Sharing disk root in Homegroup
Hello,Windows 7 RTM tells it's not able to share the root of a diskdrive in it's homegroup. As I have all my data divided by diskdrive (movies on one, series on other, music on another, etc.), I would really love to be able to add these root folders to my homegroup / library. Is there any way to do this? And if not, could you please make this supported, as I really doubt that I'm the only one that has his data separated by diskdrive.Sincerely,Ruud van StrijpRuud van Strijp - Network Infrastructure Design in the Netherlands. MCSE: 70-270, 70-284, 70-290, 70-291, 70-294, 70-297. Cisco: CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP.
September 15th, 2009 8:23pm

Hi, Let's try following steps to share the disk root: 1. Right click on a disk, choose Properties. 2. Go to Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing. Note: We need Administrator permission to do this. 3. Check Share this folder. 4. Click Permissions button --- Add --- Enter homegroupuser$ --- Click OK. This should help add Homegroup to Share Permissions list. Of course, if everyone on the network are joined to homegroup, we can directly all Everyone to access the shared disk root.
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September 16th, 2009 3:12am

Thanks for the reply, Shaon. I have added the user homegroupuser$ to the share permissions, but this does not add the share to the Homegroup. It might share the directory the 'old fashioned' way, but I'd love to see my two movie disks and my MP3 disk in the Homegroup list here at home. So I mean that if someone opens Homegroup -> Music, they would see my music disk. Sincerely, Ruud van StrijpRuud van Strijp - Network Infrastructure Design in the Netherlands. MCSE: 70-270, 70-284, 70-290, 70-291, 70-294, 70-297. Cisco: CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP.
September 19th, 2009 4:13pm

I dont know if this will work with Homegroup, but it works for me using a Workgroup, try it: Go to the Windows Orb (Start), type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter, then right-click the drive graphic > Properties > Sharing Tab > Advanced Sharing > tick Share this folder and type in a Share Name > Apply > OK. Now go to the Security Tab > Edit > Add then type Everyone (not the quotes) > Check Names > OK and below it select your preferences, e.g. Full Control, etc. > Apply > Reply Yes to any security message > Keep pressing OK to any deny messages > OK, etc. to finish.
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September 20th, 2009 3:15am

Hi Ruud, Try following steps: 1. Drag drive C and drop it to Library on left side, put it into a sub-category such as Video. This will create a shortcut to Video so that others in HomeGroup can access the Drive C with the shortcut. 2. We can also just Map the Drive C to others computers manually. For example: On the second computer, go to Computer, click Map network drive --- Browse --- Network --- Find the shared Drive C, click OK. This will help us create a Drive Z which can help us open the shared Drive C.
September 21st, 2009 1:20am

Hey BurrWalnut and Shaon Shan, First of all, thanks for your replies! Too bad these solutions are workarounds to let users connect to my PC using regular Workgroups, instead of Homegroups. But instead, I would love to see any root of a disk in the categories list, and not only directories. It is possible to add any directory to a library; root or subdirectory. Though if you add a the root of a drive (H:\ for example for me), this won't get shared with the Homegroup PC's. If I add all directories in my H:\ drive manually to the Library, like H:\DVDs and H:\DivX, I can see both these subdirectories from other PC's in the Homegroup. I have two computers in my Homegroup currently, to test these functions: Ruud-PC and Test-PC. If it works well, I shall add all PC's to the Homegroup. So, when I'm in my Windows 7 VM (Test-PC), this works if I add H:\DVD and H:\Divx to the Video Library: Homegroup - Ruud-PC -- Video --- H:\DVD --- H:\Divx If I would add just H:\ to the Video Library and then access Ruud-PC from my Test-PC, I'd see this: Homegroup - Ruud-PC -- Video (... Nothing ...) I'm afraid there really is no way to get the root of a folder shared with Homegroups, only with the old and inconvenient Workgroups. Perhaps Microsoft could change this with a future patch? As I don't really see the security reasons for sharing a H:\ disk for example. I would understand that you don't want to allow people to share their C:\ drive, but all other drives should be fine. Thanks, Ruud van StrijpRuud van Strijp - Network Infrastructure Design in the Netherlands. MCSE: 70-270, 70-284, 70-290, 70-291, 70-294, 70-297. Cisco: CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP.
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September 21st, 2009 11:55pm

