Hello.

Let me outline a typical situation: there are several computers connected to a local network. Required to do general access to some folders so that all users from this local network.

To do this, you need:

1. “share” (make public access) the desired folder on the desired computer;

2. on computers on the local network, it is advisable to connect this folder as a network drive (so as not to search for it every time in the “Network Neighborhood”).

Actually, how to do all this will be described in this article (the information is relevant for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10).

1) Opening public access to a folder on the local network (folder sharing)

Before you can share a folder, you must first configure Windows accordingly. To do this, go to the panel Windows management at the following address: “Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center” (see Fig. 1).

Then click the "Change advanced sharing settings" tab.

Rice. 1. Network and Sharing Center

1. private (current profile);
2. all networks;
3. guest or public.

You need to open each tab in turn and set the parameters as in Fig.: 2, 3, 4 (see below, clickable pictures).

Rice. 2. Private (current profile).

Rice. 4. Guest or public

Now all that remains is to allow access to the required folders. This is done very simply:

1. Find the desired folder on the disk, right-click on it and go to its properties (see Fig. 5);
2. Next, open the “Access” tab and click the “Sharing” button (as in Fig. 5);
3. Then add the “guest” user and give him rights: either read only or read and write (see Fig. 6).

Rice. 5. Opening public access to a folder (many people simply call this procedure “sharing”)

Rice. 6. File Sharing

By the way, to find out which folders are already shared on your computer, just open Explorer, then in the “Network” tab, click on the name of your computer: then you should see everything that is open for public access (see Fig. 7).

Rice. 7. Shared folders (Windows 8)

2. How to map a network drive in Windows

In order not to climb into the network environment every time, not to open tabs again, you can add any folder on the network as a disk in Windows. This will slightly increase the speed of work (especially if you often use a network folder), and will also make it easier for novice PC users to use such a folder.

And so, to map a network drive, right-click on the “My Computer (or This Computer)” icon and in the pop-up menu select the “Map Network Drive” function (see Fig. 8. In Windows 7, this is done in the same way, only the icon "My Computer" will be on the desktop).

Rice. 9. Windows 8 - this computer

After this you need to select:

1. drive letter (any free letter);
2. indicate the folder that should be made a network drive (click the "Browse" button, see Fig. 10).

Rice. 10. Connecting a network drive

In Fig. Figure 11 shows folder selection. By the way, after making your selection, all you have to do is click “OK” 2 times - and you can start working with the disk!

Rice. 11. Browse folders

If everything was done correctly, then in “My Computer (in this computer)” a network drive with the name you selected will appear. You can use it almost the same way as if it were yours. HDD(see Fig. 12).

The only condition: the computer on whose disk the shared folder is located must be turned on. Well, of course, the local network must work...

Rice. 12. This computer (network drive connected).

Very often people ask what to do if they cannot share a folder - Windows writes that access is impossible, a password is required... In this case, most often, the network was simply not configured appropriately (the first part of this article). After disabling password protection, problems, as a rule, do not arise.

To get to any folder, we have to click a lot in Explorer, unless, of course, you have placed the folder shortcut on Desktop. A desktop shortcut is, of course, good. But filling the desktop with shortcuts is also not nice, especially since an empty desktop is not bad. And some people may not like labels at all. In this case, to facilitate access to local folder, you can turn the folder into a virtual one logical drive. In other words, your desired folder will be located in the window My computer along with other local drives. And then you only have to make two clicks to get to desired folder. Our article is entirely devoted to how you can create a virtual disk from any folder on your computer.

Create a virtual disk

Before creating a new virtual disk (not to be confused with), we need to get a free letter that is not used by other disks. To do this, open a window My computer and using your knowledge of the English alphabet, choose a letter that is not used in this moment. Let's say this is a letter Y. After this you need to open the window command line Windows and run the following type of command:

subst Y: c:\dir\seconddir\

The only thing that needs to be adjusted to your needs is the path of the folder that we turn into a virtual logical disk. After executing this command, you can check the quantity logical drives in the window My computer. I'm sure there are more of them there. In this simple way you can create a virtual disk from a folder.

The Other Side of the Virtual Disk Coin

The other side of the coin is that the created virtual logical disk will last only as long as you do not turn off your computer. After a reboot, this logical drive will disappear. Therefore, the above command must be executed at every boot. To accomplish this, you can create .bat-file based on the above code. The creation of such a bat file was discussed in detail in the article, I suggest you read it. After this, created .bat-the file must be copied to the folder located at

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

If everything is done correctly, then with each new boot the operating system will execute this command, the result of which we have already examined.

