Tech Tip: How to connect a smartphone to an HDTV

Description: Most smartphones made within the past few years have the capability to connect to external monitors and/or HDTVs. This is extremely useful if you travel a lot and want to watch movies on something bigger than your smartphone's screen. So how do you know if this feature applies to you?

Some smartphones have the HDMI port on the device itself.

The example below is from a Droid RAZR. It includes your typical microUSB port (left), in addition to a dedicated HDMI port (right). In this case, the HDMI port is a special type known as microHDMI, which needs an adapter to bring it to a full-size HDMI. In general, if a smartphone has a HDMI port built on, it will be in the form of microHDMI.


Droid RAZR has micro USB and HDMI ports


The iPhone needs a proprietary adapter to get to HDMI. For the iPhone 4/4s, you need an adapter to take the 30pin connector out to HDMI (left). The iPhone 5 introduced the lightning connector and also needs a similar adapter (right) to get to HDMI. For video output on the 3G/3Gs, you only have the option of using an analog video output (yellow RCA or red/green/blue RCA connections).

So what if your phone looks like this?

 
A Samsung Galaxy S2

The Galaxy S2 only has a microUSB port and nothing else. So how does this connect to a HDTV? Many new smartphones use a technology referred to as MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link). 
 
A Mobile High-Definition Link adapter

In a nutshell, this means you can repurpose the microUSB port to send video to a TV with a compatible MHL adapter. It's as easy as plugging in the adapter to your phone and plugging in a HDMI cable to the other side. These adapters also offer a charging port on the side so you can watch video continuously without the need to recharge. Please note that some of these adapters require your phone charger to operate properly.

I bought a MHL adapter and it didn't work!

If the standard MHL adapter doesn't work for you, then you fall into one of three categories:

1. Your phone is too old and doesn't support MHL.
2. You are the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2.
3. You are the proud owner of Google's Nexus 4.

If number 1 refers to you, you can double check your phone's specifications on a website likehttp://www.phonearena.com to see if your phone truly supports MHL.

If you fall under point number 2, fear not! The standard MHL adapter doesn't work for you, because Samsung customized these phones. Standard MHL uses a 5 pin adapter, whereas Samsung's version is 11 pins. The simple solution is that you need a MHL adapter supplied by Samsung.

If point number 3 applies to you, then your phone doesn't use MHL at all. Google has opted to use a technology called Slimport. The Nexus 4 is the very first smartphone to use Slimport, so the adapters are not too common yet. The adapter looks identical to a MHL adapter, but the difference lies in the technology used to drive the signal. As of this writing (05/2013), the only place to find this adapter for purchase is online.


Once you have the correct adapter, you can use your phone as a powerful media center. Whether it is to play games, watch Netflix, or to write emails on a bigger screen, the possibilities are endless!

Tech Tip: How to fix Windows Updates for Windows 8

Description: This guide will walk you through the steps necessary to troubleshoot and resolve errors when Windows 8 is failing on installing an update from Windows Update.

First try this Microsoft Fix-It: 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9830262
 

 If that doesn't solve the issue try the following:

1. Right click on the task bar and go to Task Manager. (Alternatively press Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager.)
   
   
   
2. Click on More Details at the bottom left and then click on the Services tab on the right.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Scroll down to wuauserv or Windows Update.
   
   
   
4. Right-click and go to Stop.
   
   
   
5. Now open up Computer by clicking Start and Computer.
   
   
   
6. Navigate to C:\Windows by double clicking on Local Disc C:\ and then Windows.
7. Scroll down until you see the folder SoftwareDistribution.
   
   
   
8. Rename the folder to something else: IE: SoftwareDistribution-OLD.
9. Now restart your computer and try Windows Update again.

A complete overview of the upcoming iPhone 6

A complete overview of the upcoming iPhone 6 

Improved Camera

Though Apple’s cameras have known to be quite sturdy and efficient yet they have seen little revolution over the years and the excitement which is now demanded by customers was missing from the camera setup till iPhone 5s. But since we all know that Apple does bring improvement with every new phone, the iPhone 6 is sure to receive a bump and it is going to feature a 10-megapixel variety, with f/1.8 aperture and will feature better optical image stabilization (OIS) and faster autofocus.

