Windows laptop, working with main computer well

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timmmay

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#140702 18-Feb-2014 07:16

I just got my fiance a new Windows 8.1 laptop. Her old XP laptop uses my computer as a shared drive, but mapping drives was a PITA. User issues, permissions issues, etc.

Is there a guide or way to make the computers work together well? Can I have them both as part of a workgroup or domain? I know very little about workgroup or domains. Or should I not bother?

Really just looking for tips to have them work well together, and have the laptop keep most of its data on the main computer.

lokhor

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#989414 18-Feb-2014 07:31

Setting up a Homegroup should work well enough for sharing content between the devices

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

timmmay

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#989417 18-Feb-2014 07:40

I'd never heard of them, thanks. I found a tutorial here.

Can you share drives/folders easily in that? It seems to have a wizard that lets you share printers, videos, music, etc, I really just want to share folders and drives.

Archer77

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#989430 18-Feb-2014 08:11

I've had a lot of issues with Windows 7 homegroup. Google suggested it is a pita, and to just share individual folders instead of setting up a homegroup.

My home network consists of a Windows 7 HTPC with network storage attached, Win7 desktop, Win8.1 notebook, Apacer media player and a WD Live media player, so it might have been the fact non-Windows based devices were having trouble.

timmmay

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#989435 18-Feb-2014 08:32

I might try a homegroup first, as sharing my printer would be handy. If that doesn't work I guess I'll just have the new computer use the existing shares.

Disrespective

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#989439 18-Feb-2014 08:39

I set up static IP's for all my machines and make them all on the same workgroup (the default windows workgroup is, WORKGROUP)

I then give each machine a User which will be used to log in by the other users. For example, my server has two users, me and my girlfriend. My user on the server has full admin read write privileges, however my girlfriends user only has read. I set each drive/folder separately. I have a storage drive (set to read only for her) which she can't edit except for a folder, full of her things, which she has full read write access on the folder specifically.

I then use the map network drive option in windows to map, via ip address, the drive on the server/machine that I want to share to. It will ask for privileges and I give whichever user I want to login with and then set that as a network drive with auto-login at reboot.

Of course, you can just make the machines have zero password protection so you could skip the user stuff.

timmmay

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#989445 18-Feb-2014 08:53

That's pretty much the way I do it now, it works ok but it was a bit fiddly to set up. I was just wondering if there was a better way.

lokhor

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#989493 18-Feb-2014 10:07

I found Homegroups really easy to set up. You can easily set up Libraries for different content types, combining different folders into one Library e.g. Video and then allow other Homegroup users to access it with either read only or read/write permissions.

All comments are my own opinion, and not that of my employer unless explicitly stated.

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Rickles

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#989603 18-Feb-2014 13:45

Naming the computers with the same Workgroup name, then sharing files etc in the Share Folder ... or right-click any Folder and click Sharing and Security option.