Help Yourself Centre Set Up Shared Folders on Your Home Network in Windows 7

Part of the advantages of having a home network (or even a small office network) is sharing files across your network using network shares. Creating network shares makes it easy to copy files from one computer to another, install software on a second computer, and creating backups in case of an emergency. Windows 7 even has a media detection option that lets you detect media on one of your other computers, so you can play your music from anywhere on the network from one, central media computer. Setting up a shared folder is convenient, and Windows 7 lets you place minimum to maximum security using permissions.

Creating the Shared Folder

The first step in creating a network share is choosing your folder to share across the network. This can be any folder on your computer. To keep it organized, most users prefer to keep shared files in a separate folder from other personal files. Use the following steps to share your folder:

• Right-click the folder and select “Properties.” When the properties window opens, click the “Sharing” tab.

• Click the “Advanced Sharing” button. This opens a new window. Check the box labeled “Share this folder.” A text box is enabled under the check box. This is the name given to the share called the “alias.” The alias name is seen when you browse your computer for available shares. For small networks, the name of the alias is not important, but larger networks have more obscure alias names to prevent users from knowing the actual folder name. It’s a small, added security method used by Windows administrators.

• Click “OK” to save the settings. The folder is now shared on your network. You can verify it by clicking the Windows “Start” Orb and selecting “Computer.” Click “Network” on the left pane, click your computer. Notice your alias share name is shown.

Adding Shared Folder Permissions

When you share a folder in a small Windows 7 workgroup, the group “Everyone” is assigned permissions. This gives everyone access to the folder, which is fine for a small home network. However, if you are running a small office and want to restrict access, you need to apply share permissions. These steps show you how to specify users who have access to the share.

• Click the “Share” button in the same “Sharing” tab in the folder’s properties. This opens a window where you add a user name. Click the user with whom you want to share the contents of the folder.

• Click “Add” to add the user. In the list of users, make sure “Everyone” is removed from the list. This stops any user on the network from viewing your folder’s content.

Repeat these steps with each folder you want to share. You can also share your printers, making it more convenient to print your documents from any computer on the network. Sharing folders across the network is one of the main advantages of having a Windows 7 network in your home.