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How to share files between nearby PCs or Laptops in Windows

Sharing Files Between Nearby PCs or Laptops on Windows Computer

You can easily share files between nearby PCs and Laptops over the network. By doing this, there is no need to waste your time by copying the content to a pen drive from one computer and pasting it to another.

This feature on Windows PCs is extremely useful for small and large businesses alike.

How to share files between nearby PCs or Laptops in Windows:

To share files between nearby Computers or Laptops in Windows, do the following:
Click Control Panel to launch computer settings Window
On the Computer’s settings Window, select Network and Internet
Select Network and internet
Select Network and internet
Then choose Network and Sharing Center
Select Network and sharing centre
Select Network and sharing Center
On the right-hand side, select Change advanced sharing settings.
Change advanced sharing settings
Change advanced sharing settings
If you want to share files and printers for people on the network, then also “Turn on file and printer sharing“.
Under “Network discovery”, Turn on network discovery
And also “Turn on automatic setup of network-connected devices.
If you want to share files and printers to access by people on the network, then also “Turn on file and printer sharing“.
Turn on or of Advanced sharing settings
Turn on or off Advanced sharing settings
Then “Turn on network discovery.
Then “Turn on network discovery
If you want to share files and printers to access by people on the network, then also “Turn on file and printer sharing“.
Turn on or of Guest or public profile
Turn on or off Guest or public profiles.
Now expand “All networks
Make sure to “Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders
Under File sharing connections, make sure “Use 128-bit encryption to help protect file sharing connections (Recommended)
Make sure to “Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders.
And click “Save changes
Now close the “Advanced sharing settings” window.
Turn on or of Public folder sharing
Turn on or off Public folder sharing
Now select the folder you want to share on the second PC and press “Shift+F10“, or Right-click on Folder, then click to expand “Show more options“, then hover over “Give access to,” and then select “Specific people.
Select folder you want to share and press Shift+F10
Select the folder you want to share and press Shift+F10
Click the drop-down arrow to find someone to share with
Choose people to share with
Choose people to share with
Choose people and click “Add
Add people to share with
Add people to share with
If you are an administrator, add an administrator account and select “Owner” under permission level, regardless of permission levels.
If you choose family or another user’s account, select the permission level (Read/Write) to access your file on another computer or laptop.
Then click “Share
Choosing permission levels
Choosing permission levels
After clicking “Share,” as explained above in the last step, we will navigate to the following window: Keep these windows open to share the file path, which is selected with the red rectangle, with another PC or Laptop.
Enter the link in the other PC
Enter the link in the other PC to share files between nearby PCs

Start transferring Files Between a laptop and a desktop PC:

Then click Ok.”
Enter the same file path as described in the above screenshot of the 1st PC in the following run command of the 2nd PC or laptop.
Then click “Ok”
Enter link in the Run command on the second PC
Enter the link in the Run command on the second PC
After clicking on “Ok“, the following file or folder of the 1st PC or laptop will open on the 2nd PC.
In the below screenshot, 1 to 3 represent the navigation menu, and the 4th are the items that are kept in the file or folder.
Access files from the second PC or Laptop (1)
Access files from the second PC or Laptop (1)

What is a file transfer between computers?

File sharing is a feature used to transfer any kind of file from one nearby PC or Laptop to another over the network.

Does it require the network to share files between PCs?

Yes, a network connection is required to share files between PCs in Windows.

How do I disable Nearby Sharing if I no longer want to use it?

Go to “Settings,” select “System,” choose “Shared experiences,” and turn off “Nearby Sharing.”

What if the recipient declines the file I’m sharing via Nearby Sharing?

The recipient has the choice to decline or accept the file transfer request.

What’s the maximum file size I can share using Nearby Sharing?

Nearby Sharing supports various file sizes, but very large files may take longer to transfer.

Can I share files with multiple PCs simultaneously using Nearby Sharing?

No, Nearby Sharing supports one-to-one file transfers between nearby devices.

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