Configuring File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista

Configuring file and printer sharing behavior in Windows Vista consists of the following:

a.	Setting the workgroup name to be the same as the other computers.
b.	Setting the network location type.
c.	Enabling file and printer sharing options. Setting the workgroup name to be the same as the other computers.

Note:

1. Default Workgroup name in Windows Vista is WORKGROUP.

Default Workgroup name in Windows XP is MSHOME.

If a system is upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista default Workgroup on this sysetm would be MSHOME.

2. Windows Vista uses the Public folder, rather than the Shared Documents folder in Windows XP, to simplify file sharing. Files and Folders within the Public Folder are automatically shared with the name Public.

3. Windows Vista by default does not allow simple file sharing. Access to shared folders, including the public folder (if shared), requires a user name and password. Simple file sharing is enabled by default in Windows XP Home Edition.

Setting the network location type.

The network location type in Windows Vista is a setting that allows Windows Vista to automatically configure security and other settings based on the type of network to which the computer is connected. The Windows Vista network location types are the following:

1.	Domain The computer is connected to a network that contains an Active Directory domain controller for the domain to which the computer is joined. An example a domain network type is an organization intranet.
2.	Public The computer is connected to a network that has a direct connection to the Internet. Examples of public network types are public Internet access networks such as those found in airports, libraries, and coffee shops.
3.	Private The computer is connected to a network that has some level of protection from the Internet and contains known or trusted computers. Examples of private network types are home networks or small office networks that are located behind an Internet gateway device that provides firewalling against incoming traffic from the Internet. Note: For File and Print Sharing to work it has to be configured as Private as network location type. Enabling File and Printer Sharing Options By changing your network location type to private, network discovery is automatically enabled in the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window. The following additional file and printer sharing options must be manually enabled: • File sharing • Public folder sharing • Printer sharing • Password protected sharing When all of these sharing and discovery options are enabled, your computer can: • Locate other computers and devices on your home network and have other computers locate your computer • Share its folders • Share its Public folder • Share its printers • Require user names and passwords for other computers that connect to the shared folders and printers of this computer To enable file sharing, perform the following steps: 1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to File sharing. 2. Within the File sharing settings, click Turn on file sharing, and then click Apply. To enable public folder sharing, do the following: 1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Public folder sharing. 2. Within the Public folder sharing settings, click one of the following: • If you want to share the public folder so that other computers on the network can access the Public share to open files, but not create or change files, click Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open files. This is the default setting. • If you want to share the public folder so that other computers on the network can access the Public share to open files and also create or change files, click Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open, change, and create files. 3. Click Apply. To enable printer sharing and share all of your connected printers, do the following: 1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Printer sharing. 2. Within the Printer sharing settings, click Turn on printer sharing, and then click Apply. To enable password protected sharing, do the following: 1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Password protected sharing. 2. Within the Password protected sharing settings, click Turn on password protected sharing, and then click Apply. Common Issues 1. How to add a printer? 1) Add the printer driver on the Vista PC, using control panel/printers/add printer/local printer (important: local, not network printer). 2) Choose the printer driver from Vista's table of selectable printer drivers. 3) Choose LPT1 as the local port even though this will ultimately be a networked printer. 4) After the driver is installed, what you do next is select (right click) the newly installed printer, choose properties, ports, add port. 5) Manually add a new Local Port with: \\computer_name\shared_printer_name as the port name. 6) Make sure you select this newly created port as the active port for the printer. Note: If you still have issues accessing the printer over network, make the printer local to the system from where you having trouble accessing it. Then install the drivers for the printer. 2. Network Map in Windows Vista does not display computers that are running Windows XP - Download and Install this patch http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4F01A31D-EE46-481E-BA11-37F485FA34EA&displaylang=en 3. Error message when you try to access a Windows XP-based network computer: "You might not have permission to use this network resource" - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/913628