How To Share a Folder the XP Way in Windows Vista

[shahjinn]

I've received a number of requests for an article on how to share a folder. I know for many of you this is a very simple operation, but I finally realized there's a reason for the confusion users are having.

Windows Vista includes a "Share" button on the explorer toolbar, but it doesn't work the way people used to XP/Win2k expect it to. Instead it pops up a wizard to make things "easier".

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6610/image01xk5.png

By default, this share button will not let you choose the name of the shared folder. Even more annoying, sharing a folder within your user directory will have a weird share name like \\computer\Users\geek\Contacts, which is much more difficult to remember.

If you want to share folders the way you used to on Windows XP, simply right-click the folder, and choose the Properties option.

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1443/image03nz3.png

Now choose the Advanced Sharing button.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4310/image05sv4.png

Now you should be able to check the box "Share this folder", and choose a share name, which will be accessible from \\computer\myshare, for example.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9265/image011so8.png

You can also click the Permissions button if you want to allow write access to this share, or allow access to only a particular user.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7364/image02la6.png

Enjoy: :top:

[patrickbateman]

You also should go to the network thing and turn off password protected thing which apparently makes it so only people who have an account on the computer being shared can access it.