In this article, we will set up a local network between two or more computers with Windows 7 (Windows 8) installed, which are connected via a Wi-Fi router. In fact, setting up a local network in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 is almost the same. Windows XP only has its own nuances, there are always some problems when setting up a network between the seven and XP. But, more on this in a separate article, and it's time to move from Windows XP, it is outdated.
It is clear that in order to configure a local network and share files, computers need to somehow be connected between themselves. This can be done with a network cable, I have a direct connection between two computers. But, it is much more interesting to connect all computers through a router, which is now installed in almost every home and office. When connecting via a router, you can already set up a local network not only between two computers. All computers, and even mobile devices that are connected to one router, can be connected to a local network
For example, desktop computers can be connected to a router via a network cable, and laptops - via a Wi-Fi network. This is how it is more convenient for you, and how you do it. It doesn't matter if the computer is connected to the router via Wi-Fi or a cable, the local network will work. And it doesn't matter what operating system you have installed, but I will show you using Windows 7 as an example.
And I will configure and show the network through a router to which my laptop is connected via Wi-Fi, and a stationary computer. Both work on Windows 7. It is between these two computers that we now set up a local network. And also, open the general access to folders and files. What is a local network between computers for? Mostly for file sharing. If you often need to transfer some files from one computer to another, then in order not to run with a flash drive, you can do this over the network. Well, you can play games over the network.
If your network still has a TV with Smart TV, then you can set up access to movies on your computer from the TV. Read more in the article.
Instructions for setting up a local network in Windows 7
Let me remind you that the computers that you want to network must be connected to the same router, or directly connected by cable. Also, all the actions that I will show in this section must be performed on both computers.
An important point! If you want to set up a network via a Wi-Fi router, to which some third-party devices (for example, your neighbor) are connected, then after setting up, he will be able to access those folders on your computer that you set up public access to. Install a good one to protect your network. If you still need to connect third-party devices to your router, but you want to set up a home network, then you can create a "guest network" for guests, as we did on the Zyxel router in.
One more point. If you are setting up a network when connecting computers directly, without a router, then you will also need to set static IP addresses in the properties of a local network connection. If you have a connection via a router, then you do not need to do anything else, continue to follow the instructions.
1 First of all, we need to check that all computers work in the same workgroup. This should be checked on all computers that will be connected to the local network.
We do this: press the key combination Win + R, and in the window that appears, specify the command sysdm.cpl... Push Ok.
On the contrary Working groupis likely to be written WORKGROUP... You can leave her. The main thing is that on the other computers the workgroup should also be WORKGROUP.
If you go to change it, for example on MSHOME, then press the button Edit, and specify a new group. Save changes and restart your computer.
2 The second step is to change the sharing settings. We perform these settings in the same way on all computers in the network. Now I'll show you what to enable.
Right click on the internet connection icon in the notification bar, and open Network and Sharing Center... In the new window select Change advanced sharing options.
There will be two profiles. Home or Work, and General. We change the one that is written current profile... You can make these settings for both profiles.
First of all, put the switch next to Enable network discovery... Also, turn on File and Printer Sharing, and include share folders... See screenshot below.
Scroll through the settings page, find and open the tab All networks, or General, and necessarily disable Sharing with password protection.
After these steps, it is advisable to restart your computer. This is actually all the settings, the local network should already work. To check, you need to go to Explorer (My Computer) on one of the computers, and open the tab on the left Network... All computers on the network will be displayed there. In the screenshot, you can see my computer, and another one from the network.
We can already go to a computer on our home network, there will be access to shared folders.
If you do not have computers on the network, or you do not have access to a computer, then see the solutions at the end of this article.
Setting up file and folder sharing
As I wrote above, you already have access to shared folders. But, we may need to open shared access to some other folder, which is, for example, on the local drive D. This can be done without any problems. After we open shared access to the folder, all computers from the local network will be able to view the files located in it, modify them, and add new files to this folder. (however, it depends on what permissions we enable).
For example, I want to share my Pictures folder. To do this, right-click on it, and select Properties... Go to the tab Access, and click on the button Advanced customization... We put a tick next to the item Share this folder, and click on the button Permissions.
In the window that opens after clicking the button Permissions, we need to set access rights to this folder. So that netizens can only view files, then leave a tick only opposite Reading. Well, for full access to the folder, with the ability to change files, set all three checkboxes.
Click Apply and Ok... In the window Advanced sharing setup, also press the buttons Apply and Ok.
In the folder properties, go to the tab Safety, and press the button Edit... Another window will open in which we click on the button Add to... In the field we write "All" and press Ok.
