Section 13.5. Accessing Other Computers

13.5. Accessing Other Computers

So far in this chapter, you've been reading from the point of view of the person doing the sharing. You've read the steps for preparing a PC for sharing by other people on the network.

This section details how to be one of them that is, how to connect to other PCs whose disks, folders, and printers have been shared.

Fortunately, doing so is extremely easy.

13.5.1. My Network Places

Most people view their network contents using a special window:

• In Windows XP or Windows Me : Choose Start My Network Places

• In earlier versions : Double-click the desktop icon called My Network Places or Network Neighborhood.

The very first time you open the network window (Figure 13-8), you see icons that correspond to the shared folders and files on the computers of your network (including those on your own machine). Just double-click one to open it, in readiness to work with its contents.

Figure 13-8. Shared disks and folders automatically show up in the My Network Places windowincluding shared disks and folders on your own PC, which can be a bit confusing. Here, the network-wire logo replaces the usual sharing-hand icon.

13.5.1.1. "View workgroup computers"

If you find the My Network Places window overwhelmingly crowded as your network grows, you might find clarity in the "View workgroup computers" link at the left side of the window. It shows you the icons of the computers on your networknot every last shared folder on all of them. Double-click one of these computer icons to see a list of the shared folders and printers on it (Figure 13-9).

Figure 13-9. Top: If you know that the folder or file you're looking for resides on a particular PC, it's often more convenient to start your quest at this window.
Bottom: When you double-click a computer (Inspiron in this case), you see a list of its shared resources (folders, disks, and printers).

13.5.1.2. Older PCs: Network Neighborhood

If you're using a networked PC that's still running Windows 95 or Windows 98, you won't find a My Network Places icon on the desktop. Instead, you get its ancestor : Network Neighborhood.

When you open Network Neighborhood, Windows displays an icon in the window for each computer it finds on the workgroup (see Figure 13-10), along with an Entire Network icon. (If you're on a corporate domain network, you may see a list of domains here; click the one you want.) Just double-click a computer's icon to see the shared disks, folders, and printers attached to it. (Once again, you may have to type in the correct password before you're given access.)

Figure 13-10. This workgroup has four computers. The Entire Network icon in the Network Neighborhood window lets you drill down from the workgroup to the computers but because you see the networked workgroup PCs immediately, there's not much reason to do so.