What is file sharing? Setting up shared folder access over a network in Windows

Instructions

In order to be able to open access to local disk, you must manage an account that has volume owner rights. Turn on the computer running the operating system Windows systems.

Go to the “Security” menu by clicking on the tab of the same name. Click the "Advanced" button and go to "Owner". Select the desired account by clicking the "Edit" button. Save your local disk settings.

Now open the local disk properties through the Explorer menu. Go to "Access" and click the "Advanced Settings" button. Check the box next to “Share this folder.” Enter the name of the network resource in the appropriate field.

Open the “Permissions” menu by clicking the button of the same name. Select a user group that will have access to disk. If you plan to allow the use network resource any account, select the “All” item.

Check the boxes next to “Change” and “Read”. Click the Apply buttons several times. Restart your computer and check the availability of the local disk.

If you are working with the Windows XP operating system, then after launching the Explorer menu, click right click mouse over the disk icon and select “Sharing and Security”. Open the "Access" tab after opening a new window.

Activate the “Allow modification of files over the network” and “Share this folder” items by checking the boxes next to them. Click the "Apply" button and close the settings menu. Restart your computer after completing specified actions.

Computer networks are designed for communication and collaboration, and the security system of the operating system is designed to protect against unauthorized access to the computer resources under its control. How to instruct a security system to allow access to a specific folder from the outside is described in this article.

Instructions

Windows OS security is organized at the level separate files and is based on the use of the NTFS file system (New Technology File System- "file system" new technology"). All folders each have special controls access- ACL (Access Control List). They contain a list of specific users and user groups who are allowed access to a specific file or the entire folder generally. It also lists the actions that these users (or groups) can perform with folders and files. The operating system provides both detailed and simplified management of ACLs. Therefore, how exactly does public access to any folder depends on whether the “Use simple sharing” option is enabled in your operating system settings. You can find this out in “Folder Options” of the Control Panel. To do this, on the “Start” button, in the “Settings” section, click “Control Panel”, and then select “Folder Options”. In the window that opens, the option we are interested in is located on the “View” tab.

To open (or vice versa - close) access to any folder in yours, right-click it and select “Sharing and Security” from the menu that appears. If the “simple sharing” option is enabled (we found this out in the previous step), then in the folder properties window that opens, the “Access” tab will look like this:

To allow access over the network, check the box “Share this folder" Here you can specify the name under which the folder will be seen by other users, and also put a checkmark that allows network users to change folder. Click “OK” for the changes to take effect.

Here you can also specify the folder name for network users, as well as a limit on the number simultaneous connections. To allow network users to modify files in folder Here you need to click the “OK” button and check the box next to the “Change” item.

Video on the topic

Rules access to your computer's resources in the file NTFS system regulated special lists control access(ACL - Access Control List). By changing these rules for a specific user or entire groups, you can regulate the opportunities available to them to use files located on computer media.

Instructions

To allow network access to any disk change yours, recorded in ACL list this. The sequence of actions depends on the type of management of such lists enabled on at the moment on your system. To type, open the main OS menu on the “Start” button and select “Control Panel”. If your OS is Windows XP, then look for it in the “Settings” section.

With the panel open, click the “Appearance and Themes” link, and then “Folder Options.” Going to the “View” tab, look for the line “Use simple sharing” in the list of “Advanced options”. If you want to have more control over user rights, then uncheck this line, and if you trust the operating system more, then check it.

Once you're done with this, go to disk, which must be opened to the general access. By right-clicking the disk icon, a menu appears in which you need to click the “Sharing and Security” line, and then go to the “Access” tab. If you enabled simplified access control in the previous step, it will look like this screenshot.

You need to check the “Share this folder” checkbox, and in the “Share name” field type its alias for network users. If you need full access, check the box next to “Allow editing files over the network.” To make changes to the security policy, click the “OK” button.

There is also a field for a disk alias in this option. It is also possible to limit the number of simultaneous users. And to grant permissions to change the contents of the disk by network users, you need to click the “Permissions” button and check the “Change” checkbox.

