How to Stop Sharing a Folder in Windows 11

On Windows 11, file sharing allows you to share virtually any type of content (such as documents, images, videos, etc.) with other users on the network, eliminating additional steps to email files or use a USB flash drive.

While this is a convenient feature, you may have to stop sharing the folder for any number of reasons. Windows 11 has many ways to turn off file sharing to remove the shared folder from the network using File Explorer, Command Prompt, and Computer Management if that day comes.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to stop sharing network folders on Windows 11.

A. Stop sharing folders on Windows 11 with File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer on Windows 11.

2. Browse to the folder location.

3. Right click on the folder and click Show more options.

4. Select the Give access to menu and select the Remove access option.

5. Click the Stop sharing option to remove the shared folder from the network on Windows 11.

6. After you complete the steps, the folder and its contents will no longer be available over the network on Windows 11.

B. Stop sharing folders on Windows 11 with Computer Management

1. Press the Windows + R key combination, type fsmgmt.msc and hit Enter to open the Shared Folders window

2. In the left pane, select Shares. On the right, you’ll see all shared folders on the local system. Right-click on the folder you no longer want to share, and select Stop Sharing.

3. Click the Yes button.

After you complete the steps, file sharing will turn off for that particular folder share on Windows 11.

While you can stop sharing a folder in its location, using Computer Management is the best option as it allows you to view and control shares from one place.

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C. Stop sharing folders on Windows using Command Prompt

1. Search for Command Prompt, right-click on the top result and select the Run as administrator option.

2. To show the shared folders on Windows 11, type the following command and press Enter:

net share

3. To stop sharing a specific folder using Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

net share myShare /delete

4. Change in command my share for the shared folder name.

After you complete the steps, the specified folder is no longer accessible over the network.

D. Stop sharing folders on Windows using PowerShell

1. Search for PowerShell, right click on the top result and select the Run as administrator option.

2. Type the following command to view shared folders on Windows 11 and press Enter:

Get-SmbShare

3. Type the following command to stop sharing a specific folder with PowerShell and press Enter:

Remove-SmbShare -Name "myShare"

4. In the command, change myShare to the name of the shared folder.

5. Type A and press Enter to confirm.

After you complete the steps, the PowerShell command will stop sharing the folder in the network.

That's it. You can successfully delete the desired shared folder by following any of the methods above.