Windows 8 : Sharing files and folders (part 1) - Configuring the Network and Sharing Center

At the lower-right corner of the desktop, press and hold or right-click the network icon and choose Open Network And Sharing Center, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Opening Network And Sharing Center from the taskbar

To access Control Panel, either press and hold or right-click the lower-left corner of the desktop. This opens a shortcut menu that provides access to a number of system utilities, including Control Panel. From this shortcut menu, choose the Control Panel option. When Control Panel opens, choose the View Network Status And Tasks option, as shown in Figure 2. This opens the Network and Sharing Center.

Figure 2. Using Control Panel to access the Network and Sharing Center

You can also use the new Windows 8 interface to access the Network and Sharing Center. There are two ways to do so. First, with the Start screen open, start typing Control Panel. As you type, Windows narrows the results to match what you’ve typed. Figure 3 shows the results of this search.

Figure 3. Searching for Control Panel on the Start screen

Alternatively, from the Start screen, start typing Network and, in the Search bar, choose Settings to tell Windows that you’re looking for settings rather than apps. Tap or click Network And Sharing Center (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Finding settings that are related to the network by using the Start screen

In the Network and Sharing Center, you have several options by which to make granular changes in how Windows 8 operates on the network.