Windows 7 sharing

pmanton

pmanton

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N1431A
How do I share a root directory with an XP Home computer?

I purchased a new computer with Windows 7 Ultimate installed. I'm having a devilo of a time sharing with my wife on a home network. When we both had XP it was easy. I want to give her 100% access to my entire computer and Windows 7 is doing it's best to thwart me.

Thanks

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
 
There are two ways to do it.

I suggest, if she is still on Windows XP, that you do it the traditional way. Right click on the folder and choose "Sharing" from the menu. Rather than go into the second way, that is the way I'd suggest.
 
SkyHog said:
I suggest, if she is still on Windows XP, that you do it the traditional way. Right click on the folder and choose "Sharing" from the menu. Rather than go into the second way, that is the way I'd suggest.
Click to expand...
That's what I did and it works fine. I have one computer running Windows 7, one running Vista and one running XP and I don't have any problems sharing.
 
Why, pray tell, would you want to share the root? From a security perspective (as in worms and malware, not your wife being any sort of threat) it's, well, not good.

Generally speakiing, there's seldom a reason to share anything except documents these days. With routers and network printers available on the cheap, even ICS and printer sharing are rarely necessary anymore.

-Rich
 
(fondly remembers the olden days of "SneakerNet")
 
Me Again:
Sneaker net would be tough. I take big pictures, my wife is the Photoshop expert. So the files that go back and forth can be pretty big. The reason for the root drive is that everything can be gotten to from either computer. No one else touches then and we're secure as far as the internet goes.

What I think is my problem is the firewall. This is a store bought computer from Dell. It came with McAfee installed and I don't see any way to access the firewall to allow anything from my wife's computer to be sent over to mine. I can see everything on the network OK but just can't send anything from my wife over to me. From me to my wife is fine.

We were using NOD 32 before I bought this new computer and I just left the McAfee in place. I'll dump the internet connection and dump McAfee and see if my problem goes away.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
 
Last edited:
HP Tech support sent me a step by step process to get my new Win7 Home computer to network with my older WinXP SP3 across my Cisco Linksys Wireless router so I could set up file and printer shares.

I wanted to set up my printer as a network printer on the router, but there was no Win7 drivers for my "old" printer.

Granted, it was not to share at the root directory, but in the "Public" and Shared Office folders. Just keep all of your pictures in sub folders of the public. It involves getting both into the same work group.
 
1TB NAS drive at Costco for under $100 iirc ...
 
pmanton said:
Me Again:
Sneaker net would be tough. I take big pictures, my wife is the Photoshop expert. So the files that go back and forth can be pretty big. The reason for the root drive is that everything can be gotten to from either computer. No one else touches then and we're secure as far as the internet goes.

What I think is my problem is the firewall. This is a store bought computer from Dell. It came with McAfee installed and I don't see any way to access the firewall to allow anything from my wife's computer to be sent over to mine. I can see everything on the network OK but just can't send anything from my wife over to me. From me to my wife is fine.

We were using NOD 32 before I bought this new computer and I just left the McAfee in place. I'll dump the internet connection and dump McAfee and see if my problem goes away.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
Click to expand...

Paul, there's still no reason to share the root. Just place everything you want to share in the "Public" folder. Sharing the root is dangerous and unnecessary.

The malware out there nowadays isn't like the stuff script kiddies were putting out ten years ago. Almost all the malware I deal with nowadays is commercial, and it's exquisitely crafted. A lot of it is tied to the Russian mob, which makes the Sicilian mob look like the campfire girls. At least half the field work I do involves scraping this crud out of PCs.

I cleaned up one rootkitted computer yesterday and two today. All of them had current AV software installed. The problem is that virus detection, by its nature, is reactive. The malware has to be out there before the definitions can be updated to recognize it. Yeah, the heuristics might catch it, but I wouldn't count on it.