In addition to the above method, which will always work, I can suggest another method that may not work in the case of network folders. In this case, in order for the created virtual disk from the folder to appear in its place every time the computer boots, you need to open the Registry Editor (use the commands quick launch) and go to the section

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\DOS Devices

In this node you need to create a String Value parameter and give it a name in the form of a letter virtual disk. For our example, you will need to specify the name Y:

for the created parameter. The value of this parameter should be as follows:

\??\c:\dir\seconddir\

With these simple steps you can create a virtual disk from a folder on your computer.

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How to share a folder over the network and map a network drive

Connecting a couple of computers into a local network is still half the battle. After the cable is inserted into network card and your computer is assigned an IP address, you begin to think, why do you need a network if you can’t transfer files and folders from one computer to another? Therefore, today we will set up sharing of folders and files, and also learn how to map a network drive in Windows.

Network Setup Wizard

So, you have a network of two or more computers. In order to be able to access the folders of other PCs from one computer and vice versa, you must first of all run the Network Setup Wizard on all computers in turn. During this procedure, the operating room Windows system will automatically configure the built-in firewall and network connection settings of each PC on correct work on the local network.

Open "Start" - "Control Panel" - " Network connections" and in the "Network tasks" area select "Install home network or small office network.”

The Network Setup Wizard will launch. Click Next.

Check that you have completed all the steps listed and click “Next”.

Select how your computer connects to the Internet: directly or through another computer (other network device). If your computer is not connected to the Internet in any way, check “Other” and in the next window select the option that suits you. Click "Next" to continue.

If your computer is connected directly to the Internet, the Network Setup Wizard will prompt you to select from a list the network connection through which the PC communicates with the Internet. Highlight the desired network connection and click Next.

Enter a description and computer name. You entered the computer name when Windows installation, you don’t have to change it if there are no computers with the same names on your network. The description of the computer is for your convenience. It can be entered in Russian, or it can not be entered at all. The computer name must be entered strictly English language without spaces. Don't be surprised that this field will display capital letters - that's how it should be. Click “Next” to continue.

Enter the title working group, which will appear as your network name. You may have already entered this name at the stage of setting up the local network. Check that it is the same for all computers. The workgroup name must be entered in English and without spaces. It, like the computer name, will be displayed in capital letters - this is normal. Click the "Next" button to continue.

In the next window, Setup Wizard Windows network will prompt you to allow or deny file and printer sharing on your computer. Of course, allow it by checking the “Enable file and printer sharing” option and click “Next”.

Finally, the Network Setup Wizard will provide a summary of your network connection configuration with all the options you previously specified. Read carefully and, if everything is correct, click “Next”. If you are not happy with any of the options, click “Back” and change them.

Windows will configure your computer to work on the local network. You will have to watch this process for a few seconds and then click the “Finish” button.

Windows will prompt you to restart your computer for the network settings to take effect. Don't refuse operating system in this request.

You will need to run the Network Setup Wizard on each computer on the local network. Be careful and remember that the workgroup of all your computers must be the same, but the names of the computers must be different. Also keep in mind that there can only be one computer connected to the Internet. All other computers will connect to the World Wide Web through it or through a special network device, such as an ADSL modem. Therefore, select the correct options in the Internet Connection Method window of the Network Setup Wizard on each computer.

After you have configured the network using the Wizard on all computers, it's time to create shared folders and network drives, and also allow other users to work with them.

Sharing the folder

Create a simple folder somewhere at the root of the drive. Give it a short and clear name in English, such as shareFilms. Right-click on the folder and select Properties. Go to the “Access” tab and check the boxes “Share this folder” and “Allow modification of files over the network.” Click OK.

Thus, you have granted access to the created folder to all users on your network. Such a folder is called “shared”, from the English “share”. A hand icon will appear on its icon.

By default, all users on other computers will only be allowed to view the contents of the shared folder. You may want other users to be able to both change the files stored in it and copy their own there. Then you need to open access to this folder not only for reading, but also for changing.

First of all, in the "Tools" menu of the window Local disk(in which you created shared folder) select the “View” tab and uncheck the “Use simple file sharing (recommended)” checkbox. Click OK.

Now right-click on the shared folder again and select “Properties”. You will notice that there are more tabs. Go to the "Access" tab. appeared on it additional settings: You can enter a note about the share (Note field) and determine the number of concurrent users viewing the folder (User Limit).

