How to Stop File & Network Sharing on Windows 10 & 11

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Disable internet connection sharing and file sharing on Windows

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: August 16, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Turn Off File Sharing (Windows 10)
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• Turn Off File Sharing (Windows 11)
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• Turn Off Internet Connection Sharing (Windows 10 & 11)
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• Turn Off Mobile Hotspot (Windows 10 & 11)
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• Video
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• Tips

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This wikiHow guide will teach you how to stop sharing your files and/or network connection on your Windows PC. To turn off file sharing, you'll just need to make a quick change in Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10) or Settings (Windows 11). It's just as easy to turn off internet connection sharing, as well as disabling your mobile hotspot if you're sharing your connection over Wi-Fi.

How to Disable Network Sharing on Windows

On Windows 11, go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings. Select your network, then toggle off “File and printer sharing.” On Windows 10, go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Turn Off File Sharing (Windows 10)

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1. 1
   Open the Control Panel. To stop sharing files with other people on your network, you can disable file and printer sharing in Control Panel. To open Control Panel:

   • Press Windows key + S.
   • Type control panel.
   • Click Control Panel in the search results.
2. 2
   Click Network and Internet. If you don't see this option, click the menu at the top-right and select Category. You'll see it then.
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3. 3
   Click Network and Sharing Center.
4. 4
   Click Change advanced sharing settings. It's the third link from the top of the left column.
5. 5
   Click the network profile that says “(current profile)” at the end. This ensures that you're changing the sharing settings for your current connection. You'll see “(current profile)” next to one of the following options:

   • Private: This is for your private connections, such as when you're on your home network.
   • Guest or Public: When you're connected to Wi-Fi in a public location, whether or not you have to enter a Wi-Fi password to log in.
   • All Networks: Both public and private networks.
6. 6
   Select Turn off file and printer sharing. A dot will appear in its corresponding circle. This means the item is selected.

   • If you don't want other devices to be able to see your Windows PC on the network at all, also select Turn off network discovery.
7. 7
   Click Save changes. It's the button at the bottom of the screen. You have disabled file sharing for the current connection.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Turn Off File Sharing (Windows 11)

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1. 1
   Open your Windows Settings. You can do this quickly by pressing Windows key + I, or by clicking the Settings gear in your Start menu.
2. 2
   Click Network & internet. You'll see this in the left panel.
3. 3
   Click Advanced network settings. It's the last option in the right panel.
4. 4
   Click Advanced sharing settings. This option is in the "More settings" section below the list of network adapters.
5. 5
   Select a network profile. The profile you're using now will be selected by default. If you want to turn off network file sharing for the current connection, just skip to the next step. Otherwise, you can enable or disable file sharing for Private networks (such as on your home network), Public networks (at school or in a café), or All networks.
6. 6
   Toggle off "File and printer sharing"

   

   . Once the switch turns gray or white, you'll no longer be sharing files or your network printer with other devices on your network.

   • If you don't want other devices on the network to be able to see your PC, you can also click the switch next to "Network discovery" to disable it.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Turn Off Internet Connection Sharing (Windows 10 & 11)

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1. 1
   Open the Control Panel. This method will teach you how to stop sharing your PC's network connection with other users. To open Control Panel:

   • Press Windows key + S.
   • Type control panel.
   • Click Control Panel in the search results.
   • If you're using Windows 11, you should only use this method if you're sharing your internet connection using an ethernet cable. If you're sharing your connection over Wi-Fi, see this method instead.
2. 2
   Click Network and Internet. If you don't see this option, click the menu at the top-right and select Category. You'll see it then.
3. 3
   Click Network and Sharing Center.

   • You'll see your current connection under the “View your active networks” header at the top of the main panel. Remember the name of the connection, as you'll need it in a moment.
4. 4
   Click Change adapter settings. It's the second link from the top of the left column. This opens a list of your saved network connections.
5. 5
   Right-click your current connection and select Properties. Look for the adapter name that matches the one you noted a moment ago. Right-click it, then select Properties.
6. 6
   Click the Sharing tab. It's near the top of the dialog window.
7. 7
   Uncheck “Allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection.” Clicking the box once should remove the check mark.

   • If the box was already empty, you don't need to make any changes.
8. 8
   Click OK. It's at the bottom of the dialog window. Now that you've turned off connection sharing, nobody else on your network can connect to the internet through this computer's connection.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Turn Off Mobile Hotspot (Windows 10 & 11)

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1. 1
   Open your Windows Settings. You can do this quickly by pressing Windows key + I, or by clicking the Settings gear in your Start menu.

   • If you created a W-Fi mobile hotspot to allow other devices to share your internet connection, use this method to turn off the hotspot.
2. 2
   Click Network & internet. It's in the left panel on Windows 11. On Windows 10, click the icon in the main panel.
3. 3
   Click Mobile hotspot. If you're using Windows 11, it's in the right panel. On Windows 10, it's on the left panel.
4. 4
   Toggle off "Mobile hotspot"

   

   . Once you turn off this switch, any devices sharing your internet connection will be disconnected.
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Tips

• If you just want to stop sharing a specific file or folder, you can unshare it without turning off file sharing altogether. In File Explorer, right-click the file or folder, select Show more options (Windows 11 only) > Give access to > Remove access.
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