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Even with the new Homegroup feature I'm still finding the way Windows deals with folder sharing utterly baffling. Here's what I want to do.
I have two computers, a PC Desktop and a laptop. I also live in a shared flat with other computer users. I have set up a Homegroup and a Workgroup on the desktop and joined them on the laptop and in the home group I have shared video, music and pictures. This is so that anyone on the network can view pictures and listen to music etc. But I want my Documents folder from my desktop to only be available to me on my laptop and not to anyone else that may be on the network. The Homegroup only allows (from what I can gather from the baffling array of options) sharing with everyone or no one. Is it possible to only allow the laptop to access the documents folder on the desktop? The user name and password are the same on both computers.
I had been trying that but I still can't get it to work. When I choose Specific People my local user account is already in the list. But whn trying to access the folder from the other computer I'm denied access. The user account and password are the same on the other computer so I assumed this would work but it doesn't. There is no way of adding non-local accounts in the Share With->Specific People dialog box. Am I missing something here? – Carbonara – 2009-12-30T20:59:43.157
In network and sharing center, you can change advanced sharing settings. There is an option to turn on password protected sharing ( http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/turnoffpw.png ). You can make a secondary user account for everyone else and allow them to see public folders, then deny them access to your documents. When you log in to the share, supply your username and password for that remote machine. It will give you access to your shares.
– John T – 2009-12-30T21:14:46.573Try this. Set up the shared folder as John mentions, then on the remote computer create a new mapped network drive share. In drive pick a letter you want to use, in folder enter \source_computer_name\shared_folder_name. One of the options when creating the share says to connect with a different user name. Click on this and type in the login credentials for the remote computer, then click finish. I have had this solution work before, but not always, even when my username and password were the same on both computers. – BBlake – 2009-12-30T21:15:44.947
Thanks for the replies. I've done all of the suggestions bar setting up a mapped drive but it seems to me that i'm missing some setting somewhere. I've turned on Password Protected Sharing and right clicking on the documents folder on the sharing tab it says "Shared" and in the Password protection section it says "People must have a user account and password for this computer etc.". The share shows up on the other computer but when trying to access it i'm not given the option of typing a user and password i'm just flattly denied access... – Carbonara – 2009-12-31T02:14:23.987