Select the group All, and from below we mark the necessary access points for this folder with checkmarks.
All, after these steps, there will be a general access to this folder from all computers on the network. Starts working without rebooting, checked. Open this folder from another computer:
Everything was done in a confusing way, until you figure it out ... It was possible somehow to make these settings more simple and understandable. But, everything works. It turns out that I have access to a folder that is located on another computer. And this is all over the air, since I have both computers connected to the router via Wi-Fi.
By the way, this folder will also be available from smartphones and tablets that are connected to this Wi-Fi router. To view network folders on Android, I advise you to install ES Explorer, or use a standard explorer. Everything is working:
Now we will also look at possible problems and errors that can very often be encountered during the configuration process.
Possible problems and errors when setting up a home local network
If during the configuration process any errors or problems appear, then first of all disable antivirus, and other programs that might block the connection. If the problem is in the antivirus, then you will need to add your connection to the exceptions.
- Computers from the local network do not appear on the Network tab. In this case, on all computers we check the workgroup and the sharing settings. Open a tab in the explorer Network, right-click an empty area, and select Refresh... Another important point, very often antiviruses and firewalls block access to the local network. Try disabling your antivirus for a while. Also, you need to make sure that there is a connection to the router.
- Shared folder cannot be accessed. Another problem, when we seem to have set everything up, opened public access, but when we try to open a folder on a computer on the network, a message appears that we do not have access, we do not have permission to access this folder, we could not open the network folder, etc. Or, you are prompted for a username and password.
Be sure to check the sharing settings in the properties of this folder. There are a lot of settings, everything is confusing, perhaps something was missed. Well, again, turn off the antivirus, it can block. - A computer connected via Wi-Fi cannot be seen by other computers on the local network. Or vice versa. If your network is built with computers and laptops that are connected both wirelessly and by cable, then there may be problems with a certain connection. For example, laptops that are connected via Wi-Fi may not appear on the local network.
In this case, pay attention to which profile you enabled network discovery (settings at the beginning of the article)... Also, it is advisable to assign the status of a home network to connect to your Wi-Fi network. Well, be sure to try disabling your antivirus.
I think you did it. If something could not be configured, then ask in the comments. Also, do not forget to share your tips on this topic.
Some system folders in Windows are hidden from the user so that he does not accidentally delete or change important files on which the OS depends. In addition, sharing of folders is generally limited. To remove these restrictions, you must configure the appropriate settings.
To make hidden folders visible, open the "Start" panel and click on "Computer". At the top left, find the "Organize" option, expand the drop-down list and select "Folder and Search Options". In the window that appears, open the "View" menu, scroll down the list and under the "Hidden files and folders" option, select the "Show hidden folders, files and drives" option. Click OK... You have gained access to all the hidden directories. Sharing a folder will allow different user accounts to get file sharing rights and other permitted actions within it. Access can be done locally or over the network. By default, Windows 7 has one shared folder - Public... It can store video, music, photos and other files for sharing or review.
It is not recommended to share the root directory of the system drive, as well as the Windows and Users folders. Even if you bypass the restrictions imposed by the system, it can negatively affect the operation of the computer. Use the folder to exchange data Publicby copying files there to the appropriate directories: music to the Shared Music folder, photos to Shared Images, etc. This method is always useful if you have difficulties accessing a regular folder that is not related to Public.
Today, using Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 in one home or small business is quite possible.
And while Windows 7 and Windows 8 have similar tools for sharing files online, there are differences that might puzzle you.
The basics of sharing files on a local network
When installing or troubleshooting file sharing problems over a home or small business network, the first step is to make sure that all computers on the network are part of the same working group ... There is an exception: if you have a laptop, which is usually connected to a corporate domain and configured as a domain element, and you are going to leave it as such.
The default workgroup name for Windows systems is WORKGROUP. But you can use a different name. Simply put, the PC will see all systems on the local network that have the same common workgroup name. If you are joining a machine to a workgroup, there is a wizard in the Windows system settings.
To manually change the name of a system workgroup, open the System Properties dialog box (Figure 1). To do this, open the System section in the Control Panel. On Windows 7 and Windows 8, click the link Additional system parameters (Advanced system settings). Select the Computer Name tab and click the Change button to enter a new workgroup name (or a new domain name or computer name).
Figure 1. System Properties offers both a manual method for joining domains and workgroups, and using a wizard.
Once you have your computers recognizing each other in Windows Explorer, you can start sharing files by assigning files and folders to share. But more on that in a moment.
Using homegroups to share files and folders locally
Microsoft expects you to use the built-in Windows for file sharing home groups (homegroups). These are essentially pre-configured groupings of shared files and printers. Homegroups are generally easy to set up, but they also have a number of limitations and potential performance issues. For example, XP systems cannot be joined to a homegroup. Transferring files using a homegroup can be noticeably slower than using a standard workgroup connection.
Homegroups can be used in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 7 with a few important caveats. In Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, and Windows RT 8.1, you can join to the home group, but not create her. In RT, you also won't be able to share local content with others. Systems installed as domain elements can also be joined (but not created) to home groups.
Typically, Windows 7 prompts users to create or join a homegroup when the PC first connects to the network. Not so with Windows 8: When you set up your Windows 8.1 PC, a homegroup is automatically created if there are no other homegroups on the network. If there is another computer on the network with a home group, the utility will notify you and show a button Join now (Join now) (see figure 2). If you click the button, you will be prompted to enter your homegroup password.
Figure 2. If you already have a homegroup on your network, Windows should automatically ask if you want to join it.
Before joining the homegroup, however, I recommend clicking the Change advanced sharing settings link. Advanced sharing settings dialog box ) allows you to configure resources for the network. The program offers three sections: Private (current network profile) (Private), Guest or Public (Guest or Public) and All Networks (All Networks). The organization chart of this utility can be confusing; here's what is shown here:
- In sections Private(Private) and Guest or public (Guest or Public) you can specify whether to enable network discovery and sharing of files and printers. You should leave these options enabled because, after all, you want your computers to see each other and share files.
- Section All networks(All Networks) is more interesting. Here you can set an option for whether users on other computers can access Shared Folders (we'll get to them shortly), and define which devices on the network can stream media over the network.
To accommodate older devices, you can also lower the encryption standard used by the network. Finally, you can set whether password protected sharing will be implemented on the current computer. If you enable this option, users will need to have accounts on their computer to share files.
Figure 3. The All Networks section of the Advanced sharing settings dialog box allows you to password protect shared files.
When you are done with the (Advanced sharing settings) dialog, you can click the Save changes button and return to the previous dialog. Click the button Join(Join now) and you will be prompted to choose which folders you want to share.
The dialog box Share with other homegroup members can be a little confusing at first. Note that you are not defining file types, you are defining the folders stored in your user profile. Selecting Shared in the Video category, for example, means that only those files in your Video library or folder can be accessed by others. Videos saved in other directories will not be shared.
Figure 4. Windows allows you to control what is shared by default in Windows folders and libraries; you have two options - Shared and Not shared.
Click the Next button to join the homegroup. You will now be able to navigate within the shared resources of other computers by navigating to the Homegroup section in Windows Explorer.
For more information on Windows Homegroups, see the Homegroup page on the Microsoft website.
Sharing files over the network through folders Are common
Whether the system is connected to a homegroup, or just part of a workgroup, you can use the Public folder to share files with someone who has access to your computer, over the network or locally. If you have created a homegroup, the General folder will be used automatically. Otherwise, you will need to enable the General folder yourself.
Again, once you've enabled the use of the Public folder, any files saved in this folder or its subfolders will be available to all users who have access to this computer. Note, however, that the Public folder on each system is a separate folder, independent of the Public folders on all other systems. It is not a single shared folder accessible over the network.
Once you've enabled the Public folder, I recommend making it the new Library. Right click on her name and select Add to library (Include in library).
Sharing specific files and folders
I usually don't use the default Windows data folders, I find it more convenient to create my own folder hierarchy. (Keep in mind that if you want custom custom folders to be automatically backed up using File History in Windows 8, they must be included in the library.) Fortunately, it's relatively easy to assign separate folders, subfolders, and files to share for yourself, within a homegroup, or for other specific users.
In Windows 7, click (Share with) and then Individual people (Specific people); This will open the File Sharing dialog box, similar to Windows 8.
Curiously, if you want to make a specific folder (other than the Public folder) available all on your network, you have to take a few extra steps. You have to open the properties of the file or folder, select the Sharing tab and click Share.
Figure 6. The Advanced Security Settings tool in Windows 8 allows you to set permissions for individual users to share files and folders.
Double-click the name of a particular user and the Permission Entry dialog box opens (see Figure 7.) You can also specify, among other things, whether these permissions also apply to subfolders and files in them.
Figure 7. The extended permission dialog box allows you to specify what a particular user can do with the selected folders and files.
Windows 7 also allows you to set certain user permissions in files and folders, but this is in a different place. Right-click the folder and select Properties, then select the Sharing or Security tab. On the Sharing tab, select Advanced Sharing and then Permissions. On the Security tab, highlight the username and then click Edit. (This works for Windows 8 too)
Setting up shared files and folders manually takes some effort, but it will obviously give you fine control over access and levels of data access on your PC. When you want to access something publicly available on another computer, you simply go to the Network section in the Windows Explorer navigation pane, click the Expand button next to a specific system, and open the file or folder you are looking for.
