Windows 8 : Sharing files and folders (part 3) - Sharing a folder

10/10/2014 4:00:43 AM

Sharing a folder: simple method

Now that Windows 8 has been configured to enable file and folder sharing, you can share a folder on the network. To share a folder quickly, complete the following steps:

Open that folder’s Properties page and tap or click the Sharing tab to open a window like the one shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. Enabling file sharing on a specific network
Tap or click Share to open the File Sharing window shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Enabling file sharing on particular networks
Tap or click the down arrow in the list box and find the user with whom you want to share the folder. Tap or click the Add button.
Choose the permission level you would like the user to have.

Choose either Read or Read/Write. With Read permissions, the user can read the contents of the shared folder but can’t make changes. With Read/Write permissions, the user can make changes to the contents of the folder. You can see the permission options in Figure 10.

Figure 10. Choosing permission level for sharing with selected users
When you have added users and settings permissions, tap or click the Share button to proceed.

You receive a notice like the one shown in Figure 11, telling you the folder is now shared, using the same name as the name of the folder. By using this method, you cannot change the name of the folder.

Figure 11. Notifying that a folder is now shared
If you want to notify the user that the folder is shared and available, tap or click the E-Mail link to send an email to specified users with the link to the folder.

Now, users with appropriate rights can access that folder by browsing the network or by going directly to the folder’s universal naming convention (UNC) path name, which in this example is \\WIN8\Shared-files.

Sharing a folder: advanced method

By using the simple method, you can’t control the name of the share; it will always assume the name of the folder you’re sharing. Although you will want to do this in some instances, it won’t always be the case. To account for this, Windows 8 also includes a more advanced method for sharing folders. Like the simple method, you access this from the Sharing tab on the Properties page for a folder (see Figure 8).

To share a folder by using the advanced method, complete the following steps:

On the Sharing tab, tap or click Advanced Sharing to open the dialog box shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12. The Advanced Sharing dialog box

In the Advanced Sharing dialog box, you have more options than were available with the simple method.
To share the folder, select the Share This Folder check box at the top of the dialog box.
Provide a share name in the text box.

By using the advanced sharing method, you can have a share name that is different from the name of the folder you’re sharing.
In the Limit The Number Of Simultaneous Users To box, select the number of users who can access the share at the same time. The default number of simultaneous connections is 20, which is also the maximum number of connections that can be made to a Windows 8–based computer.

REAL WORLD: THE 20-CONNECTION LIMIT

The 20-connection limit to a Windows 8–based computer is not a technical limitation, but rather a limitation based on the licensing terms of Windows 8. Windows 8 might work well in a very small environment, but as organizations scale to larger sizes, the 20-connection limit forces these organizations to consider Windows Server for file sharing needs rather than continuing to rely on Windows 8, which is a desktop operating system.
To change the permissions for the shared folder, select the Permissions button, which opens a dialog box like the one shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13. The Permissions For Any-name dialog box
Select the group or user for which you want to establish permissions. You have three options:
- Full Control A user with full control for the shared folder can do anything, including changing the permissions.
- Change The user can both read and modify the contents of files in the folder.
- Read The user can view folder items but can’t make changes.
You can have multiple entries in the Group Or User Name box. For example, you might grant administrators full control for a folder but grant the sales team only view rights.
Make your selections and tap or click OK.