Buzz
In a home network where multiple computers are connected, you can boost productivity and effortlessly share data across all devices by setting up shared folders. Any computer with granted permissions on the network can access these folders, making it a fantastic way to utilize the data you need from anywhere within the network. Check out step 1 below to learn how to share folders across various operating systems.
Steps
On Windows
Share a Specific Folder
Ensure that the File and Printer Sharing feature is enabled. To share specific folders, this feature must be activated. The method to enable it varies slightly depending on your Windows version. We strongly advise against enabling folder sharing when connected to public networks, such as at school or a café.
- On Windows 10 - Open the Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. Click on "Change advanced sharing settings" located on the left side of the network name.
- On Windows 8 - Right-click the Network icon in the system tray on the Desktop view and select "Network and Sharing Center". Click the "Change advanced sharing settings" link, expand the profile you want to enable sharing for (Private or Public). Enable both "Network discovery" and "File and printer sharing". Click the "Save changes" button and enter the administrator password if required.
- On Windows 7 - Click the Start button, type "control panel", and press ↵ Enter. Double-click the "Network and Sharing Center" icon, then click the "Change advanced sharing settings" link. Expand the profile you want to enable sharing for (Home/Work or Public). Enable both "Network discovery" and "File and printer sharing". Click the "Save changes" button and enter the administrator password if required.
- On Windows Vista - Click the Start menu and select Control Panel. Click Network and Internet, then choose Network and Sharing Center. Expand the "Network discovery" and "File and printer sharing" options under "Sharing and Discovery". Ensure both are enabled, then click the "Save" button for each.
- On Windows XP - Click the Start button and select Control Panel. Open Network Connections, right-click the network, and choose Properties. Check the box for "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks".
Locate the folder you wish to share. Once File and Printer Sharing is enabled, you can share any folder on your hard drive with others on the same network. Navigate to the folder you want to share using Explorer, then right-click on it.
Click the "Share with" option. A submenu for Sharing will appear. You can choose to share with everyone in the Homegroup or specific individuals.
- When selecting Homegroup, you can allow members to read and edit the folder or restrict them to only viewing its contents.
Click the "Specific people" option to choose the users you want to share with. A new window will display a list of all users with access to the folder. You can add users to this list and assign specific permissions for the folder.
- To share the folder with everyone, click the dropdown menu at the top and select "Everyone", then click the Add button.
- To share with specific users, click the dropdown menu and select or type the username, then click Add.
Assign permissions to users on the list. Locate the user you want to modify permissions for in the list. Look at the Permissions Level column and click the arrow next to the current permission. Select a new permission from the list.
- Read - Users can view, copy, and open files in the folder but cannot modify or add new files.
- Read/Write - In addition to Read permissions, users can modify data and add new files to the shared folder. Data in the folder can be deleted by users with Read/Write permissions.
- Remove - Revoke permissions for this user and remove them from the list.
Click the Share button. Your permission settings will be saved, and the folder will become accessible to all authorized users on the network.
Using Public Folders
Enable the Public folders feature. Public folders are directories that are always shared with anyone accessing the network. Users can view and edit public folders without requiring specific permissions. By default, this feature is disabled unless you are part of a Homegroup.
- On Windows 8 - Right-click the Network icon in the system tray on the Desktop view and select "Network and Sharing Center". Click the "Change advanced sharing settings" link. Expand the "All Networks" section, locate and enable the "Public folder sharing" option. Click the "Save changes" button.
- On Windows 7 - Click the Start button, type "control panel", and press ↵ Enter. Double-click the "Network and Sharing Center" icon, then click the "Change advanced sharing settings" link. Expand the profile where you want to enable Public folders (Home/Work or Public). Locate and enable the "Public folder sharing" option, click the "Save changes" button, and enter the administrator password if prompted.
- On Windows Vista - Click the Start menu and select Control Panel. Click Network and Internet, then choose Network and Sharing Center. Expand the "Public Folder" section under "Sharing and Discovery". Toggle the switch to enable it and click "Save".
