How to Fix the Windows 10 File Sharing Not Working Problem

Windows 10 File Sharing feature enables users to quickly share files with computers inside the local network they create, which is very convenient and safe. However, many users have met the same issue after update 1803, 1809, or 1903, which is Windows 10 file sharing not working.

When the problem arises, the computers on the network might not find each other, or users can't access the files of another PC, or users can't see shared folders. The causes of this matter are possible but not limited to what listed below.  

• File sharing is not enabled or used in the wrong way
• Password protected sharing is turned on
• Lack of ownership and permissions to access the files or folders on the computer
• No Windows Credentials for target computers
• IPv6 blocks the transfer of files
• SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support is disabled by new Windows update
• Haven't installed the latest Windows updates

Whatever the cause, it is important that you fix the issue instantly. Methods demonstrated below are effective ways to check out.
How to share files exactly
1. Right-click on the file you want to share. Click Properties > Sharing > Advanced Sharing.

2. Check Share this folder, then click Apply and OK. You can click the Permissions option to set the permissions for files as per your need. 

The above steps make your folder accessible to all the users in your local network. If you want to share with specific users, you can click the Share button in Step 1 to select.
Solution 1: Make Sure Certain Services are Running Properly
File sharing, like any other feature in Windows 10, depends on certain services to run properly. In this case, the services are called Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication. These services need to be started and the need to run constantly. Follow the steps below in order to achieve that on your computer!
1. Open the Run utility by using the Windows Key + R key combination on your keyboard . Type services.msc in the newly opened box without the quotation marks and click OK in order to open the Services tool.

2. The alternative way is to open the Control Panel by locating it in the Start menu. You can also search for it using the Start menu’s search button.
3. After the Control Panel window opens, change the View by option at the top right part of the window to Large Icons and scroll down until you locate the Administrative Tools. Click on it and locate the Services shortcut at the bottom. Click on it to open it as well.

4. Locate the Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication services on the list, right-click on each one and select Properties from the context menu which appears.

5. If the service is started (you can check that just next to the Service status message), you should stop it for now by clicking the Stop button in the middle of the window. If it is stopped, leave it stopped until we proceed.
6. Make sure that the option under the Startup type menu in the service’s properties window is set to Automatic before you proceed with other steps. Confirm any dialogue boxes which may appear when changing the startup type. Click on the Start button in the middle of the window before exiting. Make sure you repeat the same process for all services we mentioned.

You may receive the following error message when you click on Start:
Windows could not start the service on Local Computer. Error 1079: The account specified for this service differs from the account specified for other services running in the same process.
If this happens, follow the instructions below to fix it.
1. Follow the steps 1-3 from the instructions above in order to open the service’s properties window. Navigate to the Log On tab and click on the Browse…

2. Under the Enter the object name to select entry box, type in your account’s name, click on Check Names and wait for the name to become available.
3. Click OK when you are finished and type in the password in the Password box when you are prompted with it if you have set up a password. Windows 10 File sharing should now work properly!
Solution 2: Enable and Use File Sharing Properly
File sharing can only work when you enable sharing settings correctly. Besides, you also have to share data in the right way. For that, follow these steps:
1. Click Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center"> Advanced sharing settings.

2. Under Private (current profile), check Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing. Click Save changes to confirm.

To make sure the problem can be solved, allow File and Printer Sharing in Windows firewall settings.
3. Click Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Allow a program through Windows Firewall.
4. In the pop-up window, check File and Printer Sharing in the list. Then, click OK.

If this doesn't work, you can also try disabling the Windows Defender temporarily to check if that helps in solving the issue. 
Solution 3: Turn Password Protection off
When Password protected sharing is turned on, the file sharing might fail because other users either need to have a user account on your PC, or they should know your username and password. Hence, to fix file sharing not working, you can try to disable this feature.
1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.
2. Then, under All Networks, check Turn off password protected sharing, and click on Save changes.

Solution 4:  Add a Windows Credential
If you fail to access a specific folder when connecting to a remote server computer for file sharing, you might want to add a credential to fix the problem. In order to proceed, you will need to know the network address, username, and password of the remote computer or server.
1. Open Control Panel, and click on Credentials Manager.
2. Select Windows Credentials and click the Add a Windows credential button.
Enter the target computer's IP address in the Internet or network address and enter User name and Password respectively. This will hopefully resolve the problem with File sharing.

Solution 5: Disable IPv6
Many users have reported that disabling IPv6 on their computers can resolve the file sharing problem, so try it out.
1. Open Control Panel and click on Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Change adapter settings. Double-click on your active Network Adapter on the Internet Connection window.
3. Click Properties and find the Internet Protocol Version 6 entry on the list. Uncheck it and click OK. Then, restart your computer and see if the problem still exists.

Solution 6: Enable the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support
The recent Windows 10 update might have disabled the SMB feature that is necessary for fire sharing. Fix this issue and turn on SMB 1.0 in the Windows Features window.
1. Open the Control Panel. Click on Programs and Features. 
2. Click Turn Windows features on or off at the left pane. On the pop-up windows, scroll down to find and check the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support feature. Then, click OK and reboot the computer. 

Solution 7: Change File Sharing Connections
Windows uses 128-bit encryption to help protect file sharing connections. Some devices don't support 128-bit encryption and must use 40- or 56-bit encryption. So, you need to switch between these two sharing connections based on the actual situation.
1. Open Control Panel > click Network and Sharing Center > choose Change advanced sharing settings.
2. Under All Networks, find File sharing connections. You can try both 120-bit encryption and 40- or 56- bit encryption alternatively.

Solution 8: Disable Antivirus on your PC 
Sometimes, the antivirus may prevent Windows file sharing. So, try disabling it temporarily and see if it solves the issue. And you can upgrade your antivirus to its latest version
Solution 9: Update Windows to the Latest Version
Windows 10 files sharing not working may be due to bugs in the update. The latest versions of Windows 10 seem to have resolved this problem. Thus, upgrade to the latest windows version if you haven't done it yet.
1. Open Settings on your Windows PC. Go to Update & security and click on the Check for updates button under the Update status to check whether there is a new version of Windows available.
2. If there is one, install the update immediately and restart your computer afterward.
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