How to Find Shared Windows Folders
With Microsoft Windows, folders can be shared on a network so that desktops and laptops can access the files in these folders without physical access to the computer where the folders are stored. When a folder of documents or videos is shared, anyone with access can open, edit, save, and delete the files and folders if the permissions allow it.
The easiest way to find a list of network shared folders is to use File Explorer (Windows 10) or Windows Explorer (Windows 8 and Windows 7).
Open Windows File Explorer, go to the Folders pane, and select Network. Select the computer that has the shared folders you want to browse. In older versions of Windows, open Entire Network and select Microsoft Windows Network to see shares. If shares are available, view them by either expanding the view by selecting the arrow in the left pane or by selecting the computer and viewing any shares in the right pane. If nothing appears, then nothing is shared. Folders that appear in this window are linked to the shared folders.
Use the Net Share Command
Use the net command to find the location of file shares, including administrative shares. In Command Prompt, enter the net share command to display the Share name that can be used to access the share plus the Resource, which is the share’s true location.
Shares with a dollar sign ($) at the end of the name are the administrative shares, which should not be modified. The root of every hard drive, the print driver folder, and C:\Windows\ are shared by default as administrative shares. You can open administrative shares only through the name+$ syntax with admin credentials, such as MYPC\C$ or MYPC\ADMIN$.
