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Chapter 4. File-Sharing Annoyances

One of the most common activities of network users is accessing files across the network. Sometimes you need to move or copy files from one computer to another, and sometimes you need to use files on another computer when you’re working in a software application. In this chapter, I’ll discuss some of the annoying “features” in the networkwide file-sharing paradigm, and offer some workarounds that can help you create the perfect scenario for sharing files. I’ll explain how to use files from any computer on the network when you’re working in a software program, how to share datafiles among multiple users working on different computers, and how to set up your My Documents folder so that you can access its contents from any computer.

ACCESSING FILES ON REMOTE COMPUTERS

SHARE WINDOWS XP MY DOCUMENTS FOLDERS ON THE NETWORK

The Annoyance:

I usually work on a particular Windows XP computer, but sometimes one of my kids is at that computer and I have to do my work from another one. I can’t figure out how to get to my documents on the Windows XP computer. I know my My Documents folder isn’t marked “private” because my kids can access it when they are logged on to the computer. Why can’t I get to the folder from another computer on the network?

The Fix:

The fact that you didn’t configure your My Documents folder as private means its contents are accessible to other users, but only on the computer on which the folder resides. To access the folder over the network, ...