[8 Fixes] How to Fix Windows 10 File Sharing Not Working After Update 1803/1809/1903

Windows 10 File Sharing feature enables users to quickly share files with computers inside the local network they create, which is very convenient and safe. However, many users have met the same issue after update 1803, 1809, or 1903, which is Windows 10 file sharing not working. Here we provide 8 feasible ways to fix Windows 10 network sharing not working.

P.S. At first, it would be a good choice to restart your computer if the file sharing not working problem occurs because of the associated service not starting. If it doesn't work, try the follow-up methods.

About Fixing Windows 10 Network Sharing Not Working

When the problem arises, the computers on the network might not find each other, or users can't access the files of another PC, or users can't see shared folders.

Whatever the cause, it is important that you fix the issue instantly. 8 Methods demonstrated below are effective ways to check out. Moreover, EaseUS Todo PCTrans, a great PC data transfer tool, works as a workaround for you if all of these solutions fail. After fixing Windows 10 file sharing not working, you can do file sharing between Windows 7 and Windows 10.

1. Enable and Use File Sharing Properly

File sharing can only work when you enable sharing settings correctly. Besides, you also have to share data in the right way. For that, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Network and Sharing Center" > "Advanced sharing settings".

Step 2. Under Private (current profile), check "Turn on network discovery" and "Turn on file and printer sharing". Click "Save changes" to confirm.

To make sure the problem can be solved, allow File and Printer Sharing in Windows firewall settings.

Step 1. Click "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Windows Firewall" > "Allow a program through Windows Firewall".

Step 2. In the pop-up window, check "File and Printer Sharing" in the list. Then, click "OK".

If this doesn't work, you can also try disabling the Windows Defender temporarily to check if that helps in solving the issue. 

How to share files exactly

Step 1. Right-click on the file you want to share. Click "Properties" > "Sharing" > "Advanced Sharing".

Step 2. Check "Share this folder", then click "Apply" and "OK". You can click the "Permissions" option to set the permissions for files as per your need. 

The above steps make your folder accessible to all the users in your local network. If you want to share with specific users, you can click the "Share" button in Step 1 to select.

2. Turn Password Protection off

When Password protected sharing is turned on, the file sharing might fail because other users either need to have a user account on your PC, or they should know your username and password. Hence, to fix file sharing not working, you can try to disable this feature.

Step 1. Go to "Control Panel" > "Network and Sharing Center" > "Change advanced sharing settings".

Step 2. Then, under All Networks, check "Turn off password protected sharing", and click on "Save changes".

3. Add a Windows Credential

If you fail to access a specific folder when connecting to a remote server computer for file sharing, you might want to add a credential to fix the problem. In order to proceed, you will need to know the network address, username, and password of the remote computer or server.

Step 1. Open "Control Panel", and click on "Credentials Manager".

Step 2. Select "Windows Credentials" and click the "Add a Windows credential" button.

Enter the target computer's IP address in the Internet or network address and enter User name and Password respectively. This will hopefully resolve the problem with File sharing.

4. Disable IPv6

Many users have reported that disabling IPv6 on their computers can resolve the file sharing problem, so try it out.

Step 1. Open "Control Panel" and click on "Network and Sharing Center".

Step 2. Click "Change adapter settings". Double-click on your active Network Adapter on the Internet Connection window.

Step 3. Click "Properties" and find the "Internet Protocol Version 6" entry on the list. Uncheck it and click "OK". Then, restart your computer and see if the problem still exists.

5. Change File Sharing Connections

Windows uses 128-bit encryption to help protect file sharing connections. Some devices don't support 128-bit encryption and must use 40- or 56-bit encryption. So, you need to switch between these two sharing connections based on the actual situation.

Step 1. Open "Control Panel" > click "Network and Sharing Center" > choose "Change advanced sharing settings".

Step 2. Under "All Networks", find "File sharing connections". You can try both 120-bit encryption and 40- or 56- bit encryption alternatively.

6. Disable Antivirus on your PC 

Sometimes, the antivirus may prevent Windows file sharing. So, try disabling it temporarily and see if it solves the issue. And you can upgrade your antivirus to its latest version.

7. Enable the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support

The recent Windows 10 update might have disabled the SMB feature that is necessary for fire sharing. Fix this issue and turn on SMB 1.0 in the Windows Features window.

Step 1. Open the "Control Panel". Click on "Programs and Features". 

Step 2. Click "Turn Windows features on or off" at the left pane. On the pop-up windows, scroll down to find and check the "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" feature. Then, click "OK" and reboot the computer. 

8. Update Windows to the Latest Version

Windows 10 files sharing not working may be due to bugs in the update. The latest versions of Windows 10 seem to have resolved this problem. Thus, upgrade to the latest windows version if you haven't done it yet.

Step 1. Open "Settings" on your Windows PC. Go to "Update & security" and click on the "Check for updates" button under the Update status to check whether there is a new version of Windows available.

Step 2. If there is one, install the update immediately and restart your computer afterward.

We've given you all the possible solutions in the above content, which can be done directly on the Windows computer. We hope they would have helped you fix the Windows 10 file sharing not working issue and you can share files between two computers again.

If you've tried them all, but nothing worked, don't be discouraged. You still have a good choice, which is using a reliable Windows 10 file sharing alternative to finish PC data transfer.

How to Transfer Data from One PC to Another with File Sharing Alternative in Windows 10

Windows 10 file sharing can be affected by many factors. Once it works improperly, it might be difficult for you to resolve the problem timely. To ensure a successful and smooth PC data transfer, the file sharing software - EaseUS Todo PCTrans is what exactly you need. Being a user-friendly PC transfer tool, EaseUS Todo PCTrans enables you to transfer data, applications, and account settings from one PC to another in one-click. It provides three easy transfer ways in all.

• PC to PC Transfer: Connect two Windows laptops/PCs by the network, and move your files, apps & accounts off the old PC to a new one wirelessly
• Backup & Restore: Make images of files, folders, or software on the previous computer, and transfer to the next one. It also works as a backup. 
• App Migration: Move installed software to another drive locally, and free up space to settle down low disk space issue.

Now, download and use this PC file transfer as an effective workaround to fix Windows 10 file sharing not working problem.

Step 1. Set Up the Old PC

• First, install and launch EaseUS Todo PCTrans and select Data Transfer on the left panel of the main interface.

• Select "Transfer Directly" and click "Next" to continue. 

Step 2. Set Up the New PC

• Download and launch EaseUS Todo PCTrans on the new computer; select "This is New PC" and click "Next".

• Select "Transfer directly" and click "Next" to continue. 
• Select "Network" and click Next to continue. This will automatically scan the old PC. (Make sure the two PCs are connected to the same LAN.)

• Select the target PC and click Connect. Then, it will take some time to scan and analyze the data in old PC.

Step 3. Select the Data to Transfer

• On the new PC, select the applications, files, and accounts that you want to transfer. Then, click "Transfer" to start.

Windows 10 Network Sharing Not Working FAQ

1. How to enable File Sharing properly?

• Click "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Network and Sharing Center" > "Advanced sharing settings". Choose "Turn on network discovery" and "Turn on file and printer sharing" under the Private (current profile).
• Change Windows firewall settings: Choose "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Windows Firewall" > "Allow a program through Windows Firewall" > "File and Printer Sharing"

2. How do I fix Network Sharing Not Working?

Targeting File Sharing misuse, computer adoption problem, Windows update and more, we highly recommend 8 workable solutions to fix Windows 10 sharing not working.

• 1. Enable and Use File Sharing Properly
• 2. Turn Password Protection Off
• 3. Add a Windows Credential
• 4. Disable IPv6
• 5. Change File Sharing Connections
• 6. Disable Antivirus on Your PC
• 7. Enable the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support
• 8. Update Windows to the Latest Version