I have a question re this article (which is very good)
[url]http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm[/url]

In the first paragraph it says:
If a disk or folder is shared, everyone on the network can access it.

This may be obvious to some, but does this mean:
"If you want to share a folder among users on a single machine, then the
only way is to make it also available to all users on all machines on the
network."

SITUATION:
On XP Home, if you select a folder, right click, and select Sharing and
Security, you get the Shared Documents Properties window (which looks
different from the one displayed in the article above).

The top portion of the Sharing tab says:
Local Sharing and Security:
To share this folder with other users of this computer only, drag it to the
Shared Documents folder.
To make this folder and its subfolders private so that only you have access,
select the following check box:
_ Make this folder private

The lower portion of the Sharing tab says:
To share this folder with both network users and other users of this
computer, select the first check box below and type a share name
_ Share this folder on the network
Share Name: <blank box>
_ Allow neetwork users to change my files

The text in the upper portion implies that "local sharing" of a folder is
accomplished by putting that folder into Shared Documents. One does not
share a folder locally from any other location.
Note also the use of the word "only". To me this pretty well indicates that
the folder will not be seen "on the network". This is reinforced by the
text in the lower portion which tells you how to make it available to users
on other computers on the network (read/write or read only).

HOWEVER!
Go now to the Shared Documents folder itself, right click, select Sharing
and Security, and go to the Sharing tab.
First - the top section is the same, except that the "make private" checkbox
is greyed out.
Second - in the lower section (Network sharing and security) the "Share this
folder on the network" box is already checked *and* a Share name is given
(SharedDocs) which is greyed out (I cannot change it).

This means that the Shared Documents folder on each XP (Home) machine comes
pre-configured to be shared on the network!

This might not be what one wants when one drags a folder into the Shared
Documents folder!

QUESTION 1:
Can I uncheck the "Share this folder on the network" for the Shared
Documents file?
And will that make it invisible on the network *but* still shared locally?

OK, I know that I "can". But will I regret it?
I am concerned, however, that I did this once before and lost all local
sharing and had one heck of a time getting it "put back together again".
So I'd much rather get some response from someone in the know before I try
it (again).

QUESTION 2:
If the answer to Question 1 is "no", then what is the prefered/standard way
to make a folder shared among users *only* on that single machine and *not*
be visible to any other computer/user on the network?

Thanks,
-ceej


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