So the best thing you can do is expose as little of the system as possible. It's a lot easier (and cheaper) to just stash all your photos in the Public directory than to pay someone like me to sit there for two to four hours scraping crud out of your OS.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
Paul, there's still no reason to share the root. Just place everything you want to share in the "Public" folder. Sharing the root is dangerous and unnecessary.

-Rich
Click to expand...

I've heard this a few times in this thread.

Is it 1999 still?

Last time I checked, Domain Admins have full access to all computers on a network through \\computername\c$ or d$ etc.

Are all business networks security risks?

Seriously, on an internal network, sharing root is harmless.

Edit: Just checked, to make sure I'm not behind the times. Running Windows Server 2008R2 at home....guess what is shared to DAs....

If you guessed root, you'd be right.
 
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jesse said:
During your next job interview, I'd suggest you keep that opinion to yourself.
Click to expand...

Do your DAs not have access to c$ on your network at work, Jesse?

In my home, I am the DA. I should, and do, have access to everything on my network, as should anyone who owns the equipment.

Or moreover, since you're on some sort of roll of "Slam Nick" today....perhaps you can take a minute and explain to me what the possible dangers of sharing root (in Windows, not *NIX) across a properly firewalled, internal network at home is.

Extra points if you can use the terms "Email Virus," "Network of Networks" and "Worm" in the same sentence.
 
SkyHog said:
I've heard this a few times in this thread.

Is it 1999 still?

Last time I checked, Domain Admins have full access to all computers on a network through \\computername\c$ or d$ etc.

Are all business networks security risks?

Seriously, on an internal network, sharing root is harmless.

Edit: Just checked, to make sure I'm not behind the times. Running Windows Server 2008R2 at home....guess what is shared to DAs....

If you guessed root, you'd be right.
Click to expand...

Nick, c'mon. We're not talking about a managed domain, where the DA has a legitimate reason for needing to access the filesystems of connected clients. We're talking about an unmanaged, peer-to-peer home network. In addition, the user's only stated need for sharing is so his wife can edit his photos.

In view of that, what need is there to share the root? What functionality does it add that justifies the increased vulnerability to worms, etc.?

-Rich
 
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SkyHog said:
Do your DAs not have access to c$ on your network at work, Jesse?

In my home, I am the DA. I should, and do, have access to everything on my network, as should anyone who owns the equipment.

Or moreover, since you're on some sort of roll of "Slam Nick" today....perhaps you can take a minute and explain to me what the possible dangers of sharing root (in Windows, not *NIX) across a properly firewalled, internal network at home is.

Extra points if you can use the terms "Email Virus," "Network of Networks" and "Worm" in the same sentence.
Click to expand...

There is a big difference between a domain trust where only specific users with a business reason are a DA versus just openly sharing your entire root drive across an entire network with no security what so ever.

You're making large assumptions about his "properly firewalled home network". Perhaps it's an open Wifi. Perhaps it's a laptop with no firewall what so ever and his open share will totally hose him he next time he logs onto wireless at star bucks. It's all in the details of how you configure it. The problem is that he wanted to bypass any sort of security to make it "just work".

If you can't identify the difference between the above - then there is not much more I can say.
 
pmanton said:
Me Again:
Sneaker net would be tough. I take big pictures, my wife is the Photoshop expert. So the files that go back and forth can be pretty big. The reason for the root drive is that everything can be gotten to from either computer. No one else touches then and we're secure as far as the internet goes.

What I think is my problem is the firewall. This is a store bought computer from Dell. It came with McAfee installed and I don't see any way to access the firewall to allow anything from my wife's computer to be sent over to mine. I can see everything on the network OK but just can't send anything from my wife over to me. From me to my wife is fine.

We were using NOD 32 before I bought this new computer and I just left the McAfee in place. I'll dump the internet connection and dump McAfee and see if my problem goes away.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1
Click to expand...
Paul, you have to log onto the McAfee website and create an account. Then when you click on the Mcafee shield, you have an upper right option (pulldown) to log in as an administrator. The login is the SAME as your McAfee account. The controls up THERE, after the login.

They don't explain this anyplace, but it works well and I have seven computers on it.
 
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