Video on the topic

It makes sense to open access to hard drives V computer network some company to speed up production process. In order to give any user the right to manage the data of any computer on the network, it is necessary to set the address of his computer in the access protocol. How to do local disk open to local network users?

Instructions

Enter the Start button menu. Select "My Computer". Basically you can do it double click by the “My Computer” icon, which is located in the upper left corner of your desktop. A window will open in front of you. Select the local drive you want to share access to. Right-click on it and select “Properties” from the menu that appears. A window will appear in front of you.

Select the Access tab. In it, find and select “If you want to open access to the root folder of the disk, click here.” Check the box next to “Share this folder.” You'll find it under Network Sharing and Security. Then specify the network name of the local drive, which will appear on the local network as a shared resource.

Check the box next to "Allow changes" file network" to open access to the local disk. After this, other network users will be able to freely manage the information stored on it.

To prevent various kinds of unpleasant moments associated with erroneous correction of information, uncheck the box next to “Allow editing files over the network” so that the information on the selected local drive is available to other users only in read mode.

Apply the changes. To do this, click OK. If you did everything correctly, you are selected for public access The drive will appear in the My Computer window as an open palm icon.

To open access to a specific folder, and not the disk as a whole, do everything in accordance with the instructions described above. If you want to allow access only to some users, then specify their network addresses so that only they have the right to view documents on the open local drive.

Activation of general access allows you to share various data stored on hard drives And external drives. This method is widely used in enterprises, because allows you to quickly access the necessary information.

You will need

• - administrator account;
• - guest account.

Instructions

There are two main types of public resources. In the first case, users can only read files, and in the second, they can change their contents and add new documents. Turn on your computer. Wait for the operating system to load.

If you set up workgroups within your local network, select the "Homegroup (read and write)" field. If you want to provide access to specific clients, select “Specific users”.

Now leave the menu that appears for a while. Open Control Panel and select User Accounts. Go to the "Create" menu account».

Enter a name for the new account. Check the box next to “Regular Access”. Click the "Create Account" button. Be sure to set a password to access this account.

Now go back to the sharing settings menu. Enter the name of the newly created account in the field that appears. Click the "Add" button. Select this account in the bottom menu and click the “Share” button.

When connecting from another device to your computer, an authorization form will appear. Enter the name of the account you want to share with. Specify correct password. Check the “Save login settings” checkbox.

Be sure to check your firewall settings. The first time you try to connect to a public folder, you may receive a system warning. Allow me this connection, highlighting the “Remember action” item.

Video on the topic

Setting up shared access to certain computer resources allows you to ensure quick access To necessary information. Besides, this method ideal when using a PC as network storage.

You will need

• administrator account.

Instructions

Turn on your computer and wait until Windows finishes loading. To log in, use an account with administrator rights. This will allow you to perform all necessary directory operations.

In a situation where the owners network computers are verified users, use simple parameters general access. Open the My Computer menu. Select the desired local drive and right-click on the icon of the folder you want to open access to.

Select “Properties” from the drop-down menu. Open the "Access" tab and click the "Advanced settings" button. Activate the “Open to this folder” option by checking the box next to the item of the same name.

In order not to create a heavy load on hard drive, install maximum number simultaneous sessions up to 5-10. Click the Permissions button. In the “User Groups” submenu, select “Everyone”.

Check the “Allow” box next to “ Full access" If you only want users to be able to view and copy files, enable the Read option. Press the “Apply” and Ok buttons successively.

Sometimes computers are part of a relatively large local network. Don't share with everyone unless you're sure they're trustworthy. Create an account on your computer with guest rights.

Don't forget to protect this account with a password. Otherwise, you will not be able to correctly open access to directories. Open the properties of the desired folder and click the “Sharing” button in the corresponding menu.

Enter the name of the account you recently activated in the available fields. Install for of this account required permissions, such as Read and Write.

Click the "Apply" and Ok buttons. It is worth noting that this method has significant drawback: network users will not be able to access directories at the same time. If this is critical for you, use the Windows HomeGroup capabilities.

