Windows Vista Tips & Tricks: Five Tips for Networking and File Sharing Networking Like a Pro, Vista Style Vangie Beal
One of the hardest things about using Windows Vista is figuring out how to access the settings and network configuration areas. Here are five tips that will help you maneuver through the networking options in Vista.
If you decided to cash in on the holiday or post-holiday sales, now might be the time you're getting ready to use a Vista-enabled computer for the first time. The benefit of waiting to use Vista is that you can take advantage of what those who bought a year ago have learned. Vista's interface is designed for the masses of consumers who are not necessarily technical or network savvy.
As a result, users who were able to maneuver quite well through networking and file sharing in Windows XP will most likely find Vista a bit cumbersome to navigate.
One of the hardest things about using Vista is actually figuring out how to get to where the various settings and network configuration areas are. To help get you started, here are five tips that will help you maneuver like a pro — or at least as well as you did with XP — through the common networking options in Vista.
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TIP #1: How to Create a Network Desktop Icon
Unlike Windows XP, which by default offered a My Network Places icon on the desktop, to get to Network in Vista, if you make no changes from the default installation, you'll need to maneuver through six different windows. If you start with the Control Panel. It may not be apparent at first, but you actually can access Network directly from the Vista Start Orb (Start Menu), or you can create and add a Network icon on the desktop yourself.
Right click on your desktop and choose Personalize.
On the left-hand side of the task pane select Change desktop
icons.
Check the box for Network in the Desktop Icons Window.
Click Apply. Then click OK.
Quit the Personalize Window and the Network icon should now be on your desktop.
From Desktop Icon Settings you can add (or remove) Computer, User's Files, Network, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel icons on the desktop.
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TIP #2: How o Change Sharing Options or the Public Folder
Vista offers easy sharing with the Public folder, which is shared with other users on your network and also with additional user accounts on your computer. By default the Public folder will contain sub folders for the following: Public Desktop, Public Documents, Public Downloads, Public Music, Public Pictures, Public Videos,and Recorded TV.
To share any files out on the network with other users you can simply drag and drop (or save) the files in the Public folder or any Public sub-folder. The capability to automatically share your Public folder, however, changes when you are connected to a public network, like Wi-Fi hotspots for example.
When you initially set-up Vista Networking options you're required to specify the type of network you are connecting to a Home, Work or Public network. If you connect to a Public network then Vista will default disable sharing, including Public folder sharing.
Still, there will be some users who, when connected to a Home network, might not want these folders shared out at all. To disable sharing of the Public folders you will need to make the change in the Network and Sharing Center. The easiest way to access the Network and Sharing Center is to do the following:
Locate the Network Status icon in the system tray.
Left click the icon and select Network and Sharing Center.
You can also access the Network and Sharing Center this way:
From the Vista Start Orb select Control Panel From the Control Panel left-click Network and Sharing Center
Under Sharing and Discovery you'll see a series of green and grey lights to indicate which features are currently turned on or off. Click the down arrow to the right of Public folder sharing and you will see the following three options available to you:
- Turn on Sharing so anyone with network access can open files
- Turn on Sharing so anyone with network access can open, change and create files
- Turn off sharing (people logged in to this computer can still access this folder).
Check the radio button for Turn off sharing.
Click Apply
This will prompt the User Account Control (UAC) to bring the "Windows needs your permission to continue..." window to come up. Click Continue.
Wait a moment for Vista to make the changes, and your Public folders should no longer be shared on the network.
Default Public Folders and sub-folders
The Network status icon in the system tray is the quickest
way to access the Network and Sharing Center
Use the Network and Sharing Center to choose
Public folder sharing options.
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TIP #3: How to Enable Network Discovery
In Vista you'll find a setting called Network Discovery. This setting changes based on whether computers and devices as well as shared files and folders on the network are visible from your computer system. There are two Network Discovery settings: on and off. Here is how you turn on Network Discovery:
Network and Sharing Center: Sharing and Discovery Options
From the Vista Start Orb select Control Panel
From the Control Panel left-click Network and Sharing Center
SECRET TIP: Quicker Network & Sharing Access:
Locate the Network Status icon in the system tray.
Left click the icon and select Network and Sharing Center.
Select View network status and tasks
Under Sharing and Discovery click the drop down arrow. Here you will see
the following options:
- Turn on network discovery
- Turn off network discovery
Click the radio button beside Turn on network discovery
This will prompt the User Account Control (UAC) to bring the "Windows needs your
permission to continue..." window to come up. Click Continue.
Wait a moment for Vista to make the changes, and you should then be able to see other computers, devices, shared files and folders on your network.
