Share a folder or drive: File and Storage Services

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

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.

Note

To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.

Open Windows Explorer.
Right-click the folder or drive to be shared, and then click Sharing and Security.
Click Share this folder.
Set any other options that you want, and then click OK.

Note

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.

Value	Description
net share	Creates, deletes, or displays shared resources.
sharename=drive:path	The network name of the shared resource and the absolute path of its location.

Notes

To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.
To view the complete syntax for this command, at the command prompt, type:

net help share

Important

When you create a shared resource, determine how to secure that resource. There are several methods that you can use to secure shared resources. For more information, see Related Topics.

Notes

You must be logged on as a member of the Administrators group, Server Operators group, or 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.
You can use Shared Folders to manage shared resources on both local and remote computers. For information about how to connect to another computer, see Related Topics. With Windows Explorer and the command line, you can manage shared resources on your local computer only.
You can hide the shared resource from users by typing $ as the last character of the shared resource name (the $ then becomes part of the resource name). Users can map a drive to this shared resource, but they cannot see the shared resource when they browse to it in Windows Explorer, or in My Computer on the remote computer, or when they use the net view command on the remote computer. For more information about this command, see Related Topics.
File sharing options may be limited if simple file sharing is enabled. For more information about simple file sharing, see article Q304040, "Description of File Sharing and Permissions in Windows XP," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

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.