see Everything on a Home Network.. File Sharing

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share files

One of the most common activities on any computer network is "file sharing." Windows makes sharing files incredibly easy, and once you set it up, any computer on the network can share files with any other.

Windows XP

Sharing a folder is extremely easy in Windows XP. Simply open the Windows Explorer (Click the Start button, click on All Programs, choose Accessories and click on the Windows Explorer icon). Find the folder you wish to share. Right click on the folder, and in the menu that appears select "Sharing and Security..." Click on the Sharing tab. Click on "Share this folder on the network" and give the folder a unique name.

When you share a folder, you have an option to make the folder (and all the files in it) read-only. If it is read-only, people can look at the files in the folder but they cannot change any of the files. If not, then they can modify files in the folder, delete files, rename files and add new files. A check box lets you specify if the folder is read-only or not.

To access a shared folder, open the Windows Explorer, Choose "My Network Places" in the list on the left, find the shared folder that you wish to access and open it.

Windows 98

To use file sharing in Windows 98, first check that File and Printer Sharing is enabled. You do this by running the mouse pointer over the Network Neighborhood icon on the desktop and clicking the right mouse button once. Select Properties from the menu. In the large white box, the item "Client for Microsoft Networks" should be visible.

Sometimes the software required to make a computer a client of a particular type of network isn't loaded. When a computer is a "client" of a network, that computer can communicate and share information with other computers that are clients of the network. When you first set up networking on a Windows 98/ME computer, the set-up process normally adds the "Client for Microsoft Networks" software. Occasionally it doesn't. If that's the case:

1. Click Add in the Network Properties window.
2. Choose Client from the list of choices in the window that pops up.
3. Click Add. You will see a list of different companies or vendors on the left pane (side) of the window.
4. Click Microsoft in that left pane. This will bring up a list of Microsoft's software clients in the right pane.
5. Choose Client for Microsoft Networks from the list and click OK. Windows will copy all of the necessary files and may prompt you for the Win98 CD. If so, insert the CD and continue.

Once the software is installed, you should be back to the original Network window. Now let's enable file sharing:

1. Click the button labeled File and Print Sharing...
2. You will see two options, one for sharing files and the other for sharing printers. Click the box next to each option to enable it.
3. Once it is enabled, you will see a checkmark in the box. Click OK to close the sharing-options window.
4. Click the Access Control tab near the top of the Network window. For easier control of who can access which files, click the box beside Share-level Access Control.
5. Click OK to close the Network window.

You must now select which folders you want to share. Sharing your entire hard drive is not recommended. It is too easy for someone to accidentally delete an important system file if the whole disk is shared. Instead, create folders that will be used specifically to share files.

You may want one folder for the entire family and another one limited to you and your spouse. Once you have identified the folder(s), move the pointer over the folder and click the right mouse button to get the pop-up menu. Select the Sharing... menu item. A window will open with several options. The default choice for sharing is Not Shared. Change this to Shared As and type in a name for the shared folder. The "Shared As" name does not have to be the same as the name of the folder, but it makes it easier to remember if it is.

 

[Roshi229]

WINDOWS XP

this is how xp describes it

If your computer is not joined to a domain, you can use the Network Setup Wizard to automatically turn file and printer sharing on or off. To start the Network Setup Wizard, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Setup Wizard.

If you both use the same computer

You can put the files you want to share in the Shared Documents folder. Files stored in the Shared Documents folder or its subfolders are always available to other users on your computer.


Step-by-step procedure
If you both use the same computer

To share files and folders on your computer
Moving or copying a file or folder to Shared Documents makes it available to anyone who has a user account on your computer.

Open My Documents.
Click the file or folder that you want to share.
Drag the file or folder to Shared Documents in Other Places.
Notes

To open My Documents, double-click the My Documents icon on your desktop.
If you are connected to a network domain, the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music folders are not available.
If the file or folder you want to share is not located in My Documents or one of its subfolders, use Search to find it. To open Search, click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.

If you are connected to a network domain, the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music folders are not available





If both computers are on the same network

You can share a folder or drive on your computer with others on the network. You can also control whether the files in the shared folder can be modified by other users.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure

To share a folder or drive
Using Shared Folders

Open Computer Management (Local).
In the console tree, click Shares.
Where?

Computer Management
System Tools
Shared Folders
Shares
On the Action menu, click New File Share.
Follow the steps in Create Shared Folder.
You will be prompted to select a folder or drive, type a new share name and description of the shared resource, and set permissions. After you provide this information, click Finish.

