Shared folders (from the English. Shared - shared) are often used in corporate and home local networks. Thanks to them, access to information from several computers is provided without using a server.
In order to share a folder in Windows 7 and 8, you need to do just a few simple steps. First you need to open the properties of the desired folder. To do this, right-click on it and select the appropriate item in the pop-up menu. Then, in the window that appears, select the "Sharing" tab. Next, in the input field, enter or select who you want to grant access to, usually they write "Everyone".
In the window located just below, you can select the permissions that are granted to other users. By default, there is "Reading". This means that no one except you will be able to change the contents of the folder; other computers will only be able to view the files. If there is a desire, then change the value of this item to "Reading and Writing". The configuration is complete, now we press the "Share" button to save the changes.
Now the folder is shared, but when trying to enter it from a third-party computer, the user will be forced to enter a username and password. To disable this feature, you need to do a few simple steps. We go to the control panel, which is in the "Start", select the item "Network and Internet", "Network and Sharing Center". Then, in a new window, click on the item "Change advanced sharing options" located on the left side of the menu. A window with network settings will appear on the screen. We find in it the item "Shared access with password protection" and turn it off.
That's all. As you can see, it is not difficult to share a folder and provide access to it from all computers on the local home network. You can find network shares in the Documents library.