Cloud: organizing access to your own data
Using homegroups and shared folders makes it easy to give others access to your data. It also allows you to have access to data on multiple computers on the local network. But an even more flexible solution is in cloud technology. Services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft's OneDrive make it extremely easy to sync data across multiple machines and mobile devices. You can also access your data using any Internet-connected browser, and you can relatively easily share files and folders with others over the Internet.
But there are drawbacks to the cloud-based approach to storing files and folders - beyond the need for a monthly fee when you go beyond the free storage limits. For example, often you cannot grant different powers to different people. More importantly, you usually cannot sync files between systems on your local network without uploading the same data to the cloud, where, again, you face the potential need to pay for storage.
There is no one universal way to share data
To provide access to files and folders — yourself and others — you will likely use different methods for different purposes.
Using homegroups makes it easy to share data in specific Windows folders, especially if you don't need to set different permissions for each file and folder for different users.
Manually specifying shared files and folders - and even drives - is the best option when you want tight control over access, or if you prefer to store data in your own directory structure.
Finally, cloud storage is ideal for syncing files and folders across multiple devices and when you're not connected to a local network. As a bonus, you also have the ability to remotely back up important data.
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In Windows 10 April Update 1803, Microsoft removed the HomeGroup functionality. Homegroup first appeared in Windows 7 and was intended to simplify the organization of a small home or office network and easily set up sharing of files, folders and printers. Even though there is no homegroup in Windows 10, you can still share your folders and printers online using other built-in Windows 10 features.
So, in this article we will figure out how to share network access to folders, files and printers on your Windows 10 1803 computer without using the homegroup using the built-in SMB sharing functionality.
No HomeGroup in Windows 10 1803
In Windows 10 1803 and higher, it is no longer possible to create a Homegroup. This functionality is no longer supported. On the one hand, I think this is the right step, since setting up a HomeGroup is quite confusing and relatively difficult for an untrained user.
After you have updated Windows 10 to version 1803, you will come across the following:
- The HomeGroup section does not appear in the Explorer navigation bar.
- The HomeGroup item is missing in the control panel. This means that you cannot create, join, or leave a homegroup.
- You cannot share files and printers with HomeGroup.
- All shared printers and network folders created with HomeGroup will still be available. But you cannot create new ones.
However, in Windows 10, you can still share resources that you previously shared with HomeGroup. It's just that the sharing process looks a little different than when using HomeGroup.
Configuring Sharing Services in Windows 10
For your Windows 10 1803 computer to function properly as a server that shares its folders and printers with other devices on the local network, you need to configure some network services.
In Windows settings (on both computers) you need to go to Options -> Network and Internet -> Your_network_connection (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) -\u003e (Settings\u003e Network & Internet\u003e Ethernet -\u003e Change advanced sharing options).
Then in the section Private network (Private) enable options:
- Enable network discovery (Turn on network discovery)
- Enable file and printer sharing (Turn on file and printer sharing)
In section All networks enable options:
- Enable sharingso that network users can read and write files in shared folders
- Disable password protection.
As a rule, password protection on your home network can be disabled because you trust all devices on your network). On a small office LAN, you can enable password protection. In this case, you can log in when accessing the resources of another computer (under the user account and password from a remote computer), or use the same account with the same password on all computers.
Check the following conditions:
- All computers on your local network use unique names and IP addresses.
- Private network is specified as the network type.
- In the event that there are old versions of Windows (XP, Vista) on your network, for them to work correctly on Windows 10, you will have to enable support for the SMBv1 protocol, and also allow network access under a guest account (see).
- Translate services " Publishing Feature Discovery Resources"(Function Discovery Resource Publication) and" Discovery Provider Host"(Function Discovery Provider Host) to start automatically. Otherwise, when accessing network resources, you can get.
The same settings need to be done on another Windows 10 computer that will act as a client and access the shared resources over the network.
How to Share a Network Printer in Windows 10 1803
In Windows 10, you can share a printer connected to your computer with other computers on the network. We will assume that you have already connected the printer (via USB, LPT or wireless) and configured it on your computer.
Then on the computer to which the printer is connected:
Now you can connect this network printer on another Windows 10 computer.
Sharing a folder (file) in Windows 10 1803
Let's figure out how in Windows 10 April Update 1803 to share the local directory with other computers in your workgroup or domain over the network.
