File and folder management
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Managing files and folders
Managing files and folders includes storing and securing resources, making those resources available to network users, and managing changes in those resources. The Windows Server 2003 family provides many tools you can use to manage files and folders. These tools include Shared Folders, shadow copies of shared folders, Distributed File System (DFS), Encrypting File System (EFS), and Offline Files. When a folder is shared, users can connect to the folder over the network and gain access to the contents of the shared folder. With shadow copies of shared folders, users can view the contents of network folders as they existed at points of time in the past.
Some of the most common tasks are sharing a folder or drive, enabling shadow copies of shared folders, and changing settings for shadow copies of shared folders. You can also manage files and folders from the Managing shared folders from the command line. For more information about other tasks for managing files and folders, see Shared Folders How To....
To share a folder or drive
Open Computer Management.
In the console tree, click Shares.
Where?
- Computer Management/System Tools/Shared Folders/Shares
On the Action menu, click New Share.
Follow the steps in the Share a Folder Wizard, and then click Finish.
Important
- When you create a shared resource, determine how to secure that resource. There are several methods you can use to secure shared resources. For more information, see Share permissions.
Notes
You must be logged on as a member of the Administrators or the Power Users group to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
To enable shadow copies of shared folders
Open Computer Management (Local).
In the console tree, right-click Shared Folders, point to All Tasks, and then click Configure Shadow Copies.
Where?
- Computer Management/System Tools/Shared Folders
Select the volume where you want to enable shadow copies of shared folders, and then click Enable.
Notes
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure.
To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
You can also access shadow copies of shared folders by right-clicking on a fixed NTFS volume in My Computer or in Disk Management, clicking Properties, and then clicking the Shadow Copies tab.
You can also use Disk Management to manage shadow copies of shared folders on remote servers. On the Action menu, point to All Tasks, and then click Configure Shadow Copies.
Enabling shadow copies of shared folders also creates a default schedule and settings for subsequent shadow copies. To make changes to these defaults, click Settings
Shadow copies are enabled on a per volume basis; you cannot select specific shares on a volume to be copied or not copied.
To change settings for shadow copies of shared folders
Open Computer Management (Local).
In the console tree, right-click Shared Folders, point to All Tasks, and then click Configure Shadow Copies.
Where?
- Computer Management/System Tools/Shared Folders
Select the volume where you want to make changes, and then click Settings.
In this dialog box, you can change the settings described in the following table.
Setting Notes Storage volume
This indicates where you would like to store the shadow copies of the selected volume. The default is to use the same volume. It is recommended that you use a separate volume on another disk which provides better performance for heavily used file servers. You can only change the storage volume when there are no shadow copies present. If you need to change the storage volume for a volume that already has been enabled, you must delete all of the shadow copies on that volume, then change the storage volume.
Details
Clicking Details will open a dialog box that lists the shadow copies that are currently stored. This dialog box also gives information about the total space and available storage space on the disk.
Storage limits
The default size is 10 percent of the size of the volume that holds the source files being shadow copied. If the shadow copies are stored on a separate volume from the source files, you should change this default to reflect the amount of the storage volume that you are willing to dedicate to shadow copies. The storage limit must be at least 100 MB, which will only allow for a single shadow copy to be retained. If you set a restrictive storage limit, you should test to ensure that the number of shadow copies you have scheduled will fit within those restraints. If shadow copies are deleted prematurely due to storage limits, you may be defeating the purpose of enabling shadow copies of shared folders.
Schedule
Clicking Schedule will open the task scheduler with the information needed to create a task schedule for taking shadow copies of shared folders on a regular basis. Before creating the schedule, take a look at your current users work patterns and design a strategy that will schedule shadow copies at a time of day that will work best for your users. The default schedule is Monday through Friday at 7:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. For more information about creating a schedule for shadow copies of shared folders, see Defining a schedule for shadow copies.
Notes
To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure.
To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
Information about functional differences
- Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.