 

iPhone 6 Front Panel

The front panel of the phone was recently leaked and it suggested that the front is going to look somewhat like the 5s but since the screen is quite large, it manages to look different.

 

What are the changes ushered in with iOS 6?

Image Gallery (11 images)The release of a new iPhone means two things. The first is obviously the new phone; but that hardware is also accompanied by a new version of iOS. Apple's mobile operating system has evolved from a relatively simple interface for using a few stock Apple apps (on 2007's debut iPhone) to an advanced system that is creeping ever closer to OS X. The annual iOS refresh is now an event in itself.

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The last two iterations of iOS brought significant upgrades. 2010's iOS 4 saw multitasking, folders, and home screen wallpaper; last year's iOS 5 featured revamped notifications, iCloud, and Twitter integration. With the most obvious holes already filled, many questioned what direction Apple would take this year with iOS 6.

Let's take a look at the decisions – and execution – that Apple ultimately took with this year's update:

Maps

Apple opted to highlight its update to Maps as the marquee feature of iOS 6. That may come back to haunt Tim Cook and Co., as customers and critics have been up in arms over this initial version of Apple Maps.

Facebook

When iOS 5 launched with Twitter integration, many scratched their heads, wondering what happened to Facebook. Having long been rumored to partner with Apple, pundits speculated about a feud between the two companies. Some even thought the Twitter partnership was a direct jab at Mark Zuckerberg and company. If there was any bad blood, though, that hatchet has apparently been buried, as iOS 6 brings the long-anticipated integration with Facebook.

Shared Photo Streams

Photo Stream, the photo branch of iCloud, also received an update. Now you can select images from your own photo stream to instantly share with friends. They can then collaborate on the cloud-based album, and like or comment on individual photos.

Mail

Apple's Mail app also saw a few additions, including a VIP inbox, the ability to insert images and videos directly into a mail composition, and pull-to-refresh.

Phone

A handy new feature gives you a couple of options when you can't take a call. Reply with a message (custom or canned), or set a reminder to return the call. There is also a universal Do Not Disturb option that turns off system-wide notifications and calls.

Are We Happy?

iOS 6 is more evolutionary than revolutionary, but it still brings some significant upgrades. Unfortunately for Apple, the story has been largely defined by the Maps complaints.

Those who have upgraded: are the Maps issues that bad, or a bit overblown? What about the other features – do they add up to a nice improvement? Please let us know in those comments below!

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Configure your wireless router...

Tech Tip of the Day: How to run a tune up on your computer

Tech Tip of the Day: How to run a tune up on your computer

www.youtube.com/embed/caxAYagNYGA

Tech Tip of the Day: Getting started with iCloud: Part 1

Description: iCloud is a great feature that allows wireless syncing between all your devices. Have a picture on your iPad that you want to see on your iPhone? No problem. Have contacts from your iPhone you want on your iPod touch? No problem. This guide will explain the basics of iCloud, and how to set it up.

SECTION 1: WHAT IS ICLOUD?

iCloud is Apple's proprietary cloud storage solution. It allows for wireless sync to the cloud, or Apple's servers, that allow for access across multiple devices. It's built for iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), but it is also available on both Windows and Mac machines as well. This not only saves space on each device, but it also eliminates the risk for data loss. No matter what state the device is in, just sign in, and all personal information, as well as documents, settings, calendars, etc., will be automatically synced back to the device. This is quickly becoming the standard in storage options due to its failsafe methods.

There are alternatives as well: Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft Skydrive to name a few. These all have their benefits, though none are as tightly integrated into the OS as iCloud. Apple has created an ecosystem with iOS, and iCloud has been neatly tucked deep inside of it to make it incredibly easy to sync, back up and restore any personal information.

SECTION 2: WHY DO I WANT IT?

It is common knowledge that backing up data frequently is a good idea. Until now, the only method of doing this is with an external storage device of some kind; more specifically, an external hard drive or flash drive. While there are generally no problems with external media, it comes with the risk of hardware errors, thus possibly causing data loss. Also, it's limited to one machine at a time, meaning, to get all the data back across multiple devices, it would require restarting the process for each device by itself.

