I had it copied in text mode earlier.
Its missing the dialog boxes pictures that for where I add network users,
these boxes don't exist in my system
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/evaluate/vista_fp.mspx
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TechNet Home > Networking > Tasks > Evaluation & Planning
File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista
Published: November 8, 2006
On This Page
Abstract
Differences in File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista
Configuring File and Printer Sharing Behavior in Windows Vista
Sharing a Folder or Printer in Windows Vista
Accessing a Shared Folder or Printer with Windows Vista
Additional Issues with Windows Vista File and Printer Sharing
For More Information
Abstract
Microsoft® Windows Vista™ has made some important changes to the way that
file and printer sharing works. This article describes the changes and
provides step-by-step instructions for sharing files and printers and
connecting to shared files and printers for a small-office or home office
network that does not use an Active Directory® directory service domain.
Top of page
Differences in File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista
The differences in file and printer sharing in Windows Vista are the
following:
• The default workgroup name in Windows Vista has been changed to WORKGROUP.
In Windows® XP Home Edition, the default workgroup name is MSHOME. If you
upgrade a computer running Windows XP Home Edition to Windows Vista, it will
keep its existing workgroup name. However, new computers with Windows Vista
can have a different workgroup name than the other computers on your
network. With different workgroups, it takes more time and effort to view
all of the computers on the network.
• Windows Vista uses the Public folder, rather than the Shared Documents
folder in Windows XP, to simplify file sharing. With Public folder sharing
enabled, the public folders and all of the folders within the Public folder
are automatically shared with the name Public. You do not have to configure
file sharing on separate folders. You only have to either move or copy the
file or folder you want to share on the network to the Public folder.
• Windows Vista by default does not allow simple file sharing. Access to
shared folders, including the public folder (if shared), requires a user
name and password. Simple file sharing is enabled by default in Windows XP
Home Edition.
Top of page
Configuring File and Printer Sharing Behavior in Windows Vista
Configuring file and printer sharing behavior in Windows Vista consists of
the following:
• Setting the workgroup name to be the same as the other computers
• Setting the network location type
• Enabling file and printer sharing options
Setting the Workgroup Name
For easier and faster discovery of computers on your home network, it is
highly recommended that all computers on a home network be configured for
the same workgroup name. If computers are in multiple workgroups, it can
take additional time and effort to discover all of the computers on the
network.
To find out the existing workgroup name for a computer running Windows XP,
do the following:
1.
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2.
In the System Properties dialog box, click the Computer Name tab and note
the name of the workgroup.
Figure 1 shows an example.
Figure 1: The workgroup name in Windows XP
To find out the existing workgroup name for a computer running Windows
Vista, click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.
In the System window, the workgroup name is listed in the Computer name,
domain, and workgroup settings section. Figure 2 shows an example of the
System window with the workgroup name highlighted.
Figure 2: The workgroup name in Windows Vista
To configure the workgroup name for a computer running Windows Vista:
1.
In the Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings section of the System
window, click Change settings.
2.
On the Computer Name tab of the System Properties dialog box, click Change.
3.
In the Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box, type the name of the
workgroup being used by the other computers on your network in Workgroup,
and then click OK. Figure 3 shows an example.
4.
When you are prompted with a welcome message box, click OK. When prompted
with a message box to restart your computer, click OK.
5.
Click Close. When prompted to restart the computer, click Restart Now.
Figure 3 shows an example of the Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box.
Figure 3: An example of the Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box
Setting the Network Location Type
The network location type in Windows Vista is a setting that allows Windows
Vista to automatically configure security and other settings based on the
type of network to which the computer is connected. The Windows Vista
network location types are the following:
• Domain The computer is connected to a network that contains an Active
Directory domain controller for the domain to which the computer is joined.
An example a domain network type is an organization intranet.
• Public The computer is connected to a network that has a direct connection
to the Internet. Examples of public network types are public Internet access
networks such as those found in airports, libraries, and coffee shops.
• Private The computer is connected to a network that has some level of
protection from the Internet and contains known or trusted computers.
Examples of private network types are home networks or small office networks
that are located behind an Internet gateway device that provides firewalling
against incoming traffic from the Internet.
For small office or home office networks, you want to make sure that the
network location type is set to private.
To view the current network location type, do the following, click Start,
right-click Network, and then click Properties.
The Network and Sharing Center window displays the network location type in
parentheses after the network name. Figure 4 shows an example of the Network
and Sharing Center window with the network location type highlighted.
Figure 4: An example of the Network and Sharing Center window
If your network type is Public, do the following:
1.
To the right of the network name and location type, click Customize.
2.
In the Set Network Location dialog box, click Private, and then click Next.
3.
In the Successfully set network settings dialog box, click Close.
