Share folders on the network with Windows XP.

1. The first step is to add a new user if you haven't already done so. Click on the start bar then control panel, as shown below:

2. In control panel, click on the "User Accounts" link:

3. You will be presented with the screen below. Of the 3 available options, select the "Create a new account" link.

4. This will give you the screen below. Type the new user name you want in the available space then click the "next" button.

5. It is strongly advised you make this user a "Limited" user, so as to prevent them having full control over your computer:

6. After clicking the "Create account" button you will be back to the shown in step 3, but with the new user added. Notice how under the user name it indicates the account is a limited one:

7. Click the account to show the screen below. From here click the "create a password" link.

8. Enter the desired password in this box, confirm that password and optionally enter a hint phrase to be used should the you or the user forget the password. Once completed, click the "Create Password" button.

9. This then brings you back to the screen originally shown in step 7. Notice now however, the account indicates it is password protected. Once done, close the window by clicking the red X in the top right hand corner.

10. Back at the desktop now, click the start bar once more followed by the "My Computer" icon.

11. Double click on the C: drive to open up your folder list.

12. If you are presented with a screen warning you that the C drive contains files that keep your system working, and that you should not modify the contents, click the "Show the contents of this folder" link.

13. In the C: drive, select the folder you wish to share

14. Right click on the folder you wish to share and select the "Sharing and Security ..." option from the menu that appears.

15. You are then presented with the following screen. From here click the "share this folder" option.

16. Next select the "permissions" button.

17. You are then shown a new window (below), where you will notice that "everyone" has permissions set. Click the "add" button on this screen.

18. On the screen that pops up, click the "Advanced" button

19. Click the "Find now" button as can be seen below.

20. A list of users on the computer will appear as seen below. From here select the user you created earlier, then click the "OK" button.

21. You'll notice you're now back at the screen from part 18 above. This time though the new user has been added. Click the "OK" button once more.

22. Highlight the new user, then ensure the permission are ticked as read only. The other options should be empty tick boxes. This can be seen in the image below.

23. The next thing to do is to remove the "Everyone" group. Highlight the name "Everyone" and click the "Remove" button.

24. The image below is how it should now look. Once happy with that, click the "OK" button

25. This takes you back to the screen first seen in step 15. Click the "OK" button once more.

26. You'll now be back at the directory listing of C: Drive. You'll notice the folder you wanted to share now has a hand underneath it.

27. As the image below indicates, if you now browse the network, and double click on your computer name, you will see the folder you have shared is now listed as a networked folder.