How to Share a Folder on Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account

The Problem With Windows 11 and Local Accounts

Microsoft has progressively made Windows 11 more dependent on Microsoft account sign-in. This affects file sharing in ways that are not immediately obvious.

When you share a folder in Windows 11 and the person accessing it is also signed in with a Microsoft account, authentication can sometimes work automatically. But if either machine uses a local (offline) account — which is common in many offices that prefer not to tie machines to personal email addresses — the sharing workflow becomes more complicated.

This guide covers how to share a folder from a Windows 11 machine regardless of whether you have a Microsoft account, and how to ensure other machines can access it without one.

Step 1: Configure the Network Location Correctly

Before sharing anything, confirm the network is classified as Private on both machines.

1. Open Settings → Network and Internet
2. Click on your current connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
3. Under Network profile type, select Private network

If this is set to Public, Windows will block incoming connection attempts to your shared folders regardless of how sharing is configured.

Step 2: Enable File and Printer Sharing

1. Open Settings → Network and Internet → Advanced network settings
2. Click Advanced sharing settings
3. Under Private networks, ensure both Network discovery and File and printer sharing are turned On
4. Also check All networks and enable Public folder sharing if you want to use the public folder method

Step 3: Share the Folder

1. Right-click the folder you want to share
2. Select Properties → Sharing tab → Advanced Sharing
3. Tick Share this folder
4. Click Permissions and add the users who should have access

For a small office where everyone should be able to read files, add Everyone with Read permission. If people need to write files back, change Read to Full Control.

Note the share name — you will need it when connecting from another machine.

Step 4: Set the Authentication Method

This is where local accounts diverge from Microsoft accounts.

By default, Windows 11 requires network authentication. When both machines use Microsoft accounts, Windows can sometimes resolve this automatically. When local accounts are involved, you need to set up credentials explicitly.

Option A — Password-protected sharing with matching credentials: Both machines must have a local user account with the same username and password. When the accessing machine attempts to connect, Windows will use those matching credentials automatically.

1. Create a local account on the sharing machine, for example: username officeuser, password yourpassword
2. Ensure an account with the same credentials exists on the accessing machine
3. When connecting, Windows will authenticate automatically

Option B — Disable password-protected sharing (simpler but less secure): This is appropriate for a trusted, private office network.

1. Go to Settings → Network and Internet → Advanced network settings → Advanced sharing settings → All networks
2. Under Password protected sharing, select Turn off password protected sharing

With this off, anyone on the network can access shared folders without entering a password. Only use this on networks you fully trust.

Step 5: Accessing the Share From Another Machine

On the machine that needs to access the folder:

1. Open File Explorer and type \\COMPUTERNAME in the address bar (replace COMPUTERNAME with the actual name of the sharing machine — visible under Settings → System → About)
2. Press Enter
3. Enter credentials if prompted

You can also map this as a persistent network drive via This PC → Map network drive for easier ongoing access.

Common Problems and Fixes

"You do not have permission to access this folder" This means the NTFS permissions on the folder are more restrictive than the sharing permissions. Right-click the folder → Properties → Security tab → add the relevant user with appropriate permissions.

Prompted for credentials even after turning off password-protected sharing Open Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials and remove any existing entries for that computer name. Then try connecting again.

The sharing machine's name does not resolve Try connecting by IP address instead: \\192.168.1.x. You can find another machine's IP by opening a command prompt and typing ipconfig.

Why This Remains Unnecessarily Complicated

Microsoft's push toward Microsoft account integration and cloud file storage means that the local sharing workflow has received progressively less attention in Windows 11. Settings are spread across multiple locations, terminology is inconsistent, and the interaction between NTFS permissions and share permissions continues to confuse even experienced users.

For offices that regularly share files between colleagues, Oxolan eliminates this configuration layer completely. There are no shared folders to configure, no credentials to synchronise across machines, and no dependency on how Windows is configured. Both machines appear in each other's sidebar and files transfer directly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share a folder on Windows 11 without a Microsoft account? Yes. You need a local user account and either matching local credentials across machines or password-protected sharing disabled. Both methods are covered above.

Is it safe to turn off password-protected sharing? On a private, trusted office LAN, the risk is low. On a network where you do not control all connected devices, leave it enabled and use matching local credentials instead.

How is this different from the Public folder? The Public folder (C:\Users\Public) is shared automatically when file sharing is enabled. It is convenient for occasional file exchanges but offers no access control — anyone on the network can read and write to it.

Can I share a folder to specific users only? Yes. In Advanced Sharing, under Permissions, add specific user accounts and remove Everyone. Only those accounts will be able to access the share.