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What Is the Public Folder in Windows?

An explanation of the Windows\Users\Public folder

By Mark Baggesen Mark Baggesen Writer Southern Methodist University University of Massachusetts/Amherst The University of British Columbia Mark Baggesen is a former Lifewire writer who has 20+ years' experience and has in web development, communications, web analytics, and databases. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 11, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Location Contents Step-by-Step: Access the Public Folder on Your Computer Access Another Public Folder on Your Network Manage Network Access to the Public Folder The Public folder is a folder in the Windows operating system that you can use to share files with other people who either use the same computer or are connected to the computer over the same network. It's possible to grant or restrict access to your Public folder for any device on a shared network. Information in this article applies broadly to all versions of the Windows operating system. Utamaru Kido / Getty Images

Where Is the Windows Public Folder

The Windows Public folder is located in the Users folder at the root of the hard drive that Windows is installed on, which is usually C:\Users\Public, but it might be any other letter depending on the drive that's storing the Windows OS files. Any local user on the computer can access the Public folder at all times, and by configuring specific network access, you can decide whether or not any networked users can open it.

Public Folder Contents

By default, the Public folder does not contain any files until they're added by a user either manually or automatically through a software install. However, there are default subfolders within the Users Public folder that make it easier to organize files that might be put into it later on: Public DocumentsPublic DownloadsPublic MusicPublic PicturesPublic Videos These folders are only suggestions, so it's not required that video files be put into the Public Videos folder or images be saved to Public Pictures. New folders can be added to the Public folder at any time by any user with the proper permissions. It's treated much like any other folder in Windows except that all the local users have access to it.

How to Access the Public Folder on Your Computer

The quickest way to open the Public Users folder in all versions of Windows is to open Windows Explorer and then navigate through the hard drive to the Users folder: Use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key+E (or Ctrl+E in older versions of Windows) to open the File Explorer. Select This PC (or My Computer in some Windows versions) in the left pane, then open the primary hard drive (it's usually C:). Open the Users folder. Open the Public folder.

How to Access Another Public Folder on Your Network

The above method opens the Public folder on your own computer, not a Public folder from a different computer on your same network. To open a networked Public folder: Use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key+E (or Ctrl+E in older versions of Windows) to open the File Explorer. Select Network from the left pane of Windows Explorer, then select the name of the computer that has the Public folder you want to access. If Network discovery is not enabled on your device, you must enable Windows file sharing in the Control Panel.

How to Manage Network Access to the Public Folder

Network access to the Public folder is either turned on so that every networked user can see it and access its files, or it's turned off to prevent all network access. If it's turned on, you still need proper permissions in order to access the folder. To share or unshare the Public folder: Open the Control Panel and select Network and Internet. In some versions of Windows, you'll see Network and Sharing Center as an option. If this is the case, select it and skip to step 3. Select Network and Sharing Center. Select Change advanced sharing settings on the left side of the window. Select the down arrow next to All Networks to reveal a list of options. Use this screen to enable or disable Public folder sharing. Selecting Turn on password protected sharing will limit access to the Public folder to only those who have a user account on the computer.Selecting Turn off password protected sharing will allow any user on the network to open the Public folder. Select Save Changes at the bottom to apply the new settings. Turning off Public folder sharing for guest, public, and/or private networks does not turn off access to the Public folder for users on the same computer; it's still accessible to anyone who has a local account on the PC. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 11 Connecting a PC to a Wireless Home Network What Is a Mapped Drive? Network File Sharing in Microsoft Windows How to Lock a Folder in Windows 10 How to Change DNS Servers in Windows 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2022 How to Open File Explorer in Windows 11 How Do I Create a Windows Password Reset Disk? How to Share Internet Access How to Share Your Internet Connection on Windows Vista Your Guide to User Account Settings in Windows 11 How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows How to Connect Steam Deck to a PC How to Move IE Temporary Internet Files Folder to Default Location Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies