subject: Network File Sharing in Windows Vista: Problems and Solutions [print this page] Network File Sharing in Windows Vista: Problems and Solutions
You can easily share photos, videos, documents and other files with your neighbors or across your own computers, whether you connect via wired or wireless data links in your LAN. Windows Vista and Win7 make it particularly easy to share the things you want - all you have to do is right-click the folder and choose "Share".
However, file sharing in your LAN doesn't always work without problems. For example, you could get a "your folder could not be shared" error while attempting to make the folder available on the network. Sometimes sharing is successful, but you can't see the shared resources from the other computers connected to the network. These are really common problems, but thankfully, they're not very hard to fix, either.
First of all, you should ensure that all necessary system services are running. In Windows Vista you can check them easily through Start > Run > services.msc. Make sure "Network Connections", "Network Location Awareness" and other essential services for file sharing are running.
Second, you need to turn on File Sharing and Network Discovery, as you simply won't be able to share files without these enabled. Right click on the Network icon on your desktop and choose Properties. Alternatively, go to Network and Sharing Connections through your Control Panel. Enable "Network discovery" and "File sharing". Other settings, such as Printer sharing or Public folder sharing are not essential, so I'd suggest leaving them turned off, unless you need them. For more security I suggest turning off Password protected sharing, too.
Finally, with Network and Sharing Center window still open, click "View Status" next to your connection name, and click the Properties button. You will see a small window with various protocols and other items installed that your connection uses. For file sharing to work, you absolutely need "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks". If these components aren't there, click Install and choose them from the list. Client for Microsoft Networks is, of course, a Client, while File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks is a Service. You might need the Windows installation CD for this.
If you complete all the steps, you should now be able to share files across your network without problems.
If you encounter a folder could not be shared error while trying to share files on your network, read the linked guide to find out how to fix it.
Are you sharing your internet connection with another person and having "lag" and slow page loading problems? These tips on bandwidth management on your home network should come in handy.