Enabling File and Printer Sharing Options
By changing your network location type to private, network discovery is
automatically enabled in the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network
and Sharing Center window. The following additional file and printer sharing
options must be manually enabled:
• File sharing
• Public folder sharing
• Printer sharing
• Password protected sharing
When all of these sharing and discovery options are enabled, your computer
can:
• Locate other computers and devices on your home network and have other
computers locate your computer
• Share its folders
• Share its Public folder
• Share its printers
• Require user names and passwords for other computers that connect to the
shared folders and printers of this computer
To enable file sharing, do the following:
1.
In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click the down arrow next to File sharing.
2.
Within the File sharing settings, click Turn on file sharing, and then
click Apply.
To enable public folder sharing, do the following:
1.
In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click the down arrow next to Public folder sharing.
2.
Within the Public folder sharing settings, click one of the following:
• If you want to share the public folder so that other computers on the
network can access the Public share to open files, but not create or change
files, click Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open files.
This is the default setting.
• If you want to share the public folder so that other computers on the
network can access the Public share to open files and also create or change
files, click Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open, change,
and create files.
3.
Click Apply.
To enable printer sharing and share all of your connected printers, do the
following:
1.
In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click the down arrow next to Printer sharing.
2.
Within the Printer sharing settings, click Turn on printer sharing, and
then click Apply.
To enable password protected sharing, do the following:
1.
In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click the down arrow next to Password protected sharing.
2.
Within the Password protected sharing settings, click Turn on password
protected sharing, and then click Apply.
Password Protected Sharing
With password protected sharing enabled, other computers on your network
will not be able to access your shared folders, including the Public folder,
without a user name or password that corresponds to a user account on the
computer with the shared folder. When a user on another computer tries to
connect to the shared folder, they will send the user name and password of
the account that they used to log on to their own computer. For example, if
they logged on to their computer with the “Bob†account and a password, then
the “Bob†name with its password is sent when connecting to a shared folder
on another computer.
If there is a “Bob†account with its password on the computer that is
sharing the folder, the shared folder connection will be successful
(provided the "Bob" account is specified as one of the accounts that can
access the share). However, if there is no “Bob†account on the computer
that is sharing the folder, the shared folder connection will fail and the
user on the other computer will be prompted with a dialog box to type in a
user name and password. At this point, the user on the computer attempting
to connect can type the name and password of an account on the computer
sharing the folder that is specified as one of the accounts that can access
the share.
To prevent shared folder connection failures, you can do one of the
following:
• Add the same accounts and passwords to all of the computers on your
network
For example, if you have three computers in your home and four family
members that use them, add all four accounts with their passwords
corresponding to your family members to all three computers. When this is
done, each family member can access the shared folders of the other
computers, regardless of which computer they are using. This is the
recommended method, which provides protection of shared folders and prevents
shared folder connection failures.
• Disable password protected sharing
When you disable password protected sharing, the computer sharing the folder
does not require a user account or password. Anyone on your network can
access the shared folders of the computer (provided the folder was shared
for the Guest or Everyone account). This behavior is equivalent to simple
file sharing in Windows XP.
To disable password protected sharing, do the following:
1.
In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click the down arrow next to Password protected sharing.
2.
Within the Password protected sharing settings, click Turn off password
protected sharing, and then click Apply.
Top of page
Sharing a Folder or Printer in Windows Vista
To share a folder in Windows Vista, do the following:
1.
Ensure that file sharing is enabled as described in the “Enabling File and
Printer Sharing Options†section of this article.
2.
Click Start, and then click Computer.
3.
In the Computer window, navigate to the folder containing the folder that
you want to share.
4.
Right-click the folder that you want to share, and then click Share. The
File Sharing window is displayed.
5.
If you have password protected sharing enabled, use the File Sharing window
to select which users can access the shared folder and their permission
level. To allow all users, select Everyone in the list of users. By default,
the permission level for a selected user is Reader. Users cannot change
files or create new files in the share. To allow a user to change files or
folders or create new files or folders, select Co-owner as the permission
level. Figure 5 shows an example of configuring users and permission levels
in the File Sharing window.
If you have password protected sharing disabled, use the File Sharing window
to select the Guest or Everyone account. This is equivalent to simple file
sharing in Windows XP.
6.
When complete, click Share, and then click Done.
Figure 5: An example of the File Sharing window
To verify that the folder is shared, do the following:
1.
Click Start, right-click Network, and then click Properties.
2.
Under the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click Show me all the shared network folders on this computer.
A window displays the shared folders and printers. Verify that the window
contains the folder that you just shared. Figure 6 shows an example.
Figure 6: An example of the list of shared folders and printers
If you share any folder within your user folder (click Start, and then click
your user name), such Documents or Pictures, then other computers will see a
folder named Users in the list of shared folders on this computer. For
example, if the user Bob shares his Desktop folder on his computer named
BobPC, it means that Bob has shared his c:\users\bob folder, which includes
the Desktop folder. Bob’s Desktop folder is now available at
\\bobpc\users\bob\desktop.
