How to Set Up a Shared Folder for Your Team

A shared folder lets your team work from the same set of files instead of emailing documents back and forth. This guide compares the two main approaches — a cloud shared drive and a local network share — and walks you through setting up each one. Plan on 20 to 40 minutes depending on which you choose.

Before you start, the most important rule: give people access to only what they actually need (called least privilege), and make sure the shared data is backed up. We'll come back to both.

Step 1: Choose your approach

Cloud shared drive (recommended for most teams)

A cloud shared drive — OneDrive / SharePoint (Microsoft 365) or a Google Drive shared drive (Google Workspace) — stores files online so everyone can reach them from anywhere. This is the better fit for most teams, and especially for remote or hybrid ones, because there's no office network to be physically connected to.

Local network share (a folder on a PC, server, or NAS)

A local network share lives on a computer, server, or a NAS (network-attached storage device) inside your office. It can be fast and keeps data on-premises, but it generally requires everyone to be on the same network (or a VPN) to reach it. It's a good fit when people are mostly in one location or files are very large.

Step 2A: Set up a cloud shared drive

Using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace:

1. Create the shared space. In SharePoint/Teams create a team site or document library; in Google, create a Shared drive (not just a folder in your personal Drive).
2. Add your team members by email and assign each a role — for example Editor for people who change files and Viewer for those who only need to read.
3. Organize folders by project or department so things stay tidy.
4. Everyone installs the OneDrive or Google Drive app on their computer so the shared files appear right in their file explorer.

That's it — files sync automatically and there's nothing to back up manually, since the provider keeps copies.

Step 2B: Set up a local network share (Windows)

To share a folder from a Windows PC or server:

1. Create the folder you want to share (for example, C:\TeamFiles).
2. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.
3. Go to the Sharing tab and click Share (or Advanced Sharing for more control).
4. Add the specific users or group who should have access.
5. Set each person's permission level — Read for view-only, Read/Write for those who need to edit. Don't just grant "Everyone — Full Control."
6. Note the folder's network path (it looks like \\COMPUTERNAME\TeamFiles) and share it with your team. They can map it as a network drive for easy access.

A NAS works similarly, but you create users and set folder permissions through the NAS's own web admin page rather than Windows.

Step 3: Set permissions to who actually needs access

Whichever approach you chose, resist the temptation to give everyone access to everything:

• Grant access per folder, by role or department.
• Use view-only access for people who only need to read.
• Remove access promptly when someone changes roles or leaves.

This single habit prevents accidental deletions and limits the damage if one account is ever compromised.

Step 4: Make sure it's backed up

A shared folder concentrates your most important files in one place — which is great, until that one place fails.

• Cloud drives keep copies and version history, but it's still wise to understand your provider's recovery options.
• Local shares and NAS devices are not automatically backed up. You need a separate backup of that data. Our guide to cloud vs. local backup explains the trade-offs.

Tips

• Use cloud for remote teams. If people work from different locations, a cloud shared drive saves you the headache of VPNs and "I can't reach the server" tickets.
• Review access periodically. Every few months, look at who can see what and trim anything that's no longer needed.
• Agree on a naming convention. Consistent folder and file names keep a shared space usable as it grows.

How Gecadi can help

Choosing between cloud and on-premises, setting permissions correctly, and making sure it's all backed up is exactly the kind of thing that's easy to get slightly wrong. We design and set up shared storage through our server services and network installation, on-site in Los Angeles and Orange County and remotely across the U.S., 24/7. We'll help you build something your team can rely on.