Quite often there is a need to transfer information to local network users. And so that they don’t run to each other with flash drives or disks, but calmly exchange information while sitting at their workplace, you can simply create a folder with necessary information(shared resource) and open a shared one to it access.

Instructions

In the window that appears, select the “Access” tab and check the box next to “Open shared access to this one." Also in the “Name” field of the folder opened for public access Yes, you can assign any name. It will be visible to everyone who visits you (the real folder name will be hidden). If you want all network users to be able to change the contents of the folder, that is, copy, move, delete, then check the box next to the “Allow changes over the network” item.

If you need to expand access to the computer, then you create several accounts, being at the same time an administrator, and install to some files limited access. But if you want to your files had access someone else then you wondering on how to do this. Performing such an operation is quite simple; all you have to do is follow step by step instructions.

You will need

• Personal computer

Instructions

Boot your computer and click the Start button. Now select “My Computer” and find the folder or drive you want to share

In order to use it normally local network, you need to be able to share folders. IN this material we will tell you how to share a folder in Windows 7, 8 or 10, and also tell you what settings you need to make on your computer in order for access to folders to work properly.

Setting up your computer before sharing folders

Before you open access to folders, you need to make sure that your computer is configured correctly. Otherwise, you will not be able to access the folders you need. To do this, follow the path " Start – Control Panel – Network and Internet – Network and Sharing Center" In this window you need to click on the link “ Change additional options public access».

After this, a window with sharing settings will open in front of you. In this window, all functions must be enabled except “ Sharing with password protection " This function must be disabled and click on the “Save changes” button.

If not disabled this function, then when trying to access the folder you will have to enter a password.

How to Share a Folder in Windows 7, 8 or 10

Sharing a folder in Windows 7, 8 or 10 is quite easy. To begin, right-click on the desired folder and select “ Properties».

After this, a window with the properties of the folder will appear in front of you. In this window you need to go to the “ Access" and click on the button " Sharing».

After this, a window will appear with the name of the shared folder. Here you just need to click on the button " Ready».

This completes access to the folder.

An alternative way to open access to a folder

There is also alternative way opening access to folders. To use this method, press the Windows + R key combination and enter the command in the window that opens shrpubw.

After this, “ Create Share Wizard" With it you can quickly and easily share a folder. To start creating a shared folder, simply click on the “ Next».

The first step is to select the folder you want to share. Select the desired folder and click on the button Next».

The final stage is choosing folder access permissions. Select the folder access rules that suit you and click on the " Ready».

This completes the setup. In order to open access to the folder, you just have to click on the button again. Ready».

If necessary, at this stage you can enable the function of re-running the “Share Resource Wizard”.

In the Windows operating system, you can connect shared access to a folder on a local home network to exchange data between computers using shared folders. It is very convenient and quick way for transferring files using a computer-to-computer scheme, without using external media(flash drives, external hard drives, memory cards, etc.).

In this article I will talk about creating a local network using the Windows 10 operating system as an example. Creating and configuring a local network in Windows 8 and Windows 7 occurs in a similar way, this instruction universal.

The article discusses next option using shared folders on a local network: several computers are connected to the router, connected via cable and wireless network Wi-Fi integrated into home network. A shared folder is created on each computer; all computers included in this local network have access to the shared folders.

On computers connected to the home local network, you can install operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 (different OS, or the same operating system), connected to the router via Wi-Fi or cable.

Creating and configuring a local network takes place in four stages:

• first stage - name verification working group and settings network card
• second stage - creating and configuring local network parameters
• third stage - connecting shared access to a folder on the local network
• fourth stage - data exchange over the local network

First you need to check the workgroup settings and network card settings, and then create a local Windows network.

Checking network card and workgroup settings

On the Desktop, right-click on the “This PC” icon (“My Computer”, “Computer”), in context menu select "Properties". In the “System” window, click on “Advanced system settings”.

In the “System Properties” window that opens, open the “Computer name” tab. Here you will see the workgroup name. By default, in Windows 10, a workgroup is named "WORKGROUP".

