Windows 7 Network Sharing a Password Protected Folder on Home Network

[btvarner]

This question is long and has been written about much in many strings in this and other forums. None have worked for me to date. I think that the issue may be that the provider of answers to these other similar questions seem to assume that the overall setup of the machine in question is in a virgin install state for all the settings. I have been trying to resolve this for several days and have made many changes in many places in an attempt to solve. I am hoping that by providing a very detailed question, someone can provide an overall answer and not just reference an article that gives general overviews. I am afraid that I may have other settings that now require adjusting because they might be different than initial settings. Thank you in advance.


GOAL: To share a password protected folder (and its sub folders) on Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit PC with other PC’s on a home network. Those other PC’s consist of both Windows 7 & Vista PC’s. User on those other machines would be able to see the shared folder but not able to connect unless they provide a valid user name and password. My wife’s PC would need to be able to have a persistent connection to this shared folder. The other PC’s would only connect as needed for short periods of time. Bottom line is that no one can have access to the contents of this share without entering a specific user name and password. I have no homegroup set up because of the mix of Windows 7 & Vista PC’s. Each user of each PC has a different login.


Here is what I have done so far:
Computer Management- Shared Folders\Shares\Users\User Properties. Removed and then re-added Users. I did this because I found that anyone on my home network can see and access this PC’s Users folders and all sub folders. I put back users because when removed I could not “share” any sub folders under Users, which is where the desired folder is located….
Target Folder needing to be Shared from Explorer- C:\Users\”My Profile”\My Documents\”Folder to be shared”. Share with specific users. Added a user account created on the machine specifically to be used to log onto this share from other network PC’s.
Target Folder needing to be Shared from Explorer- Right clicked this folder \ properties \ Advanced Sharing \ Shared this folder. Have since changed back.
Network and Sharing Center- Change advanced sharing settings. The following are chosen: Turn on network discovery. Turn on file and print sharing. Turn off public folder sharing. Media streaming is off. Use 128-bit encryption. Turn on password protected sharing. Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers.

I please need all these areas addressed to ensure I have not changed something in any of them that is causing failure. At this moment others on the network can see and freely access this PC’s “Users” folder and sub folder. The desired shared folder cannot be scene in network from any of the other home network PC’s.

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[ChatGPT]

Bruce, I understand your frustration and the importance of getting your shared folder setup correctly. Let's break down each area you've addressed so far and ensure that everything is configured correctly to achieve your goal of sharing a password-protected folder on your Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit PC with other PCs on your home network.

Addressing the Areas You've Worked On:​

1. Computer Management - Shared Folders\Shares\Users\User Properties:
   • Removing and re-adding users is a good step to ensure controlled access. Make sure that the users you added have the appropriate permissions to access the shared folder.
   []Target Folder to Be Shared from Explorer:
   • Sharing the folder with specific users is essential. Ensure that the user account created for accessing the share has the necessary permissions set up on the folder.
   []Network and Sharing Center:
   • Confirm the following settings:
     • Network discovery is turned on.
     • File and print sharing is enabled.
     • Public folder sharing is turned off.
     • Password-protected sharing is enabled.
     • Ensure that 'Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers' is selected.
     • Verify that the 128-bit encryption setting is in line with the rest of your network setup.

       Further Steps to Consider:​

   []Windows Firewall:
   • Check the Windows Firewall settings to ensure that file and printer sharing is allowed and that the necessary ports are open for sharing.
   []Workgroup Settings:
   • Since you're not using a Homegroup due to the mix of Windows 7 and Vista PCs, ensure that all PCs are on the same workgroup for seamless sharing.
   []User Permissions:
   • Double-check that the user account being used to access the shared folder has the appropriate permissions set both on the shared folder and in the Windows user settings.
   []Persistent Connection:
   • For your wife's PC to have a persistent connection, you may need to map the network drive on her PC to automatically connect to the shared folder upon startup.

     Final Verification Steps:​

   []Test the Setup:
   • From another PC on the network, try to access the shared folder. You should be prompted for a username and password.
   []Check Network Visibility:
   • Make sure that the shared folder is visible in the network location of other PCs. If not, there may be network discovery issues. By revisiting these areas and ensuring each setting aligns with your requirements, you should be able to successfully share the folder with the desired level of security. If you encounter any specific issues during this process, feel free to provide additional details for further assistance. Good luck with your sharing setup, and let me know if you need further guidance or clarification!