Sharing files on the file server - Windows

The College of Pharmacy file server allows you to share files with other people in the College. There are two basic options for sharing files:

• Sharing files with everyone
• Sharing files with specific people

Sharing files with everyone

The file server (your S:\ drive) is divided into directories (folders) by area, with separate folders for the central Administration, the Business Office, the several departments (IPPH, MCMP, and PHPR), and TechSupport. There is also a place to share with everyone - the all folder. Each of these folders restricts access to the appropriate group of people

Within most of these folders, you will find two other folders, PUBLIC and PRIVATE. Anything you create in the PUBLIC folder is, by default, available to anyone in the department. For example, anything created in the PHPR\PUBLIC folder is available to everyone in the Pharmacy Practice department. So, to share with everyone, create a new folder in the appropriate PUBLIC folder, and place your documents there.

Sharing files with specific people

By default, anything created in a PRIVATE folder will be accessible only by the person who created it. So, in order to share files only with specific people, put them in a PRIVATE folder and then grant the other people access to the files. Here's how you do that:

1. RIGHT-click the new folder you created in the PRIVATE folder and select "Properties" from the menu that appears.
   
   File-folder popup menu in Windows 7
2. In the dialog box, click on the Security tab.
   
   File-folder properties dialog box in Windows 7
3. In the Security tab, click on the Edit button.
   
   Security tab of properties dialog box in Windows 7
4. A new dialog box will open. Click on the Add button.
   
   Permissions dialog box in Windows 7
5. In this box, type the last name or username of the person(s) you want to share the files with. Put SEMICOLONS (";") between people. Their username is USUALLY the part of their email address before "@purdue.edu". For example, Dr. Svensson's email is svensson@purdue.edu, and his username is svensson.
   
   Select Users dialog box in Windows 7
6. Click on the "Check Names" button, and the computer will try to verify the people you typed in. If you put in a last name, it will give you a list of people with that last name to choose from. Click on the appropriate person, then click "OK".
   
   Checking names in Windows 7
   
   Resolving names in Windows 7
7. Once you have resolved all the names, click on the "OK" button.
   
   Confirming user selection in Windows 7
8. The people you selected will be added to the access list for the folder with read-only access. If you want them to have more access, click on their name(s) in the list, and adjust the permissions shown with the checkboxes at the bottom.
   
   Changing user access levels in Windows 7
9. Once you have permissions set, click on "OK". Click on "OK" in the remaining dialog box as well.
10. Add the files you want to share to the folder, and tell people where they are.

NOTE: On long-term projects, file permissions can get messy. As different people work on the files, ownership changes, and sometimes the original owner loses access. In these cases, Pharmacy IT can help you set up group-based access control, just as we did for the Business Office. Just ask!