With iCloud, it's all automatic. It requires little to no input from the user. Whatever is stored on one device is almost immediately accessible from another. Everything from music, movies and TV shows, to calendars, reminders and contacts. It's all there. No syncing. No cords. No hassle.

SECTION 3: OKAY. WHAT'S THE CATCH?

iCloud, like most consumer products, is not completely free unfortunately. At the start, it grants 5GB of free storage. On average, this is enough for most items, but the more content that is backed up (namely large files such as movies and TV shows), the quicker that space will disappear. This is when it becomes time to purchase additional space.

Apple offers three different yearly subscription options for additional storage. On top of the standard 5GB given for free, the options they offer are: $20 a year for 10GB of additional space, $40 a year for 20GB of additional space and $100 a year for 50GB of additional space.

SECTION 4: WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?

Not all iOS devices are compatible with iCloud. In order to run it, a device must be running iOS 5 or later. Devices that ship with iOS 5+ have iCloud built in. Older iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPod touch 1st and 2nd generation are not supported.

On Mac, it must be running OSX 10.7 (Lion) to work, and for Windows, it must be Windows Vista or Windows 7. XP is not supported unfortunately.

If you meet these requirements, watch for part two of this series later this week to learn how to configure iCloud on all your devices!

Sapphire's Dual-X R9 280 OC Graphics Card Review

We take a look at the value proposition offered by Sapphire's Dual-X R9 280 and consider it's performance compared to its competitor, the GeForce GTX 760, and its predecessor, the Radeon HD 7950 Boost.

AMD just announced its Radeon R9 285. Based on specifications, this upcoming graphics card has raw performance similar to the Radeon R9 280 it is likely to replace, at the same $250 price point. But before the R9 285 arrives, we'd like to take stock of where the Radeon R9 280 sits in the current scheme of things, and specifically what Sapphire's Dual-X OC brings to the table.

Products

Pricing

GPU

Shader Cores

Texture Units

ROPS

Fabrication Process

Core Clock

Memory Clock

Memory Bus

Memory Bandwidth

Idle/Max Thermal Design Power

Power Connectors

Typical Price

Radeon HD 7950 Read the Review	Radeon HD 7950 Boost	Radeon R9 280	Radeon R9 285
$143.50On Amazon	$229.99On TigerDirect	$232.99On Amazon
Tahiti	Tahiti	Tahiti	Tonga
1792	1792	1792	1792
112	112	112	112
32	32	32	32
28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm
800 MHz	up to 925 MHz	up to 933 MHz	up to 918 MHz
1250 MHz GDDR5	1250 MHz GDDR5	1250 MHz GDDR5	1375 MHz GDDR5
384-bit	384-bit	384-bit	256-bit
240 GB/s	240 GB/s	240 GB/s	176 GB/s
200 W	225 W	250 W	190 W
2 x 6-pin	2 x 6-pin	2 x 6-pin	2 x 6-pin
EOL	EOL	$250	$250 (MSRP)

AMD has a rich history of iterating its Tahiti GPU in the 1792-shader configuration, from the 800 MHz Radeon HD 7950 to the 933 MHz (peak) Radeon R9 280. Of course, all of those cards use 1250 MHz (5 GT/s effective) GDDR5 memory. The upcoming Radeon R9 285 marks the first bump in memory clock for this class of AMD card at 1375 MHz (5.5 GT/s effective, the same as the Radeon HD 7970), but this is more than offset by a thinner 256-bit memory interface, and its maximum GPU boost clock rate drops slightly to 918 MHz.
With a 940 MHz peak frequency, Sapphire's Dual-X R9 280 OC has the highest GPU clock rate of any of these options, although it beats the reference Radeon R9 280 by a mere 7 MHz. That doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind that the real-world clock rate is limited by temperature. Sapphire's real strength isn't the overclock; what matters is whether or not the Dual-X cooler has the ability to control the thermal ceiling in order to keep the GPU running at the highest possible frequency for as long as possible.

Sapphire's Dual-X R9 280 OC sports the unique Dual-X cooler with a black-on-gray theme, attached to the company's namesake-colored PCB. That board measures 10.25" x 3.89" and weighs 1 lb 10 oz, making it slightly smaller and significantly lighter than AMD's reference Radeon HD 7950 Boost card at 10.5" x 3.89" and 2 lbs.
This particular product's graphics processor is rated for 850 MHz base, with a boost state of 940 MHz, and 1250 MHz GDDR5 memory. The amount of memory used on Tahiti-based boards is at least generous 3 GB, and the Dual-X is no exception.

