How to Create an SMB (Samba) Share on Windows 11

Windows 11 can share a folder with Linux, macOS, a Raspberry Pi, or another Windows PC without installing Samba. Windows hosts the folder through its built-in SMB server, while Samba is the open-source SMB implementation commonly used on Linux and Unix-like systems.

People often call this a “Samba share on Windows,” but the more accurate description is a Windows SMB share that a Samba client can access. The distinction matters because installing third-party Samba software or enabling the obsolete SMB1 feature is unnecessary for a normal modern network.

Before creating the share

Use this process only on a trusted home or small-office network. Both devices should be connected to the same local network unless routing and firewall rules have deliberately been configured between them.

Check these points first:

• The Windows connection uses the Private network profile.
• Network discovery and File and Printer Sharing are enabled for private networks.
• The folder is not the entire system drive or complete user profile.
• The account that will connect has a password and permission to the folder.
• Windows Firewall remains enabled.
• You know the Windows computer name or local IP address.

Do not expose TCP port 445 through your internet router. SMB sharing is designed for a trusted local network. Use a properly configured VPN or another remote-access service when files must be reached from outside the network.

1. Set the Windows network to Private

Open Settings > Network & internet, select the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, and choose Private network under Network profile type.

A Private profile allows the sharing rules intended for a trusted local network. Never switch hotel, café, airport, or other public Wi-Fi to Private just to make a share visible.

2. Turn on discovery and file sharing

Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings. Expand Private networks, then enable:

• Network discovery
• File and printer sharing

Discovery helps other devices find the PC while browsing. File and Printer Sharing allows incoming SMB traffic under the appropriate firewall profile. Neither setting grants access to a particular folder by itself.

3. Create a dedicated folder

Create a folder for the files you actually want to share, such as:

C:\SharedFiles

A dedicated folder keeps the permission boundary clear. Avoid sharing C:\, the Windows folder, or your entire profile. Place only appropriate files inside the shared location.

4. Publish the folder as an SMB share

1. Right-click the folder and select Properties.
2. Open the Sharing tab.
3. Select Advanced Sharing.
4. Enable Share this folder.
5. Enter a short share name such as SharedFiles.
6. Select Permissions.

The share name becomes part of the network path. A PC named OFFICE-PC with a share named SharedFiles uses this UNC path:

\\OFFICE-PC\SharedFiles

Keep the share name simple. It can differ from the folder’s local name, and changing it later changes the path clients must use.

5. Set the share permissions

Advanced Sharing offers three permission levels:

Grant only the access required. Read is appropriate for a reference folder. Change is normally enough for someone who must work with the files. Avoid giving Everyone Full Control as a quick fix.

6. Match the NTFS permissions

Windows evaluates both share permissions and NTFS permissions on the folder’s Security tab. The effective network access is limited by the more restrictive result.

For example, a user with Change at the share layer still cannot edit files when the Security tab grants that account only Read & execute. Conversely, NTFS Modify permission does not overcome a share configured as read-only.

To check the second layer:

1. Open the folder’s Properties > Security tab.
2. Select Edit.
3. Add the intended Windows user or group when it is missing.
4. Grant Read & execute for read-only access or Modify for normal editing.
5. Apply the change.

Use Modify rather than Full Control for ordinary collaborators. Modify permits creating, editing, and deleting content without granting permission-management rights.

7. Keep password-protected sharing enabled

Under Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings, expand All networks and leave Password protected sharing enabled.

The remote device must then authenticate using an account that exists on the Windows host and has access to the folder. A dedicated local account is useful when you do not want to share a personal administrator credential.

The account needs a password. Blank-password local accounts are restricted from normal network logon, and weakening that protection creates more risk than convenience.

8. Test the share from another Windows PC

Open File Explorer on the client PC and enter the UNC path in the address bar:

\\OFFICE-PC\SharedFiles

When prompted, enter credentials for an authorized account on OFFICE-PC. Use this format when Windows needs the host name made explicit:

OFFICE-PC\ShareUser

Test the actual permission level. A read-only user should be able to open or copy a file but should not be able to create, rename, or delete one.

