How to Share A Single Folder Between Windows 7 and Windows 10 ?

[deleted102719]

Good Lord Almighty... I have been trying to solve this issue for days. I've tried everything I can find online. Nothing works.

The test systems are clean installs of Windows 7 and Windows 10. Clean installs. Clean. (So please don't ask me to run sfc /scannow and other Windows repair drivel.)

I want to share a single folder in Windows 7 with Windows 10, and vice-versa.

I DO NOT want to use File Sharing because it exposes the entire file system to the other system.

I have tried the following and none of them worked:

1. Enable SMB1 on Windows 10, but Windows 7 cannot access the folder on Windows 10 (error 0x80004005)
2. Share a folder with "Everyone", but Windows 7 cannot access the folder on Windows 10 (error 0x80004005)
3. For shits and giggles I even disabled Windows Firewall on both systems, but Windows 7 cannot access the folder on Windows 10 (error 0x80004005)

If I enable File Sharing, then both systems can see each other, but then the entire file system is exposed to the other system - that is a security no-no. Nope. Can't have that.

Does anyone know how to make this work ?

WTF - is there like no official documentation whatsoever that explains specifically how the various folder\file sharing options are supposed to work (the difference between SMB [network share], local sharing, etc)?

Anyone ?

 

[SleepyDude]

To share folders using the built-in functions of the Operating System you need to enable File Sharing.

If I enable File Sharing, then both systems can see each other, but then the entire file system is exposed to the other system - that is a security no-no. Nope. Can't have that.

That tells me that you did other changes because by default enabling File Sharing on Windows doesn't expose everything only the Public folders if you didn't enable the option "Turn on password protected sharing", besides the Administrative shares no other folders can be accessed if not shared.

Something I always do is to disable that crap of "Use Sharing Wizard" and to simplify things make sure the same user name and password exists on both machines.
FAQ: How to disable Simple File Sharing in Windows? | OCIO

By the way Windows 7 and Windows 10 don't need SMB1 at all so don't mess with that because its an outdated and insecure protocol.

 

[deleted102719]

To share folders using the built-in functions of the Operating System you need to enable File Sharing.



That tells me that you did other changes because by default enabling File Sharing on Windows doesn't expose everything only the Public folders if you didn't enable the option "Turn on password protected sharing", besides the Administrative shares no other folders can be accessed if not shared.

Something I always do is to disable that crap of "Use Sharing Wizard" and to simplify things make sure the same user name and password exists on both machines.
FAQ: How to disable Simple File Sharing in Windows? | OCIO

By the way Windows 7 and Windows 10 don't need SMB1 at all so don't mess with that because its an outdated and insecure protocol.

I didn't change anything.

If you enable File Sharing, then all of the folders in the User's profile are accessible to another system. That is a security no-no. Plus, if I have something on my Desktop that I don't want anyone to access, they can access it with File Sharing enabled. That's a privacy no-no.

I want to share a single folder between two systems. I do not want another system to access anything in the User's profile other than that single folder. That's it.

Or you are telling me in a roundabout way this is the way Microsoft designed this crap ? Gee, that wouldn't surprise me not one bit.

It's hard to know without any official documentation that explains things at a level of detail that covers everything sufficiently. I have no idea of how it is intended to work nor which protocols are used because Microsoft doesn't say anywhere in a language that makes any kind of sense.

Some online guides say that SMB1 must be enabled for shares between W7 and W10 systems.

 

[SleepyDude]

If you enable File Sharing, then all of the folders in the User's profile are accessible to another system. That is a security no-no. Plus, if I have something on my Desktop that I don't want anyone to access, they can access it with File Sharing enabled. That's a privacy no-no.

That isn't the way it works for me!

I want to share a single folder between two systems. I do not want another system to access anything in the User's profile other than that single folder. That's it.

Share only that folder and assign permissions for specific user or group of users at the filesystem level not at the share level.

Some online guides say that SMB1 must be enabled for shares between W7 and W10 systems.

No SMB1 is used by Windows XP and Server 2003, Windows Vista and higher uses SMB2 by default...

 

[deleted102719]

Share only that folder

That is what I am asking how to do it. If you enable File Sharing then all User Profile folders (Desktop, Documents, etc) are accessible. That is how it is on every single system we've looked at.

How do I share only a single folder (I need the steps) ?

 

[SleepyDude]

That is because you didn't set the Advanced shared settings to "Turn on password protected sharing" and "Turn off public folders..."

The public folders mechanism is less secure and used only when security isn't a big concern... in that configuration only the Public folder is visible to all users, the Lockdown user is most likely visible and accessible because the same user exist on both machines and have access to it.

Please press

+ R and type fsmgmt.msc
click on Shares and post a screnshoot of this window.