Sharing Win 10 Disks/Folders ON LAN With Win7 Computers

You didn't answer post 5 we need information in order to help you

NewW10user said:

I added a new name for the folder in Win7 (sharing -> advanced sharing ->settings ->Share) and tried accessing it as described (\\192.168.1.?\newsharename) but it still doesn't find it. I also have Avast shields disabled on Win 7 to eliminate that.

Also I don't quite understand how you got the shortcuts for the shared folders (Toshiba) set.

The only time I use IP addresses to access other computers was years ago when I tested my network. Now I just use the computers name. I really don't need or care anymore what the IP addresses are.

To access computer Lightning-7 I use the shortcut \\Lightning-7
To access computer Phoenix-7 I use the shortcut \\Phoenix-7

There is absolutely no need to have shortcuts to shared folders. You just double-click on the shortcut to the computer and browse the share folders it shows.

I have the following network computers powered on and awake:

1. DarkMatter (Win 11 Pro)
2. EventHorizon (Win 10 Pro)
3. Lightning-7 (Win 7 Home)
4. Phoenix-7 (Win 7 Pro)
5. Starship (Win 11 Pro)
6. Toshiba-PC (Win 10 Pro)

The problem with using File Explorer > Network is that many times not all the computers show up. The following shows that only 4 of the 6 computers show up. However, I can still access all of them using the shortcuts to them.



Example #1: If I double-click for the shortcut for Lightning-7



I see the shared folders for Lightning-7



Example #2: If I double-click for the shortcut forPhoenix-7



I see the shared folders for Phoenix-7

but how do you create a shortcut to another computer when it doesn't see that other computer?

Well - it's changed again. I'm now about to give up on getting a new computer. The Win10 computer suddenly shows up on one of the Win7 computer's "Computer -> Network Location" so I made a shortcut for it. But I have neither the knowledge to get the insane Windows networking to work reliably, and to give the same results more than once, nor the time to devote to keep playing with this in the hopes that something will work right and be replicated on the Win11 computer. And now two of the Win7 computes show up in the Win10 This PC as "Network Drive" but the third Win7 computer appears as "media server" and doesn't open.

For my varying needs I decided to forego Mapping computers and connected a NAS drive to my Wireless Router via Ethernet cable. Any drive connected to the Router either wired or wireless can Map the folder I created and access the folders and files in it. Also, no particular computer has to be running to have that access. The Path for the Mapping is \\NASDriveName\Public\. It works in Win7/10/11 and worked in WinXP until I finally took it out of service.

NewW10user said:

but how do you create a shortcut to another computer when it doesn't see that other computer?

Well - it's changed again. I'm now about to give up on getting a new computer. The Win10 computer suddenly shows up on one of the Win7 computer's "Computer -> Network Location" so I made a shortcut for it. But I have neither the knowledge to get the insane Windows networking to work reliably, and to give the same results more than once, nor the time to devote to keep playing with this in the hopes that something will work right and be replicated on the Win11 computer. And now two of the Win7 computes show up in the Win10 This PC as "Network Drive" but the third Win7 computer appears as "media server" and doesn't open.

If the shortcut to the other computer works then what difference does it make whether the computer shows up in File Explorer > Network? If it works then don't complain and just accepts there is a workaround.

Networking with Windows 10 & 11 is a known problem. I have yet to find a permanent solution to this. Over the last five or ten years I have wasted too many hours trying to find a solution to this when there was none to be found. That is why I started using shortcuts. If the network is set up right then shortcuts have always worked for me. I stopped caring whether the computers showed up in File Explorer > Network or not.

BTW, I also posted to the same problem in another forum. I gave the same answer there...

Can Win7 Computers Be on LAN With Win 11 Computer
Can Win7 Computers Be on LAN With Win 11 Computer - Windows 7 Forums

NewW10user said:

You're right, Mister Ed. I have always told my people we have enough problems figuring out why something doesn't work; don't waste time/effort on figuring out why somethings does work.

Except here it doesn't work from Win10 to one of the win7 computers it labeled "Media Server" instead of "Network Drive". I get back an error message to enter network credentials to access the win7 computer. I don't know what that means. It's setup for sharing for everyone with full r/w access. The win7 computers connect to it without this error message or any other problem.

I am the only one I want to access all my computers over my network. For this reason I have my user (type Administrator) set up on all my computers. I have configured the shares so I can read and write to them from other computers. Example to do this:

Select folder to share

Select Properties

Select Sharing tab

Select Advanced Sharing



Check Share this folder
Select Permissions



Select Add



Enter your user name
Selct OK



Select your user name
Check Permissions Full Control, Change, and Read
Select OK



Select OK

Select Close