3 ways to view your shared folders in Windows (all versions)

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3 ways to view your shared folders in Windows (all versions)

Are you looking for a solution to the question: “Where can I see all the shared folders on my Windows computer or device?”

We have three different alternatives solutions for this query: one using File or Windows Explorer, one using Computer Management, and one using Command Prompt or PowerShell.

All these methods work in all modern versions of Windows. So, if you want to learn how to find the shared folders on your Windows computer or how to find the path of a shared folder, read on:

 

1. View your shared folders using File Explorer or Windows Explorer

 

The simplest method for viewing the folders that you have shared in Windows is from File Explorer if you’re using Windows 10 or 8.1, or Windows Explorer if you’re using Windows 7. Open it, and then expand the Network section from the left side of the window and click or tap on the name of your Windows PC. This shows you the list of folders shared by your computer or device with the network.

 

The list of folders shared with the network

The problem with this view is that it does not show hidden shares and doesn’t give too much information about how each folder is shared. However, you can right-click or press and hold on each folder and then press Properties or hit ALT + Enter on your keyboard.

 

The Properties option from the contextual menu of a shared folder

This opens the Properties window of the selected shared folder. The security settings it has and so on.

Sharing settings and permissions for a folder

Even though this method works, it is not an elegant way to see your shared folders or to manage them. There are better alternatives.

2. View your shared folders using Computer Management

The best tool for getting the full list of folders that you’re sharing on your PC is Computer Management. Open Computer Management and, on the left side of the window, browse “System Tools -> Shared Folders -> Shares.”

The shared folders can be seen in the Shares section from the Computer Management

The central panel from Computer Management loads the complete list of all the folders and partitions that are shared by your Windows computer or device. You see both the folders you shared and the default shares of Windows, such as C$ and D$ (which are the partitions on your PC), as well as the default remote administration shares created by Windows, like ADMIN$.

The shared folders list includes default Windows shares

For each shared folder or partition, you see the official share name (as it is viewed by others on the network, if not hidden), the exact folder path, the type of share, the number of connections made from the network to that folder and a short description (if available).

For each of the shared folders, you can see the share name, folder path, type, etc.

If you double-click or double- tap on a shared folder, its Properties window opens. There you can manage the different sharing parameters such as the share name, description, and the maximum number of users that are allowed to connect to the shared folder simultaneously.

The Properties of a shared folder

If you go to the Share Permissions tab from the Properties window, you can view and set which users and user groups have access to the shared folder and the type of access that each of them has.

The Share Permissions of a folder

Going back to the Computer Management window, if you click or tap the Sessions link from the left side column, you can see the list of users who are currently connected to your network shares. For each user, you can see the device from where the connection is made, how many files he or she has opened, the time since the connection was initiated, and so on.

Sessions shows the list of users currently connected to your shared folders

In the same column, the Open Files link shows all the files and folders that are accessed by the users who are connected to your network shares.

Open Files shows the list of files currently opened by users from the network

All this is really useful information, isn’t it?

3. View your shared folders using Command Prompt or PowerShell (in all Windows versions)

You can also get the complete list of the folders that you’re sharing with the network, from the Command Prompt or PowerShell. Open the tool you prefer and type net share. Then press Enter on your keyboard, and the list with shared folders is instantly generated.

The net share command displays the list of shared folders

Furthermore, if you want to find the path of a shared folder, it’s easy because the net share command also outputs this information in the Resource column.

The net share command tells you the path of each shared folder

Neat, right? Obviously, the same command can be run in PowerShell too.