Notes

To open Computer Management, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
You must be a member of the Administrators or Power Users group to use Shared Folders.
Using Windows Explorer

Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the shared folder or drive to which you want to add a new share name.

If you are logged on to a domain, do the following:

Right-click the shared folder or drive, and then click Sharing and Security.
Click Share this folder.
Set any other options that you want, and then click OK.
If you are not logged on to a domain or if you are running Windows XP Home Edition, do the following:

Right-click the shared folder or drive, and then click Properties.
On the Sharing tab, click Share this folder on the network.
Set any other options that you want, and then click OK.
Note

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
Using a command line

Open Command Prompt.
Type:
net share sharename=driveath

Value Description
net share Creates, deletes, or displays shared resources.
sharename=driveath The network name of the shared resource and the absolute path of its location.

Notes

To open a command prompt, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type:

net help share

Notes

You can use Shared Folders to manage shared resources on both local and remote computers. Windows Explorer and the command line allow you to manage shared resources on your local computer only.
You can hide the shared resource from users by typing $ as the last character of the shared resource name. Users can map a drive to this shared resource, but they cannot see the shared resource when they browse to it in Windows Explorer or in My Computer, or when they use the net view command on the remote computer. For more information about this command, see Net view.
You must have the appropriate permissions to complete this procedure.


If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:
Step-by-step procedure


To share a drive or folder on the network
Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the drive or folder you want to share.
Right-click the drive or folder, and then click Sharing and Security.
If you are sharing a drive, on the Sharing tab, click If you understand the risk but still want to share the root of the drive, click here.
If you are sharing a folder, go to the next step.
Do one of the following:
If the Share this folder on the network check box is available, select the check box.
If the Share this folder on the network check box is not available, this computer is not on a network. If you would like to set up a home or small office network, click the Network Setup Wizard link and follow the instructions to turn on file sharing. Once file sharing is enabled, begin this procedure again.
Notes

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
When you share a drive or folder, anyone who has user access to the network can read the contents of that drive or folder. If you want to remove the drive or folder from the network, follow steps 1 and 2 above to get to the Sharing tab. On the Sharing tab, in Network sharing and security, clear the Share this folder on the network check box.
To allow complete access to the contents of your shared drive or folder, follow steps 1 and 2 above to get to the Sharing tab. On the Sharing tab, in Network sharing and security, select the Allow network users to change my files check box.
To change the name of your folder on the network, in the Share name text box, type a new name for your folder. This will not change the name of the folder on your computer.
If you are logged on as a guest (a guest account provides access to the computer for any user who does not have a user account on the computer), you cannot create a shared folder.
The Sharing option is not available for the Documents and Settings, Program Files, and WINDOWS system folders. In addition, you cannot share folders in other user's profiles.


Note

If you are connected to a network domain, you will need to set the Access control for the folder or drive after sharing it. For more information, go to To set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions.



If you don't want others to access your files

You can prevent other users from accessing your folders and the files they contain. When your computer is connected to a domain, this is called setting permissions for your file or folder. When your computer is connected to a workgroup, this is called making your folders private.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

To set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions
Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the file or folder for which you want to set permissions.
Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
Do one of the following:
To set permissions for a group or user that does not appear in the Group or user names box, click Add. Type the name of the group or user you want to set permissions for and then click OK.
To change or remove permissions from an existing group or user, click the name of the group or user.
Do one of the following:
To allow or deny a permission, in the Permissions for User or Group box, select the Allow or Deny check box.
To remove the group or user from the Group or user names box, click Remove.
Important

If you are not joined to a domain and want to view the Security tab, see To display the Security tab.
Notes

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
In Windows XP Professional, the Everyone group no longer includes Anonymous Logon.
You can set file and folder permissions only on drives formatted to use NTFS.
To change permissions, you must be the owner or have been granted permission to do so by the owner.
Groups or users granted Full Control for a folder can delete files and subfolders within that folder regardless of the permissions protecting the files and subfolders.
If the check boxes under Permissions for user or group are shaded or if the Remove button is unavailable, then the file or folder has inherited permissions from the parent folder. For more information on how inheritance affects files and folders, see Related Topics.
When adding a new user or group, by default, this user or group will have Read & Execute, List Folder Contents, and Read permissions.

If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:
Step-by-step procedure



To make your folders private
Open My Computer.
Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C, unless you have more than one drive on your computer).
If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive.

Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.
Double-click your user folder.
Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties.
On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box.
Notes

To open My Computer, double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop.
This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer.
When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private.
You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS.





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