The aluminum heatsink features four beefy 8 mm copper pipes, cooled by two 85 mm low-profile fans. The card's 250 W TDP requires two six-pin auxiliary power connectors.
Note the two CrossFire connectors on the right, allowing as many as four cards to render cooperatively. A Dual BIOS switch allows the user to select either legacy or UEFI compatibility modes. As an added bonus, it also provides a measure of safety for those who like to tweak their cards with a ROM flash.

The Dual-X R9 280 is equipped with a DVI-I, DVI-D, full-sized DisplayPort, and full-sized HDMI output.

The package includes a CrossFire bridge, a six-foot HDMI cable, two Molex-to-six-pin PCIe power adapters, manual, registration card, driver CD, and case sticker.
Now that we're familiar with the product, let's see how it performs.

How to Fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD Error?

In order to fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD error that is caused due to KB2778344 Windows update, administrators must uninstall the update by following the step-by-step instructions given below:

1. As the computer restarts, press F8 key continuously to display the Advanced Boot Options screen.
   
2. On Advanced Boot Options screen, select Safe Mode by pressing down arrow and press Enter to start Windows 8 computer in safe mode.
   
3. Once started in safe mode, log on to Windows 8 computer with the administrator account.
   
4. Click Desktop tile from the Start screen to go to the desktop screen.
   
5. Once on the desktop screen, hover mouse to the bottom right corner of the window.
   
6. From the displayed options, click Settings.
   
7. On the Settings pane, click Control Panel.
   
8. On the opened All Control Panel Items window, click Programs and Features.
   
   
   
   
9. On Programs and Features window, click View installed updates from the left pane.
   
10. On Installed Updates window, right click Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB2778344) update.
    
11. From the displayed option, click Uninstall to remove the selected update.
    
    
    
    
12. On Uninstall an update confirmation box, click Yes to continue with the uninstallation.
    
13. Close Installed Updates window when done.
    
14. Restart the computer normally.

What Can I Do to Fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD Error in Windows 8?

After the successful installation of Windows 8 on a computer, it is expected that the operating system would run without any hassles. However there might be times when users face several issues while using the OS. One of the most irritating issues that users face while working with Windows operating systems is the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). When Blue Screen of Death is displayed on the screen, a minidump file with .DMP extension is automatically generated that contains the detailed information about the cause of the generated error.

Among many other Blue Screen of Death errors, SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION is the one that is also commonly displayed on the screen. Sometimes this error arises due to incompatibility between Windows 8 and AMD drivers. On the other hand, most users face SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION error due to update number KB2778344 that Microsoft has developed as a Windows 8 update.

In order to fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD error that arises due to AMD drivers, administrators can boot Windows 8 in safe mode and can uninstall the problematic drivers. After uninstalling, administrators can then download the latest and most compatible versions of the drivers to experience flawless functioning of the devices.

To fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION BSOD error that is generated due to Windows update number KB2778344, administrators must manually uninstall the update from the computer. Microsoft has also recognized the issues with this update, and therefore the KB2778344 has been now rectified by the update 2818604.

How to Enable Legacy Advanced Boot Menu?

To enable legacy advanced boot menu in Windows 8, instructions given below must be followed:

1. Restart the Windows 8 computer.
   
2. Enter into the BIOS setup and configure the system to boot from CD/DVD Drive.
   
3. Save the modified settings in BIOS and reboot the computer.
   
4. Insert Microsoft Windows 8 bootable installation DVD into the optical media drive (CD/DVD Drive).
   
5. When prompted to Press any key to boot from CD or DVD, press any key to boot the computer from DVD support.
   
6. On the displayed Windows Setup box, click Next.
   
7. On the next page, click Repair your computer.
   
8. On Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot.
   
9. On Troubleshoot screen, click Advanced options.
   
10. On Advanced options screen, click Command Prompt.
    
11. On the opened command line interface (CLI), type C: and hit Enter.
    
12. On C: prompt, type BCDEDIT /SET {DEFAULT} BOOTMENUPOLICY LEGACY command, and press Enter to enable legacy advanced boot menu.
    
