Windows Vista® Inside Out Deluxe Edition

Configuring Your Network for Sharing

If you plan to share folders and files with other users on your network, you need to take a few preparatory steps—steps you might’ve already taken when you set up your network. (If you plan to share only with others who use your computer by logging on locally, you can skip these steps.) Each of the following steps can be performed from Network And Sharing Center. (For a list of ways to open Network And Sharing Center, see "Using Network And Sharing Center".)

1. Be sure that all computers use the same workgroup name. If all computers on your network use Windows Vista, this step isn’t absolutely necessary, although it does improve network discovery performance. However, if you have a mixed network that includes some ...