Sharing Your Printers
To share your printers in Windows Vista, ensure that printer sharing is
enabled as described in the “Enabling File and Printer Sharing Optionsâ€
section of this article.
To verify that your printers are shared, do the following:
1.
Click Start, right-click Network, and then click Properties.
2.
Under the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center
window, click Show me all the shared network folders on this computer.
3.
In the list of shared resources, verify that your printers are listed.
Top of page
Accessing a Shared Folder or Printer with Windows Vista
To access a shared folder from a computer running Windows Vista, do the
following:
1.
Click Start, and then click Network. The Network window displays a list of
computers in the workgroup of the computer. Figure 7 shows an example.
2.
Double-click the name of the computer containing the shared folder that you
want to access.
3.
Double-click the shared folder that you want to access.
Figure 7: An example of the Network window
If the shared folder is on a computer running Windows Vista that has network
discovery enabled, it should appear in the Network window quickly. If the
computer containing the shared folder is on a computer running Windows XP,
it might take up to 15 minutes for the computer to appear in the Network
window.
If the computer that you are trying to access has password protected sharing
enabled, the possibilities are the following:
• If you are logged in using a user account that has been added to the
computer sharing the folder and that name has been added to the list of
users who have access to the folder, the shared folder connection will be
successful.
• If you are logged in using a user account that has not been added to the
computer sharing the folder, you will be prompted to provide a user name and
password of an account on the computer sharing the folder that has been
added to the list of users who have access to the folder.
• If you are logged in using a user account that has been added to the
computer sharing the folder but has not been added to the list of users who
can access the share, the shared folder connection will be denied.
If the computer that you are trying to access has password protected sharing
disabled, the possibilities are the following:
• In most cases, the access to the shared folder will be successful without
prompting for a user name and password.
• In some cases, you will be prompted to provide a user name and password.
You should type the name guest with no password to access the shared folder.
• If the shared folder does not have the Guest or Everyone account in its
list of allowed users, shared folder access can fail even after prompting
you for the name of the Guest account. To correct this, add the Guest or
Everyone account to the list of allowed users on the share.
Accessing a Shared Printer
To access a shared printer from a computer running Windows Vista, do the
following:
1.
Click Start, and then click Network. The Network window displays a list of
computers in the workgroup of the computer.
2.
Double-click the name of the computer containing the shared printer that
you want to access.
3.
Right-click the shared printer that you want to access, and then click
Connect. Alternately, you can double-click on Printers to see just the list
of shared printers, and then right-click the shared printer that you want to
access, and then click Connect.
After you have connected to the shared printer, you will be able to print to
this shared printer as long as the printer and the computer sharing the
printer are turned on.
Top of page
Additional Issues with Windows Vista File and Printer Sharing
The following are additional issues or common questions about file and
printer sharing in Windows Vista.
Administrative Shares
Windows XP by default created administrative shares for the fixed drives of
the computer. For example, for the C: drive on the computer named BobPC,
Windows XP automatically shared \\bobpc\c$. The “$†at the end of the share
name means that the share name will not appear in the list of shares. With
Windows Vista, these administrative shares are not shared by default for
security reasons. You can create your own shares to share your drives from
the root of the drive, but Microsoft highly recommends that you share only
the folders that you need to, rather than the entire drive.
Viewing Shares Without the Network Window
If the computer that you are trying to access for a shared folder or printer
does not appear in the Network window, you can try to view the shares of the
computer by clicking Start, typing \\ComputerName, and then pressing Enter.
For example, to view the shares of the computer named BobPC, click Start,
type \\bobpc, and then press Enter.
Third-Party Firewall Products
Windows Vista includes a built-in host-based firewall known as Windows
Firewall. When network discovery or file and printer sharing are enabled,
Windows Firewall automatically allows the corresponding incoming traffic.
However, many users use a different firewall product such as Windows Live
OneCare or PC-cillin. These firewalls by default might block incoming
network discovery and file and printer sharing traffic. If a firewall
product other than Windows Firewall is being used, Windows Vista displays an
information message above the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network
and Sharing Center window. Figure 8 shows an example.
Figure 8: The information message in the Network and Sharing Center window
when the Windows Firewall is not being used
If you are using a firewall other than Windows Firewall, you must configure
the firewall to allow incoming network discovery and file and printer
sharing traffic. For network discovery of other computers running Windows
Vista, you must allow the following incoming traffic:
• UDP 3702
• TCP 5357
• TCP 5358
For network discovery of computers running Windows XP and file and printer
sharing for both Windows Vista and Windows XP, you must allow the following
incoming Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol
(UDP) traffic:
• UDP 137
• UDP 138
• TCP 139
• TCP 445
For network discovery of network devices, you must allow the following
incoming traffic:
• UDP 1900
• TCP 2869
Top of page
For More Information
For more information about networking features in Windows Vista, see the
Windows Vista Networking Web site.
Top of page
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