13. Once the command executed successfully, type EXIT command to close the command line interface.
    
14. Back on the Choose an option screen, click Continue to restart Windows 8 computer.
    
15. Eject Windows 8 installation DVD from the optical media drive when done.
    

Shop Amazon - Off to College - Dorm and Apartment Essentials

Shop Amazon - Off to College - Dorm and Apartment Essentials

How to Repair the Outlook Data PST file with the ScanPST tool

This is a how-to document on the topic of repairing the Outlook Data PST file using the ScanPST tool included with Microsoft Office.

Note: This document assumes that the location of the PST file is known. If it is not known, see thewww.microcentertech.com document titled "How to Find the PST file in Outlook 2010."

1. Close Outlook if it is open.
2. Open up Computer or My Computer.
   
   
3. Open the Local Disk (C:) drive by double-clicking on it.
   
   
4. If the Program Files (x86) folder exists, open that folder. Otherwise, open the Program Files folder.
   
   
   
5. Open the Microsoft Office folder.
   
   
6. Open the highest numbered Office00 folder. In this example there are Office12 and Office14 folders, so the Office14 folder would be the appropriate folder.
   Note: These are numbered this way due to different versions of Office. Office 2007 was known as Office12, and Office 2010 is Office14.
7. Locate and open the Scanpst file on the list.
   
   
8. Click Browse and select the Outlook Data PST file to be repaired.
   
   
9. Click Start to begin the repair process. If prompted to make a backup first, it is recommended to do so.

Windows 7 Developer Shortcuts

[caption id="attachment_179" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Each of the following sixteen lines creates a special pointer to internal system features found in Windows 7."][/caption]

To use these developer shortcuts, create a new folder and copy one of the following items as the folder name. Type or paste the entire line, including the period and data string in the curly braces.The resulting folder name should be just the text that appears before the period. If you want a different name, you can change it as part of the string before copying or just rename it afterwards.

• All Tasks.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}


• Default Location.{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}


• Biometrics.{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}


• Power Settings.{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}


• Notification Area.{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}


• Manage Credentials.{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}


• Get New Programs.{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}


• Default Programs.{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}


• NET Framework Assemblies.{1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}


• Wireless Networks.{1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}


• Network Neighborhood.{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}


• My Computer.{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}


• Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}


• RemoteApp and Desktop.{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}


• Windows Firewall.{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}


• Performance.{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}

How to Roll Back Drivers in Windows 7

This is a how-to article on rolling back device driver updates in Windows 7. This can be useful if there is a device driver update that causes issues with the system.

1. Click on the Start button in the bottom left, then right-click on Computer and select Properties.
   
   
2. On the new System window, click on Device Manager in the top left.
   
   
3. Locate the device on the list. In this case, the graphics card will be used.
   
   
4. Right-click on the device and select Properties.
   
   
5. On the new window that appears, select the Driver tab.
   
   
6. Select the Roll Back Driver option on the list.
   
7. When prompted to confirm, click Yes to confirm the driver roll back.
   
   

Windows 7 File Sharing Essentials

You can share files and folders in several different ways. Windows provides two methods for sharing files from your computer, you can share files from any folder on your computer, or from the Public folder. Which method you use depends on where you want to store the shared folders, who you want to share them with, and how much control you want to have over the files. Either method allows you to share files or folders with someone using your computer or another computer on the same network.

Which sharing method to use
There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to share files from any folder or from the Public folder.

Use any folder for sharing if:

• You prefer to share folders directly from the location where they are stored (typically in your Documents, Pictures, or Music folders) and want to avoid storing them in your Public folder.


• You want to be able to able to set sharing permissions for individuals rather than everyone on your network, giving some people more or less access (or no access at all).


• You share a lot of digital pictures, music, or other large files that would be cumbersome to copy to a separate shared folder. You might not want these files taking up space in two different locations on your computer.


• You frequently create new files or update files that you want to share and don't want to bother copying them to your Public folder.

Use the Public folder for sharing if:

• You prefer the simplicity of sharing your files and folders from a single location on your computer.


• You want to be able to quickly see everything you have shared with others, just by looking in your Public folder.


