Share WindowOften I forget that there are a lot of people out there just starting out with this whole computer thing. So, I’ve decided to create a number of really quick posts that talk about the basics of computers, network, etc.

Today’s post is about creating a hidden network share on Windows. This post assumes that you are in a networked environment and that Windows is set up as a stand alone system or in a workgroup, not a part of a Windows domain.

But first, why would you want to create a hidden share? One of the biggest reasons is because it is a lot harder to find information if you do not know it is there. When a share is hidden, people need to work that much harder to find it.

Now, please keep in mind that a hidden share is not a replacement for good network security practices. Rather, it is a good addition to a security policy.

There are a few short steps involved in creating a hidden network share.

  1. Using My Computer, find the folder that you would like to share.
  2. Next, right click on the folder and click on Sharing and Security…. This will bring up the properties for the folder with the Sharing tab selected.
  3. In the Network sharing and security section, check off Share this folder on the network.
  4. In the Share name: box, give the share any name you would like.
  5. Now, here is the trick! To hide this share from others browsing the network, simply add a $ at the end of the share name. That’s it!
  6. Click OK to create the hidden share and close the properties window.

Now, if you were to browse to this computer from the network, you would not be able to see the share that you just created. So, how do you access this type of a share?

If you go to Start→Run…, you can then type in the full UNC path to the share. So, for example, if the computer that I created the share on was called DCoT and the hidden share that I created was called Downloads$, in the run box I would enter:

\\DCoT\Downloads$

Assuming that everything is set up properly on your computer network, your hidden share should come right up!

If you found this post useful, why don't you buy me a cup of coffee to show your gratitude?

Trackback link - http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2007/02/04/howto-create-hidden-windows-shares/trackback/
Tim Fehlman