Windows 8 In Depth

Alternatives to Using a Homegroup

HomeGroup security gives anyone in the group access to any shared folder or printer. If you need to restrict access to shared folders and printers on a user-by-user basis, or if you have computers that don’t run either Windows 7 or 8, you might instead want to set up the traditional Windows file sharing scheme. There are two ways you can configure traditional sharing:

• If you have OSs other than Windows 7 or 8 on your network and you don’t need per-user security, you can turn off Password Protected Sharing. To do this, go to the Desktop. Right-click the network icon at the right end of the taskbar and select Network and Sharing Center. At the left, select Change Advanced Sharing Settings. Scroll down to All ...