Solved How can I share a folder on local network without the user folder also being visible?

I have set up a private network, without password protection and shared a folder over the network and it all works fine.
However, two folders end up being visible 1. The Folder I want to share and 2. My User Folder with all the contents.

I just want to share a folder with someone else in the family to conveniently give each other ad hoc documents, but I don’t want them to see all my files.

AI result on Google.com, but it looks correct.

To share a specific folder on your Windows 11 computer on the local network without exposing your entire user folder, navigate to the desired folder, right-click on it, select "Properties", go to the "Sharing" tab, click "Advanced Sharing", then check "Share this folder" and carefully set permissions to only allow access to the specific shared folder, excluding the parent user folder.

Key steps:

Locate the folder: Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to share on the network.

Access sharing settings: Right-click on the folder and select "Properties".
Open advanced sharing: Go to the "Sharing" tab and click "Advanced Sharing".
Enable sharing: Check the box next to "Share this folder".
Set permissions: Click "Permissions" to specify which users or groups can access the shared folder.
Exclude parent folder: Ensure that only the specific folder is selected for sharing, not the entire user directory.

Important points to consider:

User access control:
Be mindful of who you grant access to the shared folder by selecting the appropriate users or groups and assigning the desired permission level (Read, Write, Full Control).

Network discovery settings:
Make sure your network settings allow for network discovery on both the sharing computer and the devices that need to access the shared folder.

Hi PCUser,

Oh, thank you so much for offering to help me, much appreciated.

I set up the file sharing differently, I followed these Microsoft instructions.

File sharing over a network in Windows - Microsoft Support

My process was

Right click the folder I want to share > Show more options > Give access to > Specific people > I then selected everyone.

I have now stopped sharing and attempted to redo it following your instructions.
I get to your step “Set permissions: Click "Permissions" to specify which users or groups can access the shared folder.”

I then select the only option available to me which is Everyone (see picture). However, there is no final step “Exclude parent folder: Ensure that only the specific folder is selected for sharing, not the entire user directory.”

I see you are on Pro, I am on home, is this only a feature on Pro? What can I do here?

Everyone - Read Only -click OK

xKoMox said:

Hi PCUser,

Oh, thank you so much for offering to help me, much appreciated.

I set up the file sharing differently, I followed these Microsoft instructions.

File sharing over a network in Windows - Microsoft Support

My process was

Right click the folder I want to share > Show more options > Give access to > Specific people > I then selected everyone.

I have now stopped sharing and attempted to redo it following your instructions.
I get to your step “Set permissions: Click "Permissions" to specify which users or groups can access the shared folder.”

I then select the only option available to me which is Everyone (see picture). However, there is no final step “Exclude parent folder: Ensure that only the specific folder is selected for sharing, not the entire user directory.”

I see you are on Pro, I am on home, is this only a feature on Pro? What can I do here?

Click to expand...

Also the link you sent has Windows 10 and a different tab for Windows 11 instructions (for reference)
Be sure you follow Windows 11. Windows 11 Pro and Home should be the same for what you're trying to setup.

xKoMox said:

shared a folder over the network and it all works fine.

Click to expand...

xKoMox said:

two folders end up being visible 1. The Folder I want to share and 2. My User Folder with all the contents.

Click to expand...

Sounds to me like you have inadvertantly shared your user folder as well as the folder you actually intend to share.. Just turn of sharing for user folder.
file explorer>users> right click on your user name>select properties>sharing tab>advanced sharing>uncheck share this folder>apply>ok

Thank you glasskuter, your contribution resolved my issue of unsharring the users folder.
I went through the process again and noticed that when you turn on network sharing a Users folder is automatically created to share.

Thank you PCUser also.
I ended having to go back and redoing the MS instructions to be able to open the shared folder on the other PC. While the folders were visible with your instructions on the other PC, for some unknown reason they would not open.

Thank you both again for your continued support, I very much appreciate your valued help.

xKoMox said:

Thank you glasskuter, your contribution resolved my issue of unsharring the users folder.
I went through the process again and noticed that when you turn on network sharing a Users folder is automatically created to share.

Thank you PCUser also.
I ended having to go back and redoing the MS instructions to be able to open the shared folder on the other PC. While the folders were visible with your instructions on the other PC, for some unknown reason they would not open.

Thank you both again for your continued support, I very much appreciate your valued help.

Click to expand...

Glad it worked out for you