Sharing a Folder over a Network

You can share a folder and its contents on a network and specify whether you want to give network users permission to change the contents of the shared folder. You can create a new folder to share, or you can use an existing one anywhere on your computer. For example, you can create a shared folder in a subfolder within your My Documents folder. When you create a shared folder, you have the option to use the name of the folder or another name as the share name , which is the name network users see on the network in My Network Places. Once you create shared folders, copying and moving shared files and folders in Windows is as easy as managing files on your own computer. The only difference is that data transfer can take longer over a network than it does on your local computer.

Share a Folder on a Workgroup Network

Click the Start button, and then click My Computer.

Locate the folder you want to share.

Right-click the folder, and then click Sharing And Security.

Click the Sharing tab.

Select the Share This Folder On The Network check box.

Type a share name or use the suggested one.

To give the user full control of the folder, select the Allow Network Users To Change My Files check box. Clear the check box to give read-only access.

Click OK.

See Also

See " Sharing Files or Folders with Others " on page 75 for information on using the Shared Documents folder.

Share a Folder on a Domain Network

Click the Start button, and then click My Computer.

Locate the folder you want to share.

Right-click the folder, and then click Sharing And Security.

Click the Sharing tab.

Click the Share This Folder option.

Type a share name or use the suggested one.

Click Permissions.

Select the user you want to change permissions.

Select the check boxes for the permissions you want.

Click OK.

Click OK.

For Your Information

File Permission Properties

Every file in the Windows file system includes permissions for each user, or settings that designate what each user can and cannot do to each file. Three basic types of file permissions are available for users: read and full. Read permission allows the user to open and view the file but not to make changes that can be saved in the file. When you open a read-only file, the words "Read Only" appear in the title bar. You can save the file with a new name in a different location and have full access to it. Change permission allows the user to open and edit the file and save changes. Full Control permission allows the user to edit and save changes to the file (or "write") and execute programs on server or client computers. Qualified users or system administrators use file permissions and passwords to control who can access any specific area of the network.