Click the "Permissions" button and check the "Change" box. This way, all users on your network will be allowed not only to view the contents of the shared folder on your computer (Read permission), but also to change it. Click OK to apply the settings.

Where to find shared network folders and local network computers
So we have shared access to a folder on one computer, and also granted other users rights to read and change the files stored in it. Now you need to go to this folder from another computer. To do this, move to another PC on your network and select “Start” - “Network Neighborhood”, in the “Network tasks” section, click “Show workgroup computers”. Windows will search for computers on the local network and their shared resources (folders and printers) for several minutes. During the search process, your PC may freeze. Don't be alarmed and wait a few seconds for Windows to display the computers on your local network.

By clicking on the computer name (as usual, double-click with the left mouse button) you will see a list of its shared folders. Among them is shareFilms, which we created.

Working with shared network folders and the files located in them is no different from working with regular files and folders. Over the network, you can perform all the same actions with them: copy, rename, delete, etc.

How to connect a network drive

Agree that searching for a shared folder in Network Neighborhood every time is not very convenient. It is much more practical to connect it to your computer as a network drive. It will appear in the list of drives in the My Computer window, and you can quickly work with its contents.

To connect a shared folder from another computer as a network drive, go to Network Neighborhood (“Start” - “Network Neighborhood”), select the local network computer and the shared folder located on it that you want to connect to your PC as a network drive. Right-click on the folder and select "Map network drive."

In the window that appears, select the letter under which the network drive will be displayed in the list of drives on your computer. Remember, there should not be two disks with the same letters on your PC! Also check the box “Restore at logon” so that when you turn on the computer and booting Windows automatically displayed the network drive in the list of drives on your PC.

Now you can simply go to My Computer and you will see the network drive. Each shared folder on the network can be mapped to your computer as a network drive. Just make sure that the drive names are not repeated. Network drives in the My Computer window are indicated by special icons that make them stand out from the rest.

To disconnect a network drive, right-click on it and select “Dismount”. Also remember that when you turn off the computer on which the shared folder is located, the corresponding network drive will be inaccessible.

With this, let me conclude the shamanism on the local network and wish you a pleasant work!

Many users, when administering their home local network, are faced with the need to map network drives. If you are also interested in this issue, then this article should help you. Here we will talk about how to connect a network drive, as well as correctly open access to a folder for a network drive.

Step No. 1. Open access to the folder (preparing the first computer).

The first thing to do is to open access to the folder that should be used as a network drive on another computer. It's not difficult to do, but there are a few details you need to be aware of.

First you need to configure the network correctly. To do this, open the “Network and Sharing Center” and click on the “Change advanced sharing settings” link (screenshot below).

In the window that opens, you need to enable “Network discovery”.

Also here you need to disable “Password protected sharing” (if you don’t need it).

So, how to map a network drive on Windows 10? We already know how to create it, but it’s not very convenient to search for the required shared folder in the network environment, especially if there are a lot of computers. It is much easier to have it appear as a separate drive that appears along with your “C” drive when the system boots.

To connect the network hard drive On Windows 10, the first step is to allow sharing of files and folders on your computer. To do this, right-click on the “Start” menu and go to “Network Connections”

Here in the left column click on “Change sharing settings”

• Enable network discovery
• Enable file and printer sharing
• Let Windows manage the connection home group

Mapping a network drive Windows 10

This was the preparatory stage - now let’s move on to the main question, how to connect a network drive in Windows 10?
To do this, you need to open Explorer and in the left column, where the tree of drives and folders is, find the “My Computer” link - right-click on it and select “Map network drive...”.

In the window that pops up after this, select the letter for our future network Windows disk, for example "X".

After selecting the folder, leave the “Restore at logon” checkbox so that you don’t have to create it again every time you turn off the computer. And click “OK”.

Now, when you go to “Computer” in Explorer, among other system hard drives we will be able to see the “Z” drive in the “Network Location” section. You can get to it provided that the computer on which this network drive-folder is located is turned on.

Mapping a network drive on Windows XP

The technique for connecting a network drive on Windows XP is similar to that already described above. Therefore, we will describe here the connection method directly from the “Network Neighborhood” section.

Go to “Start > Network Places” and find the shared folder we need on one of the computers on the local network. Right-click on it and select the “Map network drive” menu item. You can also simply top menu select “Service” and select the same section.

Now if you go to “My Computer”, you will see hard disks, as well as network folders connected as network drives, indicated by separate icons.

That's all. For those who have not yet understood what it’s like, here’s a video: