How to Share External Hard Drive on Network Windows 10?

Are you looking to share your external hard drive on your Windows 10 network? It’s a great way to back up files and store large amounts of data. This guide will teach you how to share an external hard drive on your Windows 10 network in just a few simple steps. By following this guide, you’ll be able to access your external hard drive from any device connected to your network. So, get ready to get connected and start sharing!

How to Share an External Hard Drive on a Windows 10 Network

Sharing an external hard drive on a Windows 10 network is a great way to easily access files and folders among multiple users. By taking a few simple steps, you can quickly share an external hard drive on your Windows 10 network and make it accessible to other users. This article will discuss how to share an external hard drive on your Windows 10 network.

Step 1: Connect the External Hard Drive to the Network

The first step to sharing an external hard drive on a Windows 10 network is to connect it to the network. To do this, you will need to connect the external hard drive to the router or switch with a standard Ethernet cable. Once the cable is connected, the external hard drive should be recognized by the network.

Step 2: Configure the Network Settings

The next step is to configure the network settings on the external hard drive. To do this, open the Network and Sharing Center in Windows 10 and select Change adapter settings. From there, select the external hard drive and right-click it, then select Properties. In the Properties window, select the Sharing tab and check the box next to Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.

Step 3: Enable File and Printer Sharing on the External Hard Drive

Once the network settings have been configured, you will need to enable File and Printer Sharing on the external hard drive. To do this, open the Network and Sharing Center and select Change advanced sharing settings. From there, select Turn on file and printer sharing and click Save changes.

Step 4: Assign Access Permissions to the External Hard Drive

The next step is to assign access permissions to the external hard drive. To do this, right-click the external hard drive in the Network and Sharing Center and select Properties. In the Properties window, select the Security tab and click the Edit button. From there, select the users or groups that you want to have access to the external hard drive and assign them the appropriate permissions.

Step 5: Map the External Hard Drive to the Network

The final step is to map the external hard drive to the network. To do this, open the Command Prompt in Windows 10 and type in “net use x: \\server\share”, where x is the letter of the drive you want to map and server is the name of the computer or server hosting the external hard drive. Once the drive is mapped, it should be accessible to all users on the network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: How to Share an External Hard Drive on Windows 10?

Answer: To share an external hard drive on Windows 10, first make sure your external hard drive is connected to your PC. Then, right-click on the Start Menu and select “Network and Sharing Center.” On the left side of the window, select “Change Advanced Sharing Settings.” Select “Turn on Network Discovery” and “Turn on File and Printer Sharing.” Then, right-click on the external hard drive and select “Properties.” Go to the “Sharing” tab and select “Share” to share the drive. Enter the name of the user you wish to share the drive with, select the level of permissions, and click “Share.”

Question 2: How to Access the Shared External Hard Drive on Windows 10?

Answer: To access a shared external hard drive on Windows 10, open the “Run” box by pressing the Win key + R. Enter the command “\\computername\sharedfoldername” to view the shared folder. You can also access the shared folder from the “Network” folder in File Explorer. Right-click the folder and select “Map network drive.” Select a drive letter, enter the path of the shared folder, and click “OK.”

Question 3: How to Change the Sharing Permission of an External Hard Drive on Windows 10?

Answer: To change the sharing permission of an external hard drive on Windows 10, right-click on the drive and select “Properties.” Go to the “Sharing” tab, select “Advanced Sharing,” and click “Permissions.” Select the user you wish to change the permission for, select the level of permission, and click “OK.”

Question 4: How to Stop Sharing an External Hard Drive on Windows 10?

Answer: To stop sharing an external hard drive on Windows 10, right-click on the external hard drive and select “Properties.” Go to the “Sharing” tab and select “Advanced Sharing.” Uncheck the “Share this folder” box and click “OK.” You can also remove the user from the list of users that have permission to access the drive.

Question 5: How to Share an External Hard Drive over the Internet on Windows 10?

Answer: To share an external hard drive over the internet on Windows 10, you first need to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between your PC and the external hard drive. Once the connection is established, you can use a file sharing service to share the external hard drive with other users over the internet.

Question 6: How to Enable File Compression for an External Hard Drive on Windows 10?

Answer: To enable file compression for an external hard drive on Windows 10, right-click on the drive and select “Properties.” Go to the “General” tab and check the “Compress this drive to save disk space” box. Select the “Apply changes to drive and subfolders and files” option, and click “OK.” Windows will now compress the files on the external hard drive, which will save you disk space.

Sharing an external hard drive on a network is an easy process with Windows 10. All you need to do is enable network sharing, configure the network settings, and adjust the security settings. With these steps, you can quickly and easily share your external hard drive with other users on your network. Now that you know how to share external hard drive on a network Windows 10, you can take full advantage of your external storage and share data across multiple computers with ease.