Can Win7 Computers Be on LAN With Win 11 Computer

NewW7User said:

I did that on desktop on Win10 to one of the Win7 computer. It says it created the shortcut. But it doesn't connect. It gives error message it wants credentials. What is that? It's setup to share with "everyone" which is what happens with Win7 computers that try to access it.

What you are seeing is normal until you set up the security further. Instead of referring you to a post I made on another forum I will repeat it here...

I am the only one I want to access all my computers over my network. For this reason I have my user (type Administrator) set up on all my computers. I have configured the shares so I can read and write to them from other computers. Example to do this:

Select folder to share

Select Properties

Select Sharing tab

Select Advanced Sharing



Check Share this folder
Select Permissions



Select Add



Enter your user name
Selct OK



Select your user name
Check Permissions Full Control, Change, and Read
Select OK



Select OK

Select Close

Thank you Mister Ed for your time and work in reproducing the examples you already had elsewhere. It is very much appreciated!
However, I believe I'm following your examples but I still get that error message. I am trying to access the C-Disk on the Win7 computer (PC06) and a USB Disk Drive G-Disk attached to that same Win7 computer (PC06) from the Win10 computer. I am giving full access rights to both disks. I have no problem accessing both disks from my other two Win7 computers.
Here is what I have set on that Win7 computer (PC06) for the USB disk (G-Disk on Win7 computer). And also the Win10 shortcut attempts. I didn't upload the C-Disk settings because I thought it might be too much here but I can if that will help.

What to share:
1. For security reasons it is best not the share the "C:" system drive. However you can share individual not-system folders
2. Sharing other drives is OK if you wish
3. You normally share folders

I would strongly advise that you don't try to give full shared access to "Everyone". In fact I already tried it myself and it didn't work for me either.

I found it best to have the same account on all computers. This account has the same username and password and is of type Administrator. This greatly simplifies access to shared files.

If you are on Computer #1 and try to access a share on Computer #2 and you don't have a common username/password then you will be prompted to enter a username & password. What you do then is enter a valid username & password on Computer #2. Having a common username & password on both computers makes that unnecessary.

Also, I suggest that after you create a shared folder you give full access to just the common username not everyone. That has always worked for me.

Is there any reason you are trying to create a shortcut to a share \\pc06\g instead of just \\pc06? It is simpler to just create a shortcut to computers and navigate to the share.

I just created a shortcut to the USB connected hard drive R: on my Windows 7 computer called Lightning-7.

Note R: is a 5TB Seagate Expansion Desktop external hard drive.

On Windows 7 computer Lightning-7

In File Explorer right-click on R: and selected Properties
Select Sharing tab
Select Advanced Sharing



Check Share this folder
Select Permissions



Add the user name MisterEd that is common to all my computers
Select this user and check Allow Full Control, Change, and Read
Select OK



On Windows 10 computer EventHorizon

Double-click on shortcut to Windows 7 computer Lightning-7



Double-click on R which is USB connected hard drive on Lightning-7



Because of the way I set up the permissions I can do anything on this hard drive just as if I was accessing it on the computer Lightning-7.

Can Win7 Computers Be on LAN With Win 11 Computer
--- for genuine Windows copy, yes, they can.

In my practice, it's noticed that there are "tiny or Beta" versions of Windows 10/11 in market,
these tiny windows they do have networking problem with other PCs. it's hard to detour the problem and I couldn't map drives on networking too.

FYI.

NewW7User said:

Thank you Mister Ed for your time and work in reproducing the examples you already had elsewhere. It is very much appreciated!
However, I believe I'm following your examples but I still get that error message. I am trying to access the C-Disk on the Win7 computer (PC06) and a USB Disk Drive G-Disk attached to that same Win7 computer (PC06) from the Win10 computer. I am giving full access rights to both disks. I have no problem accessing both disks from my other two Win7 computers.
Here is what I have set on that Win7 computer (PC06) for the USB disk (G-Disk on Win7 computer). And also the Win10 shortcut attempts. I didn't upload the C-Disk settings because I thought it might be too much here but I can if that will help.

MisterEd said:

What to share:
1. For security reasons it is best not the share the "C:" system drive. However you can share individual not-system folders
2. Sharing other drives is OK if you wish
3. You normally share folders

I would strongly advise that you don't try to give full shared access to "Everyone". In fact I already tried it myself and it didn't work for me either.

I found it best to have the same account on all computers. This account has the same username and password and is of type Administrator. This greatly simplifies access to shared files.

If you are on Computer #1 and try to access a share on Computer #2 and you don't have a common username/password then you will be prompted to enter a username & password. What you do then is enter a valid username & password on Computer #2. Having a common username & password on both computers makes that unnecessary....

Everything MisterEd has said is spot on, but I take a slightly different approach to sharing. I agree, you absolutely should NOT share the C: drive. My aim in sharing is to be able to transfer files between any of my PCs on the network. For that I create and share a C:\Temp folder on every one of my PCs, giving not only share permissions to Everyone, but also setting NTFS security permissions for Everyone, Full Control. This is the only share I ever set up, I use it as a dropping off point for file transfers, moving them to their final intended location on the destination PC once received.

Yes, computer #1 will by default attempt to connect to computer #2 with the name and password you are signed in to #1 with. If the name and/or password don't match you'll be challenged to provide the name and password of an account on computer #2.

In addition to MisterEd's good advice, I find sharing works a lot smoother if you turn off Password Protected Sharing in the Network and Sharing Centre.

"Is there any reason you are trying to create a shortcut to a share \\pc06\g instead of just \\pc06? It is simpler to just create a shortcut to computers and navigate to the share."

The USB disk drive is defined as "g" on pc06. The network path is \\PC06\g. I thought I have to define the shortcut the same way.

I also saw that on PC06 I don't have the whole C-disk shared, only one folder on it.

I added the Win10 computer's account to the PC06 computer so the would have the same names but it did not help. It still says pc06 is denying access to to your PC. it is also still describing PC06 as a media server, not network drive.

NewW7User said:

"Is there any reason you are trying to create a shortcut to a share \\pc06\g instead of just \\pc06? It is simpler to just create a shortcut to computers and navigate to the share."

The USB disk drive is defined as "g" on pc06. The network path is \\PC06\g. I thought I have to define the shortcut the same way.

I also saw that on PC06 I don't have the whole C-disk shared, only one folder on it.

I added the Win10 computer's account to the PC06 computer so the would have the same names but it did not help. It still says pc06 is denying access to to your PC. it is also still describing PC06 as a media server, not network drive.

There is nothing wrong with creating shortcuts to individual shares like you do. However, I usually share several folders on each computer. For me it makes more sense to only create a shortcut to the computer itself. All I have to do is double-click on this shortcut to show all the folders that are shared.

You said you have the same user names on the other computers but are the passwords all the same also? That is also required.

In Post #15 it was suggested that you disable Password Protected Sharing. Doing this allows you to choose to share fully with Everyone if you want. I am sure if you want you can do this and possibly make things easier. That is your choice.

Before I retired I was a computer professional. Sharing fully with everyone doesn't seem right to me. That is why I like to limit full sharing to only the user I want. Note that is enforced by enabling Password Protected Sharing.