On all computers connected to this local network, the workgroup name must be the same. If the workgroups have different names on the computers you connect to the network, change the names by choosing one name for the workgroup.

To do this, click on the “Change...” button, in the “Changing computer or domain name” window, give a different name for the workgroup (write a new name in capital letters, better in English).

Now check your network card settings. To do this, in the notification area, right-click on the network icon (Internet access). Click on "Network and Sharing Center". In the Network and Sharing Center window, click the Change adapter settings link.

In the window " Network connections» Select a network card, Ethernet or Wi-Fi, depending on how your computer connects to the Internet. Next, right-click on the network card and click on “Properties” in the context menu.

In the network card properties window, in the “Network” tab, select the “IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” component, and then click on the “Properties” button.

In the Internet Protocol Properties window that opens, in the “General” tab, check the IP address and DNS service settings. In most cases, these parameters are assigned automatically. If these parameters are inserted manually, check the corresponding addresses with your Internet provider (the IP address on computers connected to the network must be different).

After checking the settings, you can proceed directly to creating a local network in Windows.

Creating a local network

First of all, configure the local network settings in Windows. Enter the “Network and Sharing Center”, click on the “Change advanced sharing settings” item.

The Advanced Sharing Settings window allows you to change sharing settings for different network profiles. The Windows operating system creates a separate network profile with its own special parameters for each network used.

There are three network profiles available:

• Private
• Guest or public
• All networks

In profile private network In the Network Discovery option, select Enable network discovery».

In the File and Printer Sharing option, enable the Enable File and Printer Sharing option.

In the "Connection" parameter home group» Select “Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections (recommended)”.

After that, open the “All Networks” network profile. In the Public Folder Sharing option, select Enable sharing to allow network users to read and write files in public folders.

In the File Sharing Connection option, select the Use 128-bit encryption to secure sharing connections (recommended) option.

In the “Password Protected Sharing” option, enable the “Turn off Password Protected Sharing” option.

After completing the settings, click on the “Save Changes” button.

Repeat all these steps on all computers that you plan to connect to your home local network:

• check the workgroup name (the name must be the same)
• check your network card settings
• In sharing settings, enable network discovery, enable file and printer sharing, disable password protected sharing

How to enable folder sharing

IN in this case I created a folder called "General". Right-click on this folder and in the folder properties window, open the “Access” tab.

Then click on the “Advanced setup” button.

In the “Advanced sharing settings” window, activate the “Share this folder” option, and then click on the “Permissions” button.

Select permissions to use shared folder data from another computer. There are three options to choose from:

• Full access
• Change
• Reading

To save the settings, click on the “OK” button.

Go back to the folder properties, open the “Security” tab, and then click on the “Change...” button.

In the window that opens, enter the name “Everyone” (without quotes) in the “Enter names of selected objects” field, and then click on the “OK” button.

In the folder properties window, in the “Security” tab, configure the permissions that you previously selected for the shared folder.

To change the permission for the “Everyone” group, click on the “Advanced” button. In the “Advanced security settings for a shared folder” window, select the “Everyone” group, and then click on the “Change” button to change permissions.

Setting up a local network in Windows is complete. In some cases, you may need to restart your computer for all changes to take effect.

Logging into your local home network

Open File Explorer, under Network you will see everything available computers connected to the local home network. To log into another computer, click on the computer name, and then click on the shared folder name in order to access files and folders located on shared folder.

The local network in Windows 10 has been created and configured.

Troubleshoot some network problems

Sometimes, after setting up the network, problems arise with accessing folders on the local network. One of possible problems, the network profile may be incorrectly selected. I encountered this myself on my computer. After reinstalling the system, I created and configured a local network, but my computer did not see two laptops connected to this network. From the laptop I could easily access the shared folder on my computer, but the computer did not see them at all.

I checked all the local network settings several times, and only then noticed that it was working on my computer public network, and not a private (home) network, as on laptops. How can such a problem be solved?

