Is there a way to share a folder on a network without giving out your username and password? You can create a hidden shared folder and make it only visible to guests who know the exact name of your shared folder, and public users will be unaware of your shared folder. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps of creating a hidden shared folder in Windows 11.

How to Create a Hidden Shared Folder in Windows 11

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder which you want to share. Right-click on that folder and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

   

2. Go to the Sharing tab and then click the Advanced Sharing button.

   

3. Check the “Share this folder” box, set the share name as appropriate. To make this share hidden, add a $ to the end of the share name.

   

   If you’d like to share this folder to your friends without giving out the login credentials of your Windows account, click the Permissions button below to grant its access rights to the “Guests” group.

4. When it’s done, go back to the Properties dialog and you can see the full network path for accessing your hidden shared folder.

   

5. When a curious visitor on the same network tries to see what is shared on your PC, your hidden shared folders won’t show up at all.

   

   Only your friend who knows exactly the name of your hidden shared folder can access it, by entering the full network path. Whenever you don’t want to share it any longer, you can stop sharing the folder using different methods.

   

Conclusion

Creating a hidden share is an convenient way to share folders and files on the same network, while preventing unwanted public users from accessing it. The authorized users don’t need to log on to your Windows account on their own PCs in order to be eligible for your hidden share. If you want to hide a shared folder from your local computer, the Protect My Folders utility could be of help.