File and Printer sharing

Share Resources

Sharing can be done by interconnecting a series of computers that can share a common set of available resources like files, printers, scanners and other systems.
To share a storage device, or a folder on storage device do the following:
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click the drive or folder you wish to share. From the menu that appears, choose Sharing tab.
3. In the Sharing dialog box >> select Shared As >> type name in the Share Name field. Choose an appropriate and descriptive name (e.g., CD-ROM, Hard Drive C).
4. Next, provide the type of access to the shared resource. You can also use a password for security purpose. Also you can have a different password for different access level like read-only, write etc.
To share a Printer perform the following task:
1. Click Start, then Settings, and then click on Printers.
2. On the printers dialog box Right-click the printer you wish to share and choose Sharing.
3. In the Sharing dialog box, select Shared As. Enter an appropriate name in the "Share Name" field. Choose an appropriate and descriptive name (e.g., Bob's HP LaserJet III).
4. Choose the type of access you want and then choose the password to be used for access. You will be prompted to enter the password twice.

Once file and printer sharing is installed, to share a folder or drive, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the folder or drive you intend to share. In Windows XP, select Sharing and Security. In Windows 2000, select Sharing.
2. Select Share this folder.
3. In the appropriate fields, type the name of the share (as it appears to other computers), the maximum number of simultaneous users, and any comments that should appear beside it.
4. If you would like to grant access to particular groups or individuals, click the Permissions button to add the appropriate group or usernames.
5. If you are using NTFS, you should check the permissions in the Security tab to ensure that they are properly set to allow people access to the share. Because Security settings override Share permissions, it is possible for people on the Permissions list to be denied access to the share because they either are not specified or are denied specifically in the Security list.
6. Click OK.
To share a printer, follow these steps:
1. In the Windows XP Classic View, click the Start button and select Settings, then Printer and Faxes. In the Windows XP default view, click the Start button and select Printers and Faxes. In Windows 2000, click the Start button and select Settings, then Printers.
2. Right-click the printer you want to share, and select Sharing.
3. Select Shared as, enter a name for the printer, and then click OK.

Accessing a shared folder or printer:
To find and access a shared folder or printer, follow these steps:
1. In the Windows XP Classic View and in Windows 2000, from the desktop, double-click My Network Places.
2. On the left side of the window, select Search Active Directory.
3. From the drop-down menu next to "Find:" select either Printers or Shared Folders.
4. You can now enter search terms in the appropriate fields to modify the search, and start the search by clicking the Find Now button. To search for shared printers and folders that match any criteria, simply click the Find Now button without entering any search terms.
5. You then will see a list of shared printers and folders that are available on the network. Double-click the item to which you want to connect.
If you know the exact name of the computer and the share, or the exact name of the printer, you can enter it directly into the Run dialog box.
1. Go to the Start menu, and then click Run.
2. Enter two backslashes, the name of the computer, another backslash and then the name of the share or printer. For example, if the name of the computer is bl-iub-threepio.ads.iu.edu and the name of the share is r2d2, then enter: \\bl-iub-threepio.ads.iu.edu\r2d2.
3. Click OK.