Connect two computers

[Doug8765]

Hi -
I added a new desktop computer to my configuration. Both are Windows 10 computers. How do I connect them? I wish to send and receive files between the two computers. They're both on a wifi network.

Thank you for helping with this.

Doug8765

 

[Gabriel Pike]

You need to enable file sharing on both PC's. After file sharing is enabled then you need to right click on the folder/drive you want to share and click properties->Sharing->Advanced Sharing. Then check the box that says Share this folder. You will have to edit your permissions to everyone if there are different user accounts on each PC.

 

[Doug8765]

Hi Gabriel -
Sorry to ask, but how do I enable file sharing? I have not been able to make this work. That's part of why I'm asking. It should be simple.

Doug

 

[Gabriel Pike]

Click start->Settings->Network and internet->Sharing options->Turn on file and printer sharing

 

[Doug8765]

Click start->Settings->Network and internet->Sharing options->Turn on file and printer sharing

Hi Gabriel -
In doing what your first reply instructed I realized that the two computers area already shared. My problem is that when I use File Manager to select ComputerX under Network, it asks me for the password to ComputerX, but does not accept the password that I enter. What password are they looking for? How can I figure this out?

Doug8765

 

[Gabriel Pike]

You must change your permissions under the Sharing tab to include everyone and give read write access as needed. Also go to control panel->Network and Sharing Center->Advanced sharing settings. click All networks. At the bottom of the drop down select Turn off password protected sharing.

 

[DelJo63]

Another approach:

1. first, a folder is owned by user X
2. user X Shares it
3. now user Y maps that folder to his/her system
4. and uses userX's password

This keeps the "owner" in control of their data.

This even works across system types {Mac, Linux, Windows}

 

[Doug8765]

You must change your permissions under the Sharing tab to include everyone and give read write access as needed. Also go to control panel->Network and Sharing Center->Advanced sharing settings. click All networks. At the bottom of the drop down select Turn off password protected sharing.

Hi Gabriel -
My Network and Internet status does not have a Sharing tab. It has a Sharing options link, but that does not seem to have the choice of selecting users. I attach a picture of the Network and Internet status.

See if this makes sense: On the target computer, the old one, when I use Sharing options | turn off password protected sharing, Save changes, then go back into Sharing options and the selected radio button is the Turn on password protected sharing! I tried it several times and every time I go back into the Sharing options the password protection is turned on. I tried doing this on the new computer and it stays off if I choose off (which I did).

Doug8765

 

[Gabriel Pike]

No the sharing tab of the folder you are trying to share. Right click the folder properties->Sharing->Advanced Sharing->permissions.
make sure that everyone has allow checked for full, change, and read.

 

[Doug8765]

Another approach:

1. first, a folder is owned by user X
2. user X Shares it
3. now user Y maps that folder to his/her system
4. and uses userX's password

This keeps the "owner" in control of their data.

This even works across system types {Mac, Linux, Windows}

How does one "map" a folder to his system?
How do I share a folder? Does sharing a folder automatically include subfolders?

Thanks for responding.

Doug8765

 

[Gabriel Pike]

To map a drive bring up a file explorer and right click on This PC. Then select Map network drive. Navigate to the shared folder and select a drive letter. To share a folder you right click on the folder you want to share and proceed through the above Advanced sharing options. Yes. Sharing a folder or a drive shares all subdirectories by default. Are you still having issues?

 

[Doug8765]

Hi Gabriel andJOBeard -
I've been reading and trying different things with this filesharing problem. I seem to have at least two problems.
1) When I turn off password protected filesharing, it does not stay "off"; it goes back to "on" after I select Save Changes and then open the dialogue again.
2) Every single thing I try from the new computer to access whatever I've enabled on the old computer causes a "Enter network credentials" dialogue to come up that wants a password. No matter what password I enter I get the error "The user name or password is incorrect." This is the case for the filesharing and for the drive mapping.

I did not reply last night because I got busy with other work. I did not answer earlier today because I was checking out queries about "Enter network credentials."

Thanks for the help sofar. Do you have suggestions about how to debug?

Doug8765

 

[Gabriel Pike]

No biggie on the response time. Just trying to help. Here is a link to the other method to do this when it does what you describe. I have not seen this happen yet where the PC will not let you save the option but others obviously have. You may need to try option #2 or #3.

https://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-turn-off-password-protected-sharing-in-windows-10

 

[Doug8765]

Hi Gabriel -
I think I solved my problem of accessing my data. On the old computer, in the Accounts part of the Control Panel, I added an email address that's the same as the one demanded in Enter User Credentials and gave it a password that is what I would usually use. Then I rebooted the old computer. Now the new computer can see the old computer's user data. (The problem of turning off password protected file access has not gone away, but now I can use File Explorer on the new computer and it appears to now have access. I will know later when I have a legitimate reason to copy files.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Doug

 

[Gabriel Pike]

Great news Doug! Glad to help. Feel free to make another post if you have more problems. I will always do my best to try to help with network issues.