How to Tell if a Folder Is Shared in Windows 11 or 10

Aseem Kishore
·
4 min read

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Person working on a laptop with a pop-up saying Not Shared, indicating folders aren’t shared on the network.

If you’re wondering, “Is this folder shared?” Windows 11 and 10 no longer show an icon, badge, or overlay that answers the question at a glance. The four methods below give you reliable ways to check, from a quick single-folder lookup to a full audit of every share on your machine.

Method #1: Check the folder’s Sharing tab

The fastest way to check a specific folder is to open its Properties and inspect the Sharing tab.

  1. In File Explorer, right-click the folder you want to check.
  2. Select Properties.
  3. Click the Sharing tab.
  4. Look at the Network Path field. If it shows a path like \\YOURPC\FolderName, the folder is shared. If it reads Not Shared, it isn’t.
Folder Properties dialog open on the Sharing tab in Windows 11, with the Network Path field visible — one example showing a

Method #2: Browse your PC’s shares via the Network view

File Explorer’s Network section lets you browse your own machine the same way you’d browse another PC on your network, and it only surfaces folders that are actually shared. You can find more information about file sharing over a network in Windows.

  1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
  2. Click Network in the left sidebar. (If Network isn’t visible, scroll down in the sidebar.)
  3. In the COMPUTER section, double-click the name of your PC.
File Explorer with the Network section expanded in the left sidebar, showing the local computer name listed under the

All shared folders on your PC appear in the main pane. Folders that aren’t shared won’t show up here at all.

Windows 11 File Explorer Network view opened to the local PC, listing its shared folders in the main pane

Method #3: List every share using Computer Management

The Shared Folders snap-in in Computer Management shows every share on your PC, including hidden administrative shares (the ones ending in $) that the Network view won’t display.

  1. Press Windows + R, type fsmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
  2. In the left panel, expand Shared Folders.
  3. Click Shares.
The fsmgmt.msc Shared Folders snap-in with "Shares" selected in the left panel and a full list of shares — including hidden

Every share appears in the right pane with its share name, local folder path, type, and current connection count. This is the most complete view of what your PC is sharing. You can also learn more about finding shared folders on Microsoft’s website.

Method #4: Add a “Shared” column in File Explorer

If you regularly manage shared folders and want sharing status visible without opening Properties every time, you can add a persistent Shared column to File Explorer’s Details view. This can help with managing your files and folders more efficiently.

  1. Navigate to the folder that contains the subfolders you want to monitor, for example, C:\Users\YourName\Documents.
  2. Switch to Details view if you aren’t already there (click View > Details on Windows 10, or the Details icon on Windows 11).
  3. Right-click anywhere on the column header row (the row showing Name, Date modified, Type) and select More.
File Explorer Details view with a right-click context menu open on the column header row, highlighting the "More..." option
  1. In the Choose Details dialog, scroll down to the S section, check Shared, and click OK.
Windows 11 Choose Details dialog opened from File Explorer column headers, scrolled to the Shared checkbox which is checked and highlighted
  1. A Shared column now appears. It shows Y for shared folders and N for folders that aren’t.
File Explorer Details view with a "Shared" column visible alongside Name and Date Modified, showing Y next to shared folders

The column disappears when you close and reopen File Explorer unless you save the view. To make it stick:

  1. Windows 10: Click the View tab in the ribbon, then select Options > Change folder and search options.
    Windows 11: Click the three-dot See more (…) menu at the top of File Explorer, then select Options.
  2. In the Folder Options dialog, go to the View tab and click Apply to Folders, then confirm.
Folder Options dialog open on the View tab with the "Apply to Folders" button highlighted

Note: Apply to Folders only applies the column to folders using the same folder template as the one you’re currently in (General Items, Documents, Pictures, etc.). For the broadest coverage, navigate to the root of your C:\ drive before adding the column, it uses the General Items template, so the Shared column will carry over to most folders on your PC.

Conclusion

For most people, Method #1, right-clicking a folder and checking Properties > Sharing, answers the question immediately with no extra tools. If you need a full picture of everything your PC is sharing, fsmgmt.msc (Method #3) is the most reliable option and the only one that surfaces hidden administrative shares alongside your regular ones. You can also find more information on viewing shared folders in Windows 11 from other sources.