Public folders are not sharable in Windows 8.

I have expected that any folder under a public user is accessible by any user on the computer.  That's how I can see with windows 7.

However, I don't see it with Windows 8.1.  I have changed the path of all the download folders of every user in Windows 8 to C:\Users\Public\Downloads as what I have done with Windows 7.  However, I can't access files downloaded by another user on the same computer when I log on to any user account.  Why?


  • Edited by healee 6 hours 58 minutes ago
June 29th, 2015 2:42am

Hi,

Based on my test, yes, default symptom is as yours.

After research, i found it's because that the public folder is turned off by default in Windows 8.1.

Please check to turn it on once and then turn it off to check the result:

Open Network and Sharing Center(in the bottom right corner) -> Change advanced sharing settings(right navigation pane) -> All Networks -> Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders

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June 30th, 2015 6:22am

When I turned it on, it did work.

On Windows 7 system there are setting for public folder sharing for private networks and another setting for that of public networks, whereas the same setting only exists once for all type of networks on Windows 8.1. 

I usually have public folders shared only on private networks and put a bar on all public networks.

Now Windows 8.1 have one setting for all nework, what is the actual effect?

Does it mean anybody can access the public folders when one is on a public network.  This would not be a good feature, wouldn't it?

July 2nd, 2015 8:31am

Hi,

If you just share it for the user who login the same computer, turn on it once and then turn it off.(now you turn it off to check the result) In such cases, the user who could logon this computer could access the Public folder. Other people in the same network couldn't logon to this computer cannot access Public folder.

Alternatively, turn on the password protected sharing.

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July 4th, 2015 5:00am

I have already had the password protected sharing turned on.

I don't quite follow your "turn on it once and then turn it off".  Why should I turn it on and then turn it off? For testing?
July 4th, 2015 8:49am

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