Using Homegroups for Local folder/File sharing in Win 7 and Win 8

Microsoft wants you to use Windows' built-in homegroups to share files. They're essentially preconfigured groupings of shared files and printers. Typically, homegroups are easy to set up, but they also have a few limitations and potential performance issues. For example, XP systems cannot join a homegroup. File transfers might be noticeably slower over a homegroup than via a standard workgroup connection.

Homegroups are available in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 7, with a few important caveats. With Win7 Starter, Win7 Home Basic, and Windows RT 8.1, you can join a homegroup but not create one. With RT, you also can't share local content with others. Systems set up as domain members can also join (but not create) homegroups.

Typically, Windows 7 prompts users to create or join a homegroup when a PC is first connected to a network. Windows 8 doesn't — when you set up a Win8.1 PC, a homegroup is created automatically if there are no other homegroups on the network. If there's another computer on the network with a homegroup, the utility will notify you and display a Join now button (see Figure 2). If you click the button, you'll be prompted to enter the homegroup password.

Figure 2. If your network already has a homegroup, Windows should automatically ask whether you want to join it.

Before joining a homegroup, however, I recommend clicking the Change advanced sharing settings link. The Advanced sharing settings dialog box lets you configure resources for the network. The tool offers three sections: Private (the current network profile), Guest or Public, and All Networks. This utility's organizational scheme can be confusing; here's what it covers:

• In the Private and Guest or Public sections, you can specify whether network discovery is enabled plus whether file and printer sharing is on or off. You'll want to leave these options on because, after all, you want your computers to see each other and to share files.
• The All Networks section is more interesting. Here you can specify whether users on other computers can access Public Folders (we'll get to these shortly) and designate which devices on the network can stream media across the network.

  To accommodate older devices, you can also opt to lower the encryption standard used by the network. Finally, you can determine whether password-protected sharing is implemented on the current computer. If you activate this, users will need to have an account on the computer in order to share files.

  

  Figure 3. The All Networks section of Advanced sharing settings allows you to password-protect shared files.

When you've finished with Advanced sharing settings, you can click on the Save button and be returned to the previous screen. Click the Join now button, and you'll then be prompted to select which folders you want to share.

The Share with other homegroup members dialog box can be a bit confusing at first. Keep in mind that you're not designating file types; you're designating folders stored under your user profile. Selecting Shared in the Video category, for example, means that only those files in your Video library or folder can be accessed by others. Videos stored in other directories won't be shared.

Figure 4. Windows lets you control what to share in Windows' default file folders and libraries; your two options are Shared or Not shared.

Click the Next button to actually join the homegroup. You'll then be able to navigate the shared resources of other computers by going to the Homegroup section in Windows/File Explorer.

For more details on Windows homegroups, see Microsoft's Windows features page, "HomeGroup."