Accessing Network Resources (part 1) - Pointing to Network Resources & Creating Shares on Windows 7

Files and printers can be shared on Windows desktop systems (including Windows 7), but within an enterprise files are more commonly shared on servers. For example, a Windows Server 2008 or 2008 R2 server could be configured as a file server to host files shared by users in the network. Users connect to the shared folders and access the files.

The Universal Naming Convention (UNC) format is commonly used to point to and connect to network resources. The UNC is composed of a server name and a shared folder or server name and a shared printer in the format \\ServerName\ShareName. For example, if a server named DC1 hosts a shared folder named Data, the UNC path is \\DC1\Data.

1. Pointing to Network Resources

There are two primary ways to connect to shares from Windows 7. You can use the Start Search box to point to the resource or map a drive to point to the resource using Windows Explorer. The method you choose depends on how often you plan to connect.

The first method uses the UNC path in the Start Search box in Windows 7. If you pause after entering \\ServerName\, the system will attempt to connect to the server and will then show all the available shares on the servers, as shown in Figure 1. In this figure, the server name is DC1, and it includes several shares that can be accessed by the users.

Figure 1. Connecting to a server to identify available shares

At this point, any of the shares could be selected, or the rest of the UNC path could be entered. Shares can be hidden by appending the $ sign to the share name. If the share is hidden, it won't appear in the share list, but users can still connect to it if they know the share name. For example, a share named Project$ is available on DC1 but is not shown in Figure 8.1. However, a user could still connect by entering \\DC1\Project$.

Using the UNC path is useful if you plan on connecting to the share only once or twice. However, if you plan on connecting to the share on a regular basis, you can map a drive letter to the UNC path.

Windows Explorer in Windows 7 includes the Map Network Drive link on the toolbar that you can click to display the Map Network Drive window, as shown in Figure 2. In the figure, the UNC path \\DC1\ProjectData is being mapped to drive letter Y:.

Figure 2. Mapping a drive

You can select any unused drive letter and then enter any valid UNC path in the Folder text box. If you want the mapped network drive to remain even after the system reboots or users log off, select the check box next to Reconnect At Logon.

Figure 2 also shows how a mapped drive appears after it has been mapped. In the far left pane within the Computer node, the \\DC1\Data UNC path has been mapped to the Z: drive. The same path is also shown as a Network Location in the figure.

2. Creating Shares on Windows 7

You can also create shares on Windows 7 systems. This can be useful if users want to share data among themselves without requiring a server to host the data. Before data can be shared, the system needs to be configured to enable shared folders.

If the computer is in a private location (such as in a home or work environment), the network can be set either to Private or Domain, and folder sharing can then be enabled.

Figure 3 shows the Advanced Sharing Settings, which can be accessed via the Network and Sharing Center. You can access the Network and Sharing Center from Control Panel => Network And Internet and then access the screen in Figure 3 by clicking Change Advanced Sharing Settings in the Network and Sharing Center.

Figure 3. Advanced Sharing Settings

Two settings are directly related to sharing folders in an enterprise:

File And Printer Sharing

This setting must be turned on to allow any type of file and printer sharing on the computer. When turned on, the Windows Firewall exceptions are configured to allow other clients to connect to the system.

If this setting is turned off, Public Folder Sharing will not work even if Public Sharing is turned on. This setting also allows users to share individual folders on their system.

Public Folder Sharing

This setting can be used to enable sharing of the Public folder (as long as File And Printer Sharing is enabled). The Public folder is in the C:\Users\ folder, which is shared as Users. The Users\Public folder includes these subfolders: Public Documents, Public Downloads, Public Music, Public Pictures, Public Recorded TV, and Public Videos. When this setting is enabled, users can copy data they want to share directly into the related folder so that it is accessible to other users.

An important consideration of the Public folder is that you can't control who can access it. Either everyone can access it equally when Public Folder Sharing is turned on, or no users can access it when it is turned off.

In Windows Vista, the Public folder appears as the Public share. However, in Windows 7, the Users share appears instead of the Public share, as shown in Figure 4. (This figure also shows an additional share named MyShare.) Clients can double-click the Users share to access the Public folder. In other words, for a Windows Vista system named Vista1, the Public folder is accessed with \\Vista1\Public. For a Windows 7 system named Win7, the path to the Public folder is \\Win7\Users\Public.

Figure 4. Shares available when Public Folder Sharing is turned on

Within a workgroup, the Password Protected Sharing and HomeGroup Connections settings can also be used to control access to the computer. The Password Protected Sharing option restricts access to shared folders to only users with user accounts on the computer; however, this setting is not available when the computer joins the domain. The HomeGroup Connections settings are not available when the computer is in Domain mode but can be used when the computer is in a small private network.

Exercise: Enabling File Sharing and Creating Shares