Working with Shared Network Folders

You need to set up shared network folders if you want users on remote computers to be able to access files stored on Windows Servers (or files stored on Windows desktop computers). For users who need access to shared data over the network, you can use standard shared folders. For users who need access to shared data over the Internet or over an intranet using a web browser, you can use web folders. To use web folders, you must first install Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 on a Windows Server 2003 computer; IIS 6.0 is not installed by default. You install IIS 6.0 with the Add or Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Only members of the Administrators group or the Server Operators group have the necessary permissions to create, manage, and remove shared folders under Windows Server 2003.

Creating Shared Folders from Windows Explorer

Sharing folders under Windows Server 2003 is similar to setting up shared folders under Windows XP and Windows 2000. Shared folders are often referred to simply as “shares.” From the GUI, you can use the Windows Explorer (or My Computer) to right-click any available folder that you want to share with remote users over the network. To create a shared folder on a Windows Server 2003 computer, follow these steps: