Nearby Sharing

[Gary Beene]

File sharing between PCs for me has been either transferring a file via flash drive, or by FTPing it to my site and downloading it at the new PC.

Today I thought I'd try out the "Nearby Sharing" that both Win 10 and Win 11 support. My PCs are Win11.

Setting it up seemed to go easily. Not many steps involved.

However, I'm able to share in only one direction. I can go from A to B but not from B to A.

When I send from A, the B computer pops up a window telling me a file is available and asks me to save. Works great.

But when I send from B, the A computer displays no popup window at all.

My internet search turned up zero hits on one-way Nearby Sharing.

Anyone had success with Nearby Sharing?

[Gary Beene]

Both PCs show each other in the list of paired devices.

Distance between the 2 PCs is about 8 ft - in the same room.

[Gary Beene]

And of course, the direction of transfer I want most is the one that does not work!

[Stuart McLachlan]

I never bother with that sort of thing. I just set up a directory as a normal network share on each machine with appropriate permissions. Then I map that share on the other machine(s). That way you can copy/paste to/from the othe machine easily.

(Having a shared directory on a machine has other uses too. When you are developing networked applications, you can map the shared directory to any available drive letteron your own machine to simulate working to another machiine such as a file server. Currently my shared directory is mapped to I:\, Y:\ and Z:\ because I'm working on three different applications for different clients with different share requirements.)

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Stuart!

Yes, in the past I've used a similar approach.

But in my current environment I go through new computers somewhat regularly and setting up the shared directory and having to undo it not long after didn't seem to be the approach I wanted to take. It still may be the best solution.

However, the Nearby Sharing was extremely easy to set up and to remove - except for the part where it only works in one direction!

[Stuart McLachlan]

However, the Nearby Sharing was extremely easy to set up and to remove - except for the part where it only works in one direction!

Yep, Nearby Sharing is a simple push service. You can't pull with it.

[Stuart McLachlan]

But in my current environment I go through new computers somewhat regularly and setting up the shared directory and having to undo it not long after didn't seem to be the approach I wanted to take. It still may be the best solution.

It's just a few seconds job that you only need to do once and it's dead simple to remove the share when it is no longer needed. No more complicated that Nearby Sharing IMO.

How is the following easier than a simple cut and paste to/from a mapped folder on one machine?: Especially if you don't have both machines sitting right in fromt of you

On the PC you’re sharing from, select Start, and then select Settings > System > Nearby sharing. Choose which devices you want to share with, or view the apps and services you've given access to through the accounts listed there. Do the same thing on the PC you’re sharing to.

On the PC that has the document you want to share, select Search, type file explorer in the search box, and then find the document you want to share.

In File Explorer, select Share from the toolbar at the top, then right-click on the document you want to share. Next, select the name of the device you want to share with.

On the device you’re sharing with, select Save & open or Save when the notification appears.

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Stuart!

Yep, the list of instructions matches what I do. But for some reason one of the computers does not acknowledge that the file is available to Save. I can tell A to send to B and B shows the popup message with Save. But if I send from B to A, A does not show the popup message with Save.

As best I know, it should work both ways. Both A and B show each other in the Share dialog.

[Gary Beene]

I was playing around and found this ... in the system tray click on the bluetooth icon to see "Send a File" and "Receive a File".

With this, both of my PCs and can send and receive from one another.

I assume I've paired them as part of playing with Share Nearby.

With Share Nearby, the receiving PC receipt window popped up automatically. That is more convenient.

With this bluetooth menu I have to manually select the Receive a File menu.

Also, the Share Nearby is available a a right click on a file. Likewise, the Send a file via bluetooth is also available in the contextmenu.




I'll play with both some more tomorrow. It's bed time here in Dallas!

[Dale Yarker]

ref post 8
Setting "A" to let "B" can access files on "A" does not grant reverse permission. To "drive the boat" from either PC, you must set "B" so "A" has permission to access files.

In post 9 you said you found a way to do what you want.

Hope you had a nice rest.(when get back and read this)

Cheers,

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Dale!

Yep, mostly a good night's rest. At my age I wake up a couple of times a night to take care of business, so an 8 hr sleep is hard to come by!

In my case both PCs have Nearby Sharing turned on and both recognize the other PC - each PC has the other PC on its list of target PCs.

On either PC, you right click a file and press Share, then select a target PC.

Both my PCs allow that to happen and both show the other (target) PC

The target PC should then open a window asking for permission to receive the file..

In my case only one of the PCs pops up that permission window.

As best I know, turning on the Nearby Sharing is the permission step you mention. I don't see any settings otherwise.

[Johan Klassen]

would Remote Desktop allow you do what you need ?

[Gary Beene]

Howdy Johan!

That would be a solution too, but Windows 11 Home doesn't support it.

[Gary Beene]

Years ago I ran across a "network clipboard", where things saved to the clipboard (shortcut other than Ctrl-C) were available to other PCs on the network. I've not looked for it of late to see if it still exists.

[Johan Klassen]

Hi Gary
apparently it's not available by default in the Home edition but you can work around it https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-t...ndows-home-rdp
although that solution is not ideal, especially if you have to install it on the guest computers