Group Policy includes the Network Shares preference extension. For computers, this extension allows you to:

Create a share and configure its properties.
Modify the folder path for a share by replacing the share.
Delete ("un-share") or modify the user limit, Access-Based Enumeration, and comment for:
- A share.
- All shares except hidden shares.
- All hidden shares except administrative drive-letter shares.
- All administrative drive-letter shares.
- All shares.

Notes

Network Share items create, modify, or delete share points, but do not create or delete the folders to which they point. For a share point to be created, the folder to be shared must already exist on computers to which the Group Policy object is applied. When a share is deleted, the share point leading to the folder is removed, but the folder and its contents are not deleted.
For information on how to use a Folder preference item to create or delete folders using Group Policy, see Folders Extension.

Getting started

You can create and configure Network Share preference items for any domain-based Group Policy object (GPO). You configure the settings by editing a GPO using the Group Policy Management Console. When editing a GPO, you can find this preference extension at the following location:

Computer Configuration

└ Preferences

└ Windows Settings

└ Network Shares

For information about how to use this extension to create and configure a preference item, see the following topics:

Network Shares Extension

Getting started