Chapter 3. File Sharing
File Sharing has been one of the features common to all Windows operating systems. Besides sharing files with other Windows computers, the File Sharing feature in Windows also allows users to share files with other non-Windows computers, such as Mac OS X and Linux users. In Windows 7, file sharing has been further simplified with the new HomeGroup feature.
In this chapter, you will learn about the new HomeGroup feature, as well as learn how to share files with other computers on your network.
HomeGroup
One of the challenges with previous versions of Windows is how to share files easily with other users on the network. Suppose that you have multiple files on your notebook computer that you have created while you were in the office and when you go back home you want to use the files on your home desktop computer. Prior to Windows 7, you had to create a shared folder on your notebook, navigate to the Network Neighborhood on the other computer, and look for the notebook’s shared folder.
In Windows 7, Microsoft has made file sharing very simple with HomeGroup. Using HomeGroup, you can easily share files as well as your digital media (such as music and videos) with other users on the same network. What’s more, HomeGroup also allows you to share one or more USB printers connected to a single computer with the rest of the users on the network.
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