Shared folders not marked with hand icon

[robilong]

Seems like W7 doesn't use hand icon to mark shared folder. The icon for shared folders in Explorer doesn't differ at all, is it correct?
How to check quickly which folders are shared?

Thanks!

 

[Shootist]

Well it is different then a un-shared drive icon. But yes it is not the old Hand icon.

 

[mickey megabyte]

it should be displaying this overlay:



but i've just tried sharing some other folders, but it doesn't seem to be working...and it's an sp1 machine too...

 

[TVeblen]

The short version:

"If you share a folder, then click the folder to select it, at the bottom of the screen in the details pane, you'll see "State:" and "Shared" with the appropriate "people" icon. It also shows "Shared with" and lists the users/groups."
​

The long version:

"One of the goals for the Windows 7 release is to reduce large cognitive loads on users by simplifying the user interface. With the investment in sharing for the Windows 7 release, and especially with HomeGroup in the consumer space, we believe that a majority of users’ content will be shared. The previous overlay model would have resulted in the sharing overlay appearing frequently in typical Explorer views, potentially distracting users with information that they might not use or need on a daily basis. A single sharing overlay can’t provide details about how an item is shared (for example, who it’s shared with, what privileges are assigned, etc.) and this results in a higher cognitive load for the end user. Prior to Windows 7, there were also scenarios in which the sharing overlay was shown inconsistently, which caused user confusion. As a result, based on the above, the sharing overlay was removed from the items view in Explorer. The sharing state information that the overlay provides isn’t gone but rather has been moved to the Details pane in Windows Explorer. This approach is an improvement over the overlay model, as it helps provide more relevant data related to sharing (for example, who the item is shared with). The Details pane is also where all other relevant properties for an item--such as ratings and author--are displayed, making the overall experience more consistent for end users by providing one location in which they can see all relevant state information for an item.

I hope this helps your understanding of why this changed in Windows 7.

Sincerely,
-Tony Mann"
​

My head hurts from the "cognitive load" of that explanation!

 

[fseal]

Yes but.. in deference to the above explaination, removing the share overlay results in not being able to quickly manage or become aware of shares on the system. You now have to "hunt" for them by one of several other mechanisms. Not an improvement. If they were unreliable before, the reliability should have been fixed.

And worse, if you unshare the folder, it doesn't just put the folder back the way it was but puts it in a third state that then shows a "locked" overlay icon!

So in the end that entire thing was a bit of a misfire... Not using an overlay where it was very much needed and then using one in a situation where it shouldn't have had to have been.

 

[mickey megabyte]

thanks for that TVeblen.

'reducing cognitive load' - what a load of tosh. if i wanted to reduce cognitive load, i would buy a tv.

anyway, back to the OP's second question:

How to check quickly which folders are shared?

one way, is to right-click a folder >> properties >> sharing >> share >> share it with someone >> then a new window will come up with a link at the bottom 'show me all the network shares on this computer'.



there's probably a quicker more elegant way, but i don't know it.


*edit* good points fseal - you posted while i was doing my screeny...

 

[robilong]

What a pity - shared folder really had a necessary notification icon, which now is missing in w7.
If I share a folder for some task, I may forgot it soon and the different icon was best notification, how to remember and have quick overview of shared resources.

 

[mickey megabyte]

another way of seeing which folders are shared is to access the machine from the network...

i agree that it's a crappy decision by microsoft, dumbing down (aka reducing cognitive load) our ui!

 

[Shootist]

Well I don't share folders.
I share whole drives. In fact all my drives are shared and all folders in all drives are shared.
I live alone and have 3 to 5 PC on my LAN and if I'm at one and need to get to another I want full access to the other.

 

[robilong]

Well I don't share folders.
I share whole drives. In fact all my drives are shared and all folders in all drives are shared.
I live alone and have 3 to 5 PC on my LAN and if I'm at one and need to get to another I want full access to the other.

I see - then you need a notification not shared icon for folders lost it's sharing

 

[TVeblen]

I've used "cognitive load" twice now on my wife. Heh Heh.
It's now my new favorite expression!

 

[dooleydude]

simple solution

just customize the properties of the shared folder to change the icon (there's a standard one available with the share people image)