Sharing is handled a bit differently in Vista than it is in XP. It is actually handled better, but it isn't obvious to those schooled in XP and previous Windows versions. By sharing folders and files across the network you can take advantage of one of the greatest benefits of networking! It doesn't have to be hard, and given the motivation and a small amount of equipment, you can share resources among many computers! I share files, folders, and three printers between all my PC's. Let's explore this shall we?

The first step is to go to the Network and Sharing Center. You can click the Start button and type in Network. Near the top, you should see Network and Sharing Center. Go ahead and click on that. You can also go to your Control Panel-->Network and Internet-->Network and Sharing Center.

As you can see, there are several ways to get to a program or setting in Vista. As you use your computer more and more, and accumulate more data, you should start taking advantage of using the search bar in the start menu. It is very fast and will save you alot of time! This is one of the cool new things that Vista has over XP.

 

 

You will now be presented with this window displaying your computer, your network, and the big-bad scary internet. (There are alot of crazies out there!!! I am one of them! lol) What you want to do in this window is to click on the Customize button on the right hand side of the screen. This will allow you to customize your network settings.

The good folks at Microsoft have provided us with a wizard to help us with this process! It isn't quite Magical Merlin easy, but its close! You can choose to name your network-whatever you want, pick what type of Location it is-choose Private, and change the icon if you want. The default is a Monopoly looking house that should spark fond memories of afternoons wasted away in your youth...or is that just me?

Almost as easy as Merlin, this wizard has granted our wish! Click Next and we will get a lovely image saying how successful you are!

Guess what? Your computer is now on the Network. It is ready to party on your network with your other machines! We aren't done however, we want to set up how it shares and what it shares don't we? Don't worry, this is just as easy. You will see the Network and Sharing Center dialog box again. In the middle of this box will be a section called Sharing and Discovery. This makes our job so much easier, so let's get to it!

The first option listed lets us turn our visibility on the network on and off. Simply turn it on if you want it to be seen on the network and off if you don't.

The next choice lets us share files between our machines. This is a really handy feature that allows us to share files between computers, home servers, and Xbox 360's. Turn it on to share files and off to prevent this.

Public folder sharing is up next. If you turn on public folder sharing, a folder called Public will be created that will be shared with anyone who uses your computer or those that are on your network. Simply drag a file into this folder and it will be shared with the other users!

What might be the second most important option is up next! Printer Sharing! Want to share your printer between your machines? Of course you do! Make sure to turn on printer sharing!

The next option isn't a bad idea. It enables you to protect all of the things that you just enabled on your network with a password.

The last option is Media Sharing. This allows you to share all of your media between your computers and other devices on the network! This is awesome!

You will now get a window that says Media Sharing at the top. Select the checkbox near Share my media. You can share to whatever devices you wish. When you are done, click Ok.

That's it! You just took advantage of one of the most powerful features of a home network. Feel good about yourself? Go ahead and pat yourself on the back. Nobody's watching. I hope that I helped you figure out some of this networking thing. It truly provides some of the most important and powerful features that modern computers offer! Now go out and hug your favorite Geek! You are liable to make their day!