Advice... The easiest way to transfer a file between Windows 10 computers is to use the function.
Advice... To fine-tune the settings and permissions for the network folder, you can use the console fsmgmt.msc.
Advice... To see all the folders to which you have shared network access, go in the address bar to \\\\ localhost.
Now you can access this folder from another computer over the network. To do this, in the explorer window, simply go to the address of your folder, for example \\\\ Desktop-JOPF9 \\ Distr. For the convenience of the user, you can create a shortcut to this folder on his desktop or connect it as a network drive via the net use command.
Advice... If you cannot open a network folder from a remote computer, check that the firewall settings allow access to shared files and printers on the private network (File and Printer Sharing rules). Also try to access not by computer name, but by its IP address, for example: \\\\ 192.168.1.20 \\ Distr.
There are two types of sharing:
- Local;
- Network.
In the first case, access is provided to directories located in your user directory "Users" ("Users"). In this case, the folder can be viewed by other users who have a profile on this computer or who have started a PC with a guest account. In the second case, the ability to enter the directory over the network is provided, that is, your data can be viewed by people from other computers.
Let's see how you can open access or, as they say in another way, share directories on a PC running Windows 7 using different methods.
Method 1: Provide Local Access
First, let's figure out how to provide local access to your directories to other users of this computer.
Now other users of this computer can easily enter the selected folder.
Method 2: Provide network access
Now let's figure out how to provide access to the directory from another PC over the network.
- Open the properties of the folder you want to share and go to the section "Access"... How to do this was explained in detail in the description of the previous option. This time click "Advanced setup".
- The window of the corresponding section opens. Check the box next to "Open public access".
- After the checkbox is set, the name of the selected directory will be displayed in the fields Share Name... Optionally, you can also leave any notes in the field "Note", but you don't have to. In the field for limiting the number of concurrent users, specify the number of those who can connect to this folder at the same time. This is to ensure that too many people connecting over the network do not put unnecessary strain on your computer. By default, the value in this field is "twenty", but you can increase or decrease it. After that click on the button "Permissions".
- The fact is that even with the above settings, only those users who have a profile on this computer will be able to enter the selected folder. For other users, the opportunity to visit the directory will not be available. In order to share the directory for absolutely everyone, you need to create a guest account. In the opened window Group Permissions click Add.
- In the window that appears, in the input field for the names of the selected objects, enter the word "The guest"... Then press "OK".
- Returns to Group Permissions... As you can see, the entry "The guest" appeared in the user list. Select it. At the bottom of the window is a list of permissions. By default, users from other PCs are allowed only read, but if you want them to be able to add new files to the directory and change existing ones, then opposite the indicator "Full access" in column "Allow" check the box. In this case, a mark will also appear next to all other items in this column. Do a similar operation for other accounts displayed in the field "Groups or users"... Next click "Apply" and "OK".
- After returning to the window "Advanced Sharing Setting" press "Apply" and "OK".
- Back to the folder properties, navigate to the tab "Safety".
- As you can see, in the field "Groups and users" there is no guest account, which can make it difficult to log into the shared directory. Click on the button "Change ...".
- A window opens Group Permissions... Click Add.
- In the window that appears, in the field of names of the selected objects, write "The guest"... Click "OK".
- Returning to the previous section, click "Apply" and "OK".
- Then close the folder properties by clicking "Close".
- But these manipulations do not yet provide access to the selected folder over the network from another computer. There are a few more steps to be taken Click the button "Start"... Go to "Control Panel".
- Choose a section "Network and Internet".
- Now enter into "Network Control Center".
- In the left menu of the window that appears, click "Change advanced parameters ...".
- The window for changing the parameters opens. Click on the group name "General".
- The content of the group is open. Go down the window and put the radio button in the position of disabled access with password protection. Click "Save changes".
- Then go to the section "Control panels"which bears the name "System and safety".
- Click "Administration".
- Choose from the presented tools "Local Security Policy".
- On the left side of the window that opens, click "Local Policies".
- Go to the catalog "Assigning user rights".
- In the right main part, find the parameter "Deny access to this computer from the network" and go to it.
- If there is no item in the window that opens "The guest", you can just close it. If there is such an item, then select it and click "Delete".
- After deleting the item, click "Apply" and "OK".
- Now, if there is a network connection, sharing from other computers to the selected folder will be enabled.
As you can see, the algorithm for providing shared access to a folder depends primarily on whether you want to share the directory for users of this computer or for users to log in over the network. In the first case, it is quite easy to perform the operation we need through the properties of the directory. But in the second, you will have to thoroughly tinker with various system settings, including folder properties, network settings and local security policy.