Enable or disable Password Protected Sharing. In the same location as the Public folder settings, you will find options for password-protected sharing. When enabled, only users with an account and password on the same computer can access the public folders. This prevents users on other computers from accessing the Public folder.
Locate the Public folder. Once enabled, you can start adding data to share with others on the network. The Public folder is part of the Libraries view, and access methods vary slightly depending on your Windows version. Each library (Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos) contains a Public folder.
- On Windows 8 - By default, the Libraries view is hidden on Windows 8. To access it, open Explorer by clicking This PC. Select the View tab and click the "Navigation pane" button on the left. Choose the "Show libraries" option to display the Libraries folder in the sidebar. Expand the library where you want to add files to view the corresponding Public folder.
- On Windows 7 - Click Start and select Documents. In the left pane, expand the Libraries and Documents folders, then select Public Documents. You can also choose the Public folder in other libraries.
- On Windows Vista - Click Start and select Documents. In the left pane, click the Public link under "Favorite Links". If you don’t see the option, click More and select Public. Then, choose the Public folder where you want to add files.
Add files. You can add, move, copy from another location and paste, or drag and drop files into the Public folder as usual.
On Mac OS X
Open System Preferences. Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Ensure you are logged in as an Administrator.
Click the Sharing button. This option is located under the Internet & Wireless section in System Preferences. The Sharing window will open.
Enable File Sharing. Check the box labeled "File Sharing" in the left pane. The file sharing option will be activated on your Mac, allowing you to share files and folders with other users or computers on the network.
Add the folder you want to share. Click the "+" button to open the Finder window. Browse and locate the folder you wish to share. If you want to share specific files, create a dedicated folder for them. Click Add after selecting the folder.
Share the folder with Windows computers. By default, shared folders are only accessible to other Mac computers. To share with Windows users, select the folder from the Shared Folders list and click Options. Check the box for "Share files and folders using SMB (Windows)" and click Done.
- You can also configure folder permissions using this method.
Set folder permissions. Choose the folder from the Shared Folders list. The Users list on the right will display individuals currently allowed to access the folder. Click the "+" or "-" buttons to add or remove users from the permitted list.
On Linux
Access Windows Shared Folder
Install software to mount the shared folder. To access a shared folder on Windows, you need to install the SMB protocol on your Mac. Open Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and enter the command sudo apt-get install cifs-utils.
Create a folder to serve as the mount point for the shared folder. This folder should be placed in an easily accessible location. You can create it on the desktop using the graphical interface or use the mkdir command in the terminal. For example, to create a folder named "sharedfolder" on the desktop, enter the command mkdir ~/Desktop/sharedfolder.
Mount the folder. Once the mount point is created, you can mount the shared folder to link it with your Linux computer. Open Terminal again and enter the following command (continuing the example of creating the "sharedfolder"):
- sudo mount.cifs //WindowsComputerName/SharedFolder /home/username/Desktop/sharedfolder -o user=WindowsUsername
- You will be prompted to enter the Linux root password and the Windows user password.
Access the folder. Once the mount point is active, you can access the data. You can add or remove data as with any other folder or use the terminal to access files within the shared folder.
Create a Shared Folder
Install Samba.sudo apt-get install samba
Create a shared folder. Any existing folder can be used, but creating a new one makes it easier to distinguish the shared folder from others. Use the mkdir command to create the folder.
Open the Samba configuration file.sudo vi /etc/samba/smb.conf
Save the file. Save the configuration file and close the editor. Restart the SMB service by entering sudo service smbd restart. The configuration file will reload, applying the new settings to the shared folder.
Retrieve the IP address. To link the folder on Windows, you need the IP address of the Linux computer. Enter ifconfig in the Terminal and note down the address.
Access the folder on Windows. Create a new shortcut anywhere on your Windows computer by right-clicking and selecting New → Shortcut. Enter the IP address and folder location you created on Linux: \\IP address\folder name. Click Next, name the shortcut, and select Finish. When the shortcut opens, you can view the contents of the shared folder.
Warnings
- Manage who you share folders with carefully. If there is content you don’t want others to see, modify, or delete, disable sharing permissions.
- If your Wi-Fi is unprotected, strangers nearby may access the shared folder.
