How to Share Files and Folders in Windows Server 2016?

Sharing folders makes them accessible to network users and probably you need to do. After you’ve configured disks on the server, you must share files/disks to enable network users to access files and disks. When sharing files and folders also you can enable administrators and clients to access the files, folders offline even when the server is off.

Sharing files and managing permissions with advanced settings are one of important strategy an administrator must know. Here in this article, we will discuss fully on share files and folders in Windows server 2016, no matter it’s possible to do it in Windows server 2012 and 2008 R2. So let’s get started.

Share Files and Folders in Windows Server

Before start sharing files make sure that the advanced sharing settings is configured correctly from control panel with firewall settings then select the folder you want to share. Here we will share files with File and Storage Services, it’s already available in windows server by default.

1. Go to Server manager click File and Storage Services then click shares>tasks>New share to create a folder share on server.

2. Select a share profile for the folder you want to share then click Next.

SMB Share Quick: (SMB) is the standard file sharing used by all versions of Windows. SMB Share Quick provides basic SMB sharing with full share and NTFS permission.

SMB Share Advanced: Provides SMB sharing with full share and NTFS permission and access to services provided by File Server Resource Manager.

SMB Share Application: Provides SMB sharing with settings suitable for Hyper-V and other applications.

NFS Share Quick: (NFS) is the standard file sharing protocol used by most UNIX, Linux. NFS Share Quick provides NFS sharing with authentication permission and access to services provided by File Resource Manager.

NFS Share Advanced: Provides NFS Sharing with authentication and permission and access to services provided by File Resource Manager.

3. Now select the server and select a volume on the server or specify the folder path you want to share. To share a custom path, choose Type a custom path and browse the folder then click Next.

4. On the specify share name page, type a share name and click Next.

5. Here you have to select the sharing options you need, if you don’t know the definition read then mark them if required.

• Select any or all of the following options:
  Enable Access-Based Enumeration: Prevents users from seeing files and folders
  they do not have permission to access.
• Allow Caching Of Share: Enables offline users to access the contents of this share.
• Enable BranchCache On The File Share: Enables BranchCache servers to cache
  files accessed from this share.
• Encrypt Data Access: Causes the server to encrypt remote file access to this share.

6. Now Specify the permissions to control access read or write by clicking on Customize permissions then add, remove or change users permission and click Next.

7. Confirm that the shared settings are configured properly and click Create.

The share was created successfully with its appropriate permissions, click close.

To check the folder shared go to Network>your computer then your shared files will be there.

Also you can see them by typing \\yourcomputername\ in the file explorer.

Configure file Shares using file Explorer

1. Navigate to the folder then right click and select Properties, click on sharing tab then click Advanced sharing.

2. Mark on Share this folder and enter a share name then click on permissions to add, remove or change permissions of users and click ok.

When the folder sharing is configured properly, click Apply then ok. Your folder will be shared successfully.

Also, you can manage caching of the folder by clicking on caching and select the one you want. (Caching enables offline files for the users those who have enabled offline files. You can choose if the folder should be available offline or not.

All right, this was all about configured file shares in windows server 2016, hope it would be helpful and informative.

If you have any question regarding this ask here.