Enter the “Network and Sharing Center”, click on “Troubleshooting”. Select the “Shared Folders” section and run diagnostics and troubleshooting. At the very end, the application will offer to configure the network as private. Apply this fix, and then restart your computer. After performing this operation, my computer gained access to shared folders on laptops on the local network.

Problems often arise due to incorrect setting networks. Windows 10 has the option to reset network settings to default settings. Go to Settings, Network and Internet, under Change network parameters» click on “Network reset” to apply network settings default.

Other problems may arise; look for solutions on the Internet.

Conclusion

In Windows OS, you can create a local private (home) network between computers, organize data exchange using shared folders, and gain access to a printer. Computers on the same network can have different or the same operating systems installed (Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7).

Today, using both Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 in one home or small business is quite possible.

While Windows 7 and Windows 8 have similar tools for sharing files online, there are differences that might puzzle you.

Basics of file sharing on a local network

When installing or troubleshooting problems sharing to files over a home or small business network, the first step is to make sure that all computers on the network are elements of the same working group . There is an exception: if you have a laptop that is usually connected to corporate domain and is configured as a domain element, and you intend to leave it as such.

The default workgroup name for Windows systems is WORKGROUP. But you can use a different name. Simply put, the PC will see all systems on the local network that share the same workgroup name. If you are joining a machine to a workgroup, there is a wizard in Windows System Settings.

To manually change the system workgroup name, call the System Properties dialog box (Figure 1). To do this, in the Control Panel ( Control Panel) open the System section. On Windows 7 and Windows 8, click the link Advanced System Settings(Advanced system settings). Select the Computer Name tab and click the Change button to enter a new workgroup name (or new domain name or computer name).

Once you have your computers recognizing each other in Windows Explorer, you can start sharing files by designating files and folders to be shared. But more on that in a moment.

Use HomeGroups to Share Files and Folders Locally

Microsoft is counting on you to use the built-in features in Windows to share files. home groups (homegroups). These are essentially pre-configured groupings of shared files and printers. Homegroups are generally easy to set up, but they also have a number of limitations and potential performance issues. For example, XP systems cannot be joined to a homegroup. Transferring files using a homegroup can be noticeably slower than using a standard workgroup connection.

Homegroups can be used in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 7, with a few important caveats. In Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows RT 8.1 you can carry out annexation to the homegroup, but not create her. In RT, you also won't be able to share local content with others. Systems installed as domain members can also be joined (but not created) to home groups.

Typically, Windows 7 prompts users to create or join a homegroup when the PC first connects to the network. Not so with Windows 8: When you set up a Windows 8.1 PC, a homegroup is automatically created if there are no other homegroups on the network. If there is another computer on the network with a homegroup, the utility will notify you and show a button Join now(Join now) (see Figure 2). If you click the button, you will be prompted to enter your homegroup password.

However, before you join a homegroup, I recommend clicking the Change advanced sharing settings link. Advanced sharing settings dialog box ) allows you to configure resources for the network. The program offers three sections: Private (current network profile), Guest or Public, and All Networks. The organizational chart of this utility can be confusing; this is what is shown here:

• In sections Private(Private) and Guest or public(Guest or Public) you can specify whether to enable network discovery and file and printer sharing. You should leave these options enabled because, after all, you want your computers to see each other and share files.
• Chapter All networks(All Networks) is more interesting. Here you can set whether users on other computers can access Public Folders (we'll get to those shortly), and determine which devices on the network can stream media across the network.

To accommodate older devices, you can also lower the encryption standard used by the network. Finally, you can set whether password-protected sharing will be implemented on current computer. If you enable this setting, users will need to have accounts on the computer to share files.

When you are done with the Advanced sharing settings dialog, you can click the Save changes button and return to previous dialogue. Click the button Join(Join now) and you will be asked to select which folders you want to share.

The Share with other homegroup members dialog box can be a little confusing at first. One thing to keep in mind is that you are not defining file types, you are defining folders saved in your user profile. Selecting Shared in the Video category, for example, means that only those files in your Video library or folder can be accessed by others. Videos saved in other directories will not be shared.

