File Sharing / Networking Files Between Computers

Why do we say only share what you need to?

In effect if you completely share the whole of your C drive, if you are on the internet you could be actually sharing it to millions of potential internet users if your computer and network is connected to the internet and does not have sufficient security.

Always setup users for your computer never allow anyone to access your computer without needing to login.

You may be thinking I can’t do all of that I just want a simply way to share files, if that’s really the case then there are two other options to simplify things.

The best method all round is to purchase a Network Hard Drive this allows you to share files between two or more computers, it acts as a central file store for all computers, with these it really is a case of plugging into your network, setting up it’s security if you choose and away you go.

File sharing from your computer

Windows provides us with two ways to do this

The first is called Simple File Sharing

Simply right click on the folder your wish to share and select “Sharing and Security” be warned though this way gives no security

Now proceed to Connecting.
 

The second method is the more advanced method of networking files

To begin with Open My Computer, from the Tools Menu choose Folder Options, select the View Tab, Scroll to the bottom of the scrolling window and un-tick “Use Simple File Sharing” Click OK.

Next decide who you want to access your files and go to Start Menu > Control Panel > User Account and create user or user accounts to suit your needs.

Now select the folder you wish to share select Sharing and Security

From the SharingTab select “Share This Folder” Give it a share name

Now select permissions, as a default it will say that everyone has read access, this can be taken too literally, as all it means is that anyone who has a user account on your computer has read access.

To add other users select Add and type the name of the user to add, now specify the rights that you need them to have.

( Remember you have to create the user accounts before you can add them )

Connecting
To connect to your newly created network share

Start Menu > Run type in \\the name of the computer you wish to connect to or it’s IP address (to find a computers name Right click on my computer, to find the IP address go to the Start Menu, Run type cmd , you’ll now see a black dos type screen, type ipconfig and you’ll see the IP address it will be something like 192.168.0.2)

You may now be asked to login if so type in the user name and password in the following format “name of computer your connecting to\username, for example

FredsComputer\Mike"

Now you should see the network share popup

If you right click on the share you’ll see an option “Map Network Drive” now select the drive letter you’d like to assign it to, also select “Reconnect at Logon" if you’d like this to remain permanently when you next login.
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