How To Enable & Setup FTP Server on Windows 10 Machines

Introduction

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). FTP protocol typically uses port 21 as its main means of communication. FTP is considered an application layer protocol.

Refer to the article if you are looking to Enable Telnet on Windows 10 machine.

Enable FTP Server On Windows 10

Step1: Control Panel
Navigate to the control panel of the machine [laptop or desktop]. Refer to the below image.

Step2: Programs
Click “Programs” to move to the next page.

Step3: Windows Features
Click “Turn Windows features on or off” as shown below in the image. You might get an admin credential pop up to access it, depending upon the applied policies.

Step4: Enable FTP
Under the IIS (Internet Information Services), enable “FTP Extensibility” and “FTP Service” as shown below in the image. Click “OK” to apply the changes.

Step5: Confirmation
As soon as “OK” is clicked you could see the status and then confirmation.

Configure FTP Server On Windows 10

Step1: Administrative tool
Search and open the administrative tool by “Run as administrator” as shown below in the image.

Step2: IIS Manager
Double Click the IIS Manager as shown below.

Step3: Add FTP Site
Expand and right-click on “Sites” and select “Add FTP Site” as shown below in the image.

Step4: Site Information
Add the site information as per your requirement and then click “Next“. Refer to the below image for reference.

Step5: Binding & SSL Settings
Follow the steps shown below in the image.

Step6: Authentication & Authorization
Keep the authentication to “Basic” & authorize “Specific Users” only with read & write access. Click “Finish” to save all changes and the FTP Server is configured. Follow the steps shown below in the image.

How to allow an FTP server through Windows Firewall

Step1: Firewall Settings
Open firewall settings and then click “Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall”. Depending upon the applied policies you might need admin privilege to access it.