Curiously, while a PC connected to the internet may be able to share files with any computer in the world, it cannot directly and simply transfer files to a nearby computer . With laptops and Windows PCs it would be possible to use bluetooth, even if always using a specific program and going through the pairing procedure. Furthermore, the connection would be rather slow and good only in the case of small files.
Using a wifi connection is certainly a faster solution, but it requires that all computers are connected to the same router or the same wifi network and that file sharing is configured.
In another article we had found other solutions to transfer files from one computer to another, including sites to share files with everyone on the internet.
We have also discovered several online portals to transfer files from PC to Wifi for free without registration, cables or programs, where it is enough for the two PCs to open the same website on which the files dragged over can be transferred from one to the other.
To make up for this shortcoming and provide a direct connection method between Windows PCs (similar to that for Macs called AirDrop), Microsoft has added to the Windows 10 1803 version a new near-sharing function for direct file transfer in wifi .
If two or more Windows 10 PCs have the Wifi card and if they also have bluetooth, they can exchange and share files quickly, activating sharing in proximity in the settings.
Proximity sharing must be activated by going to Settings> System, under the Shared Experiences section and allows you to quickly transfer files to nearby computers without any configuration, without opening programs or websites.
The file transfer can take place with anyone in the room without entering a password and without pairing procedures. The only requirement for this option to work is that the PC has a bluetooth connection and that wifi is active to find the available devices nearby.
Therefore, sharing in proximity, bluetooth and wifi must be activated on both computers involved. Computers do not need to be connected to the internet to use direct file sharing.
To send a file from any folder, you can then press on it with the right mouse button and press on the Sharing option. The share button in Windows 10 can also be found by selecting the file and then using the menu at the top, pressing where Share is written.
From the standard Windows 10 sharing dialog, you will find the ability to see all the devices (other computers with Windows 10) nearby that can accept receiving the file. By selecting the computer from the list, you can quickly start sending the file to that computer that will receive a notification after the transfer has taken place.
Likewise, you can share anything that has a share button, for example, photos from the Photos app, websites from Edge, or any other type of file opened from a Windows application.
The reception of the file by the computer occurs automatically if in the Settings> System> Shared Experiences file sharing has been activated with all the users nearby . You can also choose to activate this option only with my devices, which allows you to exchange files between computers that are accessed through the same Microsoft account. Be that as it may, whenever someone tries to send a file to our computer, we receive a notification that can be accepted to save the files and open it on the PC or even refused. The location where incoming files are saved is the Downloads folder, which can be changed if you prefer.
On Windows 7 and Windows 8 PCs and on computers without bluetooth connection this connection system cannot work, and it is necessary to return to the solutions described at the beginning of the article. Among these solutions we add one particularly effective through the free program Feem Thanks to this system it is possible to quickly share files via WiFi from one computer to another,, transfer photos or music from one computer to another without however having to connect them to Internet. Feem allows you to set up a peer-to-peer wireless connection between two or more PCs in a few minutes, without limits.
READ ALSO: What it is used for and when using Wifi-Direct
