File and printer sharing cannot be activated - you can do that

You will receive the following message: File and printer sharing cannot be activated? This error message plagues offices, meetings, and even households that use a network. There is usually a cause for the problem that can be easily remedied.

File and printer sharing cannot be activated: causes

In order for file and printer sharing to work properly on Windows 10, several things have to be right. On the one hand it can be the rights of the individual participants in the network and on the other hand the firewall. If there is a problem with either of these two causes, you must do something about it in order to use the file and printer sharing again. Setting the rights for use is very simple:

• In most cases, rights problems arise from missing login data. For example, if you try to log into the host's network without a password, the file and printer sharing will not be possible.
• This is also the case with incorrect user names. All login data must be correct if password-protected sharing is activated in the network.
• You may also have to activate the file and printer sharing in the sharing options. To do this, go to the Advanced Sharing Settings in the Network and Sharing Center . There you will find the sharing options.

Activate file and printer sharing via firewall

Another, usually more common cause is a problem with the firewall. In the Windows Firewall there is the option to either delete or activate the incoming and outgoing rules for file and printer sharing. Check to see if these rules exist or need to be activated to fix the problem.

• In most cases, this option is only available for the Windows Firewall, which is part of Windows Defender. Other programs with an integrated firewall such as Norton have their own setting options with regard to the release rules.
• You should only intervene in the firewall if you are somewhat familiar with how to set it up. In the worst case, incorrect settings and thus a significant security gap can result.

The integrated firewall is a powerful tool against unauthorized access and attacks from the Internet. We'll show you how to block a program with Windows Firewall.