To keep the location in File Explorer, right-click This PC, select Map network drive, choose a letter, enter the UNC path, and optionally enable Reconnect at sign-in.

9. Connect from Linux

Many Linux desktop file managers accept an SMB URL such as:

smb://OFFICE-PC/SharedFiles

Enter the Windows username and password when prompted. The workgroup is commonly WORKGROUP on a basic home network, though the correct value depends on the Windows configuration.

When the computer name does not resolve, use the Windows host’s IPv4 address:

smb://192.168.1.50/SharedFiles

Find that address on Windows by opening Terminal and running:

ipconfig

Use the IPv4 address under the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter. Because addresses assigned by a router can change, the computer name or a DHCP reservation is better for a connection used regularly.

Create the share with PowerShell

Windows includes the SmbShare module. Open Terminal (Admin) and create the local folder first:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path 'C:\SharedFiles'

Then publish it with read-only share access for a specific local account:

New-SmbShare -Name 'SharedFiles' -Path 'C:\SharedFiles' -ReadAccess 'OFFICE-PC\ShareUser'

For a user who must create and edit files, use:

New-SmbShare -Name 'SharedFiles' -Path 'C:\SharedFiles' -ChangeAccess 'OFFICE-PC\ShareUser'

New-SmbShare configures the share layer. It does not automatically grant matching NTFS permissions. Configure the folder’s Security tab or use a carefully constructed icacls command only when you understand the required inheritance and access rules.

List non-special shares with:

Get-SmbShare | Where-Object Special -eq $false

Remove the share definition with:

Remove-SmbShare -Name 'SharedFiles'

Removing a share stops network access but does not delete the underlying folder or its files. Microsoft documents the parameters and permission options for New-SmbShare.

Fix the most common connection failures

The PC does not appear under Network

Network browsing is not a reliable test of the share itself. Enter the UNC path directly. When \\OFFICE-PC\SharedFiles works, the folder and credentials are valid even if the PC is missing from the Network view.

Confirm the Private profile and discovery settings only when browsing matters.

The name fails but the IP address works

This points to local name resolution rather than folder permissions. Confirm both devices are on the same network and that a VPN, guest Wi-Fi isolation, or separate VLAN is not blocking discovery or name resolution.

Use the IP address temporarily. Check broader adapter problems with Windows could not find a driver for your network adapter when Windows itself has lost network connectivity.

Windows repeatedly asks for credentials

Confirm that the username belongs to the PC hosting the share, not the client. Try HOSTNAME\username, verify that the account has a password, and remove an incorrect saved entry from Credential Manager before reconnecting.

Do not disable password-protected sharing simply to avoid diagnosing an incorrect username.

The share is visible but access is denied

Review both permission layers. The account must be allowed by the share permissions and the folder’s Security permissions. Also verify that the user is reaching the intended share rather than another folder with a similar name.

Files open but cannot be changed

The connection is working, but at least one layer is read-only. Grant Change on the share and Modify on the Security tab only when the user should edit or delete files.

File Explorer freezes while opening the path

Test the IP-based path and confirm that the host is online. When Explorer remains unresponsive after the network issue is removed, restart File Explorer in Windows 11 without rebooting the PC.

Do not enable SMB1 for a modern share

Windows 11 and current Samba clients negotiate modern SMB dialects automatically. SMB1 is obsolete and lacks important protections found in newer SMB versions. It should not be enabled merely because a device cannot browse or authenticate.

First check the network profile, firewall, credentials, share permissions, NTFS permissions, client isolation, and the device’s SMB support. A legacy device that supports only SMB1 is a security decision, not a routine compatibility checkbox. Replacing or isolating that device is safer than weakening every connection to the Windows PC.

Microsoft’s current Windows network file-sharing guidance also uses the built-in sharing and network-discovery settings. Samba does not need to be installed on Windows for this arrangement.

The reliable setup is simple: share one dedicated folder, authenticate with a real Windows account, align share and NTFS permissions, and test the exact path before troubleshooting discovery. That produces a Windows SMB share that modern Samba clients can use without guest access, SMB1, or an exposed internet port.