another Computer on the Same Network on Windows<\/h2>\n<p>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\u2014enabling some network discovery, sharing specific folders, and navigating to them from File Explorer. But don\u2019t forget, Windows can be stubborn\u2014sometimes it\u2019s just a matter of checking that all the right services are running or re-enabling network discovery. If sharing still doesn\u2019t work, PowerShell commands or even Remote Desktop are fallback options. You might find that rebooting is necessary after changing some sharing settings\u2014Windows loves to make those changes stick.<\/p>\n<h3>Using Folder Sharing<\/h3>\n<p>This method is what most folks try first because it\u2019s visual and straightforward\u2014once all the little moving parts are in place. It applies when your network is set as Private (not Public), and you\u2019ve 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\u2019ve gotta make sure the right network profile is active and that Windows Firewall isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<h4>Turn On Network Discovery and File Sharing<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the <strong>Run<\/strong> box with <kbd>Win + R<\/kbd>.<\/li>\n<li>Type <code>control \/name Microsoft. NetworkAndSharingCenter<\/code> and hit Enter to go into the network settings.<\/li>\n<li>Click on <strong>Change advanced sharing settings<\/strong> in the sidebar.<\/li>\n<li>In the Private network section, turn on:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Network discovery<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Automatic setup of network-connected devices<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>File and printer sharing<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>If using a public network for some reason, toggle the same options under <strong>Guest or Public<\/strong>, but it\u2019s not usually recommended.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>All Networks<\/strong> section, turn on <strong>Password protected sharing<\/strong>\u2014this keeps your stuff safe if it\u2019s a bigger network. Otherwise, anyone on the network can peek if that\u2019s turned off. It\u2019s a trade-off between security and convenience.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Save changes<\/strong>\u2014sometimes, a reboot helps after this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Some people say you might need to enable media sharing or tweak network profiles in your adapter settings if sharing still won\u2019t show up. Windows can be picky.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Check Necessary Services<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the <strong>Run<\/strong> box again, type <code>services.msc<\/code>, and press Enter.<\/li>\n<li>Look for these services:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Function Discovery Provider Host<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Function Discovery Resource Publication<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>SSDP Discovery<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>UPnP Device Host<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Double-click each, set <strong>Startup type<\/strong> to <strong>Automatic<\/strong>, then click <strong>Start<\/strong> if they\u2019re not active. This step solves most weird network discoverability issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Sharing the Folder or File<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Head to the folder you want to share. Right-click &gt; <strong>Properties<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Sharing<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Share<\/strong> or <strong>Advanced Sharing<\/strong> for more options.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>Share with<\/strong>, pick <strong>Everyone<\/strong> for open access, or specify a user. Adjust permissions based on whether you want read-only or read\/write access\u2014just be careful if you\u2019re on a shared network.<\/li>\n<li>Hit <strong>Share<\/strong> or <strong>Apply<\/strong> and close out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tip: To share a file directly, it\u2019s easiest if it\u2019s inside a shared folder or within your user profile folder. Otherwise, sharing individual files can be a bit fiddly. Alternative is to right-click &gt; <strong>Properties<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Sharing<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Share<\/strong> on the parent folder.<\/p>\n<h4>Access the Shared Files from Your PC<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Open <strong>File Explorer<\/strong> (<kbd>Win + E<\/kbd>)<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Network<\/strong> in the sidebar.<\/li>\n<li>You should see the other computer\u2019s name. Double-click it\u2014if not, use the <strong>Run<\/strong> dialog and type <code>\\\\<computername><\/computername><\/code> or <code>\\\\<ip address=\"\"><\/ip><\/code>.<\/li>\n<li>If prompted, enter the credentials (username and password) for the sharing account on that PC.