[chephy]

I have a Linksys Wireless Router at home and three computers connected to it:

1) Lenovo Thinkpad laptop (Windows 7 Professional)
2) Gateway desktop (Windows 7 Home Premium)
3) Some really old Dell desktop used mostly for storing backups (Windows XP)

All I want is to share everything - every single file and folder - between all three computers. Not just "Pictures" and "Documents", not just this or that folder - I mean EVERYTHING, right down to the obscure system files lurking about in the hidden crevices of the operating systems. I want to click on the name of another computer on the network and see the directory structure that I would see if I were sitting at that very computer. And of course, any new files or folders need to be shared automatically.

If I can help it, I don't want to go around assembling Libraries and setting up a HomeGroup, or, god forbid, right-clicking and sharing individual folders one by one. It's such a simple concept; there should really be just one [bleep] checkbox to tick somewhere to just share everything and forever... yet this does not seem to be an easy way to produce for such a set-up. Heck, I'll accept it even if it's way more work than a single checkbox, so long as it's something I only need to do ONCE. Please enlighten me: is there any solution that will make everything available to everyone else on the network?

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On a related note, there should be a way to take ownership of every single bloody file and folder on your drive... and of the registry. Is there?

[chephy]

On a related note, there should be a way to take ownership of every single bloody file and folder on your drive... and of the registry. Is there?

[Neil Jones]

All I want is to share everything - every single file and folder - between all three computers. Not just "Pictures" and "Documents", not just this or that folder - I mean EVERYTHING, right down to the obscure system files lurking about in the hidden crevices of the operating systems. I want to click on the name of another computer on the network and see the directory structure that I would see if I were sitting at that very computer. And of course, any new files or folders need to be shared automatically.

Over a network you can share whatever you like, pretty much, however you will be unable to share the Windows and the Program Files folder for security reasons. Apart from that, everything else is game. You should only share what you need to share folder-wise, and sharing an entire drive and then some more isn't very secure.

If you want to be able to see directory structures, your best bet will be to map the drive to a network drive letter. Normally you do this by right-clicking (My) Computer and "Map Network Drive".

If I can help it, I don't want to go around assembling Libraries and setting up a HomeGroup, or, god forbid, right-clicking and sharing individual folders one by one. It's such a simple concept; there should really be just one [bleep] checkbox to tick somewhere to just share everything and forever... yet this does not seem to be an easy way to produce for such a set-up. Heck, I'll accept it even if it's way more work than a single checkbox, so long as it's something I only need to do ONCE. Please enlighten me: is there any solution that will make everything available to everyone else on the network?

Homegroup isn't available on the XP machine.
Your best advise is to only share what you need to share.

[chephy]

Thank you for your response, Neil.

Over a network you can share whatever you like, pretty much, however you will be unable to share the Windows and the Program Files folder for security reasons.

Surely there is gotta be a way to share them. In fact, I have discovered a way since posting the original message: one just have to take over ownership of all the files and folders (which is a process with some hiccups along the way too - no way to just take ownership of everything on the drive and let this be inherited).

Apart from that, everything else is game. You should only share what you need to share folder-wise, and sharing an entire drive and then some more isn't very secure.

What am I to fear? If someone is so good as to break into my network, surely he can easily get into any drive on any machine too? At any rate, there should be a way to do this in a secure fashion. Being able to access every file on every machine on your own network is not such an unreasonable request, is it?

If you want to be able to see directory structures, your best bet will be to map the drive to a network drive letter. Normally you do this by right-clicking (My) Computer and "Map Network Drive".

That's an interesting option. Why is this more secure than just sharing everything? And would it work with portable drives that could be hooked up to different computers at different times?

Your best advise is to only share what you need to share.

Yep. And that would be everything. (For example, I still use lots of application that store profiles and data in their respective folders, so I need access to that if I want to transfer profiles across the different machines.)

[Neil Jones]

Thank you for your response, Neil.

Over a network you can share whatever you like, pretty much, however you will be unable to share the Windows and the Program Files folder for security reasons.

Surely there is gotta be a way to share them. In fact, I have discovered a way since posting the original message: one just have to take over ownership of all the files and folders (which is a process with some hiccups along the way too - no way to just take ownership of everything on the drive and let this be inherited).

Taking ownership of everything doesn't solve the fact that Windows and Program Files will still be unshareable on an actively used system.

Apart from that, everything else is game. You should only share what you need to share folder-wise, and sharing an entire drive and then some more isn't very secure.

What am I to fear? If someone is so good as to break into my network, surely he can easily get into any drive on any machine too? At any rate, there should be a way to do this in a secure fashion. Being able to access every file on every machine on your own network is not such an unreasonable request, is it?

That's beside the point. There is little if any need to share a working Windows folder on a network, and it will be appreciated if you were unfortunate enough to come across a dropper virus that spreads itself across the network in all the shares. If it can get to Windows folders and drop all over it, for want of a better phrase, the system would be bought to its knees.

If you want to be able to see directory structures, your best bet will be to map the drive to a network drive letter. Normally you do this by right-clicking (My) Computer and "Map Network Drive".

That's an interesting option. Why is this more secure than just sharing everything? And would it work with portable drives that could be hooked up to different computers at different times?[/quote[

I never said it was more secure. With network shares you can't see the directory structures if you're just sharing a folder. The Network Drives would allow one to browse the drive in the same way you can in Windows Explorer. Yes it would work with any drive on any machine, external or otherwise.

Your best advise is to only share what you need to share.

Yep. And that would be everything. (For example, I still use lots of application that store profiles and data in their respective folders, so I need access to that if I want to transfer profiles across the different machines.)

So share the profile folders then that you need for those programs.