Click the Next button to join the homegroup. You will now be able to navigate within the shared resources of other computers when you go to the Homegroup section in Windows Explorer.

More detailed information about home Windows groups You can find it on the HomeGroup page of the Microsoft website.

Sharing files over the network using folders General

Whether your system is connected to a HomeGroup, or just part of a workgroup, you can use the Public folder to share files with someone who has access to your computer—on the network or locally. If you created a homegroup, the General folder will be used automatically. Otherwise, you will need to enable the General folder yourself.

Again, once you enable the Public folder, any files stored in that folder or its subfolders will be available to everyone who has access to that computer. Keep in mind, however, that the Public folder on each system is a separate folder, independent of the Public folders on all other systems. This is not a single shared folder accessible over the network.

Once you have enabled the Public folder, I recommend making it new Library(Library). Right click on her name and select Add to library(Include in library).

Share specific files and folders

I don't usually use folders Windows data by default, I think more convenient creation my own folder hierarchy. (Keep in mind that if you want custom custom folders to be automatically backed up using File History in Windows 8, they must be included in the Library.) Luckily, it's relatively easy to assign separate folders, subfolders and files to share - for yourself, within a homegroup or for other specific users.

On Windows 7, click (Share with) and then Individual people (Specific people); The File Sharing dialog box will open, similar to the one in Windows 8.

Interestingly, if you want to make a specific folder (other than the Public folder) accessible everyone on your network, you'll have to take a few extra steps. You must open the properties of the file or folder, select the Sharing tab and click Share.

Double-click a specific user's name and the Permission Entry dialog box will open (see Figure 7). You can also specify, among other things, whether the permissions also apply to subfolders and the files within them.

Windows 7 also allows you to set certain user permissions on files and folders, but this is located in a different place. Right-click the folder and select Properties, then select the Sharing or Security tab. On the Sharing tab, select Advanced Sharing and then Permissions. On the Security tab, highlight the username and then click Edit. (This works for Windows 8 too.)

Setting up shared files and folders manually will take some effort, but it will obviously allow you fine control over access and access levels to data on your PC. When you want to access something publicly accessible on another computer, you simply go to the Network section in navigation bar Windows Explorer, click the Expand button next to the specific system, and open the file or folder you are looking for.

Cloud: organizing access to your own data

Using HomeGroups and Shared Folders makes it easier for others to access your data. This also allows you to access data on multiple computers on your local network. But an even more flexible solution is in cloud technology. Services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive (Microsoft) make it extremely easy to sync data across multiple machines and mobile devices. You can also access your data using any Internet-connected browser, and you can share files and folders with other people over the Internet with relative ease.

But there are downsides to the cloud-based approach to storing files and folders—besides the necessity subscription fee when you go beyond the limits of free storage. For example, often you cannot grant different permissions different people. More importantly, you typically can't sync files between systems on your local network without having to upload the same data to the cloud, where, again, you're faced with potentially having to pay for storage.

There is no one-size-fits-all way to share data

To provide access to files and folders - to yourself and others - you'll probably use different methods for different purposes.

Homegroups make it easy to share data across certain folders Windows, especially if you don't need to install different resolutions for each file and folder for different users.

Manually specify shared files and folders - and even disks - are best option when you want to tightly control access or if you prefer to store data in your own directory structure.

Finally, cloud storage- ideal for synchronizing files and folders on multiple devices and when you are not connected to a local network. As a bonus, you also have the option to do remote backup important data.

Found a typo? Press Ctrl + Enter

Some system folders in Windows are hidden from the user so that he does not accidentally delete or change important files, on which the operation of the OS depends. In addition, sharing of folders is usually limited. To remove these restrictions, you must set the appropriate settings.

It is not recommended to share root directory system disk, and also Windows folders and "Users". Even if you bypass the restrictions imposed by the system, this may negatively affect the operation of the computer. Use the folder to exchange data Public, copying files there to the appropriate directories: music to the “General Music” folder, photos to the “General Images” folder, etc. This method will always come in handy if you have difficulty accessing a regular folder that is not related to Public.