<\/li>\n<li>Navigate to the shared folder, then you can open, copy, or move files like normal. Easy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some folks prefer to access shares directly via IP, like <code>\\\\192.168.1.100<\/code>. It\u2019s especially handy if name resolution acts up. Also, to find out that IP, run <code>ipconfig<\/code> in the Command Prompt and look for the IPv4 address.<\/p>\n<h3>Using PowerShell for File Sharing and Connectivity<\/h3>\n<p>If GUI feels too slow or frustrating, some guys swear by PowerShell commands. Less clicking, more scripting. Here\u2019s how to set up shares quickly:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>On the PC you want to access, run PowerShell as admin (hit <kbd>Win + R<\/kbd>, type <code>powershell<\/code>, then <kbd>Ctrl + Shift + Enter<\/kbd>).<\/li>\n<li>Create a share with:\n<pre><code>net share MyShare=\"D:\\SharedFolder\" \/grant:everyone, full<\/code><\/pre>\n<p> This shares <strong>D:\\SharedFolder<\/strong> as <strong>MyShare<\/strong> with full permissions for everyone. You can replace <strong>everyone<\/strong> with specific users for extra security.<\/li>\n<li>Enable network discovery:\n<pre><code>netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=\"Network Discovery\" new enable=Yes<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>Get the computer name or IP:\n<ul>\n<li>Hostname: <code>hostname<\/code><\/li>\n<li>IP: <code>Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>On your PC, open PowerShell and view the share:\n<pre><code>net view \\\\<hostname-or-ip><\/hostname-or-ip><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>Map a network drive:\n<pre><code>net use Z: \\\\<hostname>\\MyShare<\/hostname><\/code><\/pre>\n<p> Now Z: points to the shared folder. You can use <code>dir Z:\\<\/code> or copy files with <code>Copy-Item<\/code>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Using Remote Desktop with File Access<\/h2>\n<p>If remote control is a must, RDC can get you into another PC\u2019s desktop, making file transfers possible once the drives are redirected. In the connection options, make sure to check <strong>Drives<\/strong> under <strong>Local Resources<\/strong> so your local drives show up on the remote PC. Then, just copy or drag files between the systems as if they\u2019re connected directly. That\u2019s often easier than messing with shared folders if remote access is already a need.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Access Files on Mac on the Same Network<\/h2>\n<p>Macs use SMB or AFP for sharing. Setting up sharing is mostly a one-time thing, then it\u2019s just a matter of connecting. Kind of weird, but once you get used to the interface, it\u2019s smoother.<\/p>\n<h3>Share a Folder on Mac<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Go to <strong>Apple Menu<\/strong> &gt; <strong>System Preferences<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Sharing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Check <strong>File Sharing<\/strong>. It\u2019s the toggle for sharing services.<\/li>\n<li>Add a folder under <strong>Shared Folders<\/strong> by clicking <strong>+<\/strong> and choosing your target.<\/li>\n<li>Under <strong>Users<\/strong>, set permissions\u2014<strong>Read &amp; Write<\/strong> or <strong>Read Only<\/strong>\u2014based on needs. For anyone to access, select <strong>Everyone<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Note your Mac\u2019s <strong>Computer Name<\/strong> and IP (found at the top of the Sharing window); you\u2019ll need it to connect later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Access Shared Folder from Another Mac<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Open <strong>Finder<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>Go<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Connect to Server<\/strong> (or hit <kbd>Command + K<\/kbd>).<\/li>\n<li>Enter <code>smb:\/\/&lt;computername&gt;<\/code> or <code>smb:\/\/&lt;ip address&gt;<\/code>. If AFP preferred, change to <code>afp:\/\/<\/code>.<\/li>\n<li>Hit <strong>Connect<\/strong>, log in with the sharing credentials, and navigate the files.<\/li>\n<li>If you want to mount it permanently, you can add it to your <strong>Login Items<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s the classic fix.<\/p>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure sharing settings are enabled both sides (Windows or Mac).<\/li>\n<li>Check that relevant services are running (like SMB, UPnP).<\/li>\n<li>Use direct IP address if PC names aren\u2019t resolving well.<\/li>\n<li>Confirm user accounts and permissions are set right.<\/li>\n<li>Restart machines if needed\u2014Windows especially likes to hold onto old settings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Wrap-up<\/h2>\n<p>Getting file sharing working on a local network can be a bit of a headache, but once everything\u2019s configured, it\u2019s 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\u2014because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 \u2013 and here\u2019s the catch \u2013 your PC needs to be set up to share those files, and you gotta [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9989,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9988\/revisions\/9989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/howtogeek.blog\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}