If your laptop is connected to a network, you can share various folders on your laptop's hard drive for others to use. Even if you don't need to share folders on the network, it makes the file-swapping process easier between laptop and desktop.
The best folder to share in Windows Vista is the Public folder, which was designed for that purpose. You copy into the Public folder the items you want to share or exchange with another computer. Likewise, others on the network can copy files into your laptop's Public folder.
Follow these steps to share your Public folder:
1. Open the Control Panel's Network and Sharing Center icon.
2. In the Sharing and Discover area, click on the down-arrow to the right of the item labeled Public Folder Sharing.
3. Choose the middle item, which is labeled Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open, change and create files.
This selection allows full access. If you'd rather just have people get files from the Public folder rather than be able to put items there (or delete stuff), choose the middle option, the one that ends with "(Reader)."
4. Click the Continue button if you're prompted by a User Account Control warning dialog box.
The Public folder is now up for grabs on the network.
You may also need to turn on Network Discover and File Sharing to provide complete access to the Public folder, especially by non-Windows Vista PCs. The method is similar to what's outlined above. Just follow these steps:
1. Open the Control Panel's Network and Sharing Center icon.
2. In the Network discovery area, select the option labeled Turn on network discover.
3. In the File Sharing area, turn on the option labeled Turn on file sharing.
You can also share a specific folder from your laptop on the network. Refer to a good Windows Vista reference for details, although for your laptop sharing, the Public folder is probably good enough.
Folders shared from your laptop sport icons with a little serving hand beneath them. It's your visual clue that a folder has been shared.
