File Sharing on a wireless home network

It is true, Windows XP will not allow you to share any folder under Documents and Settings except the Shared Documents folder which is really the Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents folder.  You also cannot share and of the folders in the Windows folder and Program Files folder.  See the following:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/windows_share_your_folders.mspx

Steve

Thanks Steve - I sure would wish this would be documented just a little louder. Obviously, for sharing, most folks I would think would want/need to get to their documents on a base station from their wireless attached laptop - stored in their documents/picutures folders.

Hmmm, this is a curious thread, since I am doing exactly what jghiller wants to do, on 3 WinXP systems.  Two are XP Home and the third is XP Pro (running simple file sharing.)  I have no problem browsing the My Documents folder of a user on another PC in my network or any sub-folder under My Documents.  Or any sub-folder under the User Name folder.  All three PCs are currently SP1.

To do it, I have sharing enabled (and allow network users to make changes) on the C:\ drive (the root directory) and then I also enable sharing (and allow network users to make changes)  on the User Name folder under Documents and Settings.  The higher level "Documents and Settings" folder is unshared.  It works for me and the clients I have implemented this setup on.

Message Edited by _Paladin on 10-02-2004 09:50 AM

Perhaps something changed with SP2 service pack? Thats what I have on my base station.

jghiller,

It appears you are correct, but there is a workaround.

First a little background.  My XP Pro system is dual boot.  Normally, Partition 1 boots Simple File Sharing and Partition 2 boots Classic File Sharing.  Partition 1 is SP1, Partition 2 is SP2.  I just configured Partition 2 to Simple File Sharing and once it was restarted I could not access the user's My Documents folder from my XP Home/SP1 systems.  I could, however, access the My Documents folder on the SP1 systems from the SP2 system.

I restarted the SP2 system in safe mode.  In safe mode I have access the the Security tab in a folder's Properties, even though Simple File Sharing is enabled.  On the User Name folder under Documents and Settings, I added the group "Everyone" to the authorized user list and gave it full control.  After a restart I am able to access the User's My Documents from the SP1 systems in my network.

Now - even with security disabled - having too many problems trying to get WEP enabled - and after sharing the C: drive, I still cannot access the Shared Folder my wireless PC. I can access wireless PC from desktop.

 

I cant believe file sharing could be so troublesome. I either get access denied or network path problems. I am using simple file sharing and doing all that is documented.

Faced with the same problems you're describing, my solution has just been to save all my documents and such to another folder which can be shared.  It also facilitates backups since I now just backup that one huge directory and its subdirectories.

Most programs have an option to allow you to set its default storage folder to whatever you want.

I do agree that this is a dumb thing for Microsoft to have done, but we have to live with what they designed.  I also find it incredible that in Win98 I could set up sharing on a folder with a password to keep just anyone on the network out of my stuff, but with XP Microsoft "improved" security by removing the possibility of using passwords.  Oh well....

Bill