Since the hard disk root sharing doesn't work with homegroup, is there a way to map a drive without creating a guest user or without putting a password on the main user ? The main advantage of the Homegroup is to eliminate the requirement of a user/password for a computer, so everybody can use it. If that isn't possible we can "patch" the problem be creating a subfolder in the root disk and share it in the homegroup, but it's a bit anoying. Here is an example, original root contain : - M:\mp3 - M:\movies - M:\photos ... Create a main folder name it "m", share it and move all your folder in it, it will do the trick. - M:\m\mp3 - M:\m\movies - M:\m\photos ... Now your "root" will be in homegroup I still hope that an update will solve this bug. Plasmon
December 23rd, 2009 12:38pm

So, is there any word on this yet? Does Microsoft have any plans to allow the sharing of diskroots in homegroups? This would really be an awesome feature!Ruud van Strijp - Network Infrastructure Design in the Netherlands. MCSE: 70-270, 70-284, 70-290, 70-291, 70-294, 70-297. Cisco: CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP.
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February 4th, 2010 12:04am

Hi Ruud You need to right click on the drive -=---- share with ----advanced setting-----security----- add everyone as an authorized user and then any one can open it from XP Zaher
April 9th, 2010 2:24pm

go to control panel->system and security->administrative tools->computer management->shared folders->shares->right click->new share->newxt->select disk you wanna share->next->if prompted about security, press yes->type in share name->type in description if you want->customize permissions->add "everyone" if you dont allready have it added and give it full controll this worked for me. In case it doesnt work, go back to computer management and shares, than right clokc share you created and than proporties. Go to security tab and click advanced button. In permissions tab click change permissions, than "add" and than type in "everyone". Give it full controll and ayou should be set up for max possible seaaring. This way you shear disk and all files in it's root. Hope it helps.
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June 16th, 2010 11:05am

so. i have a home group for my PCs. and two other PCs belong to my roommates connect to the same router connecting to the Internet. here is what i did. in Windows 7 pro. right click on the drive->properties->sharing->advanced sharing->permissions->add->in the box enter "homeusers" should this ensure that people, in the same router network, and outside my home group have no access to those drives? thank you.
February 9th, 2011 4:44am

Since the hard disk root sharing doesn't work with homegroup, is there a way to map a drive without creating a guest user or without putting a password on the main user ? The main advantage of the Homegroup is to eliminate the requirement of a user/password for a computer, so everybody can use it. If that isn't possible we can "patch" the problem be creating a subfolder in the root disk and share it in the homegroup, but it's a bit anoying. Here is an example, original root contain : - M:\mp3 - M:\movies - M:\photos ... Create a main folder name it "m", share it and move all your folder in it, it will do the trick. - M:\m\mp3 - M:\m\movies - M:\m\photos ... Now your "root" will be in homegroup I still hope that an update will solve this bug. Plasmon I have exactly same problem and I would expect Microsoft can solve this problem by SP1! However, today I upgraded to SP1 and found the issue is still there !!!!! Oho...can anybody learn to customer's voice??!!!
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March 17th, 2011 6:36am

> 2 years later and no fix for root sharing via Homegroups ? Crikey.
January 29th, 2012 8:42am

> 2 years later and no fix for root sharing via Homegroups ? Crikey. Root homegroup sharing works fine. A few posts up, Tam89 explains exactly how to share the root of a drive for homegroups. Right click on the (root) drive letter you want to share, select properties, sharing, advanced sharing, check share this folder, permissions, click add, and then add "homeusers". Go ahead and check the permission boxes you want your "homeusers" to have. I also delete the "Everyone" group that is there by default. By adding "homeusers" that allows only computers in a homegroup access to your drive. Much more secure than using "Everyone".
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April 24th, 2012 10:14pm

Ok :) man, U gotta open up another button named NETWORK, Bellow the home group in my computer, and then u can access the drives u've shared! not in home group tab Good Luck
July 26th, 2012 8:08am

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