• You want everything you are sharing kept separate from your own Documents, Music, and Pictures folders.


• You want to set sharing permissions for everyone on your network and don't need to set sharing permissions for
  individuals.


• You want all users of your computer to have access to the files without getting involved in network settings.

Share files from any folder on your computer
Follow these steps to share files from their current location without copying them to another location. Using this method, you can choose the people with whom you want to share files, regardless of whether they use this computer or another computer on the network.

Locate the folder with the files you want to share.

Click one or more files or folders that you want to share, and then, on the toolbar, click Share.

In the File Sharing dialog box, do one of the following:

• Type the name of the person you want to share files with, and then click Add.


• Click the arrow to the right of the text box, click the person's name in the list, and then click Add.


• If you don't see the name of the person you want to share files with in the list, click the arrow to the right of the text box, and then click "Create a new user" to create a new user account so that you can share files with the person using this account.

The name of the person or group that you selected appears in the list of people you want to share files with.

• Note: If password protection is turned on for your computer, the person you are sharing with must have a user account and password on your computer in order to access the files and folders you are sharing. You can turn password protection on or off in the Network and Sharing Center.

Under Permission Level, click the arrow next to each person or group and select sharing permissions:

• A Reader can view shared files, but not add, alter, or delete them.


• A Contributor can view or add shared files, but can only alter or delete files he or she has contributed.


• A Co-owner can view, add, alter or delete any shared file.


• Note: If you are sharing a file instead of a folder, there is no option to set the permission level to Contributor.

When you are finished choosing the people or groups you want to share files with, click Share. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

After you receive confirmation that your folder is shared, you should send a link to your shared files to the people you are sharing them with, so they know the files are shared and how to access them. Do one of the following:

• Click e-mail to automatically open a Windows Mail e-mail message containing the link to your shared files.


• Click copy to automatically copy the link displayed on this screen to the Windows Clipboard. Then open a new e-mail message and paste the link into the message.


• Manually copy and paste the link displayed on this screen into an e-mail message. Right-click the link and click Copy Link. Then open a new e-mail message and paste the link into the message. You might want to do this if you don't use Windows Mail as your e-mail program.


• Note: If you change the name of a file or folder after you have shared it with someone, the previous link you sent them will not work. You should send them a link to the new location instead. An easy way to get this link is to share the file or folder by following the preceding steps.

If you don't want to send an e-mail message to the person you are sharing files with, click Done. They won't be able to find the shared files, however, until you give them the network location of the files.

Share files from the Public folder
When you share files from the Public folder, you don't share them with specific people. Anyone with a user account on this computer can access the Public folder, but you decide whether to allow access to people on your network. You can only grant access to everyone or no one on the network.

You can also turn on password-protected sharing. This limits network access to the Public folder to only those people with a user account and password on your computer. By default, network access to the Public folder is turned off unless you enable it.

To share files from the public folder:

• Copy or move whichever files you want to share to the Public folder or one of its subfolders, such as Public Documents or Public Music.

Your files in the Public folder are now shared with anyone who has access to the Public folder.

What are permissions?

Permissions are rules associated with objects on a computer or network, such as files and folders. Permissions determine if you can access an object and what you can do with it. For example, you might have access to a document on a shared folder on a network but only be able to read the document and not make changes to it. System administrators and users with administrator accounts on computers can assign permissions to individual users or groups.

The following table lists the permission levels that are typically available for files and folders.

Permission level:	Description:
Full control	Users can see the contents of a file or folder, change existing files and folders, create new files and folders, and run programs in a folder.
Modify	Users can change existing files and folders but cannot create new ones.
Read & execute	Users can see the contents of existing files and folders and can run programs in a folder.
Read	Users can see the contents of a folder and open files and folders.
Write	Users can create new files and folders and make changes to existing files and folders.

Notes:

• You can't restrict access to some individual files and folders within the Public Folder but allow access to other files and folders there. If users have access to the Public folder, they will have access to everything in it.


• Security permissions can only be viewed or set from Safe Mode under Windows XP Home.


• You may need to disable "Simple File Sharing" in the file options to access security from the file properties menus.


• When you share files and folders with people using other computers, they can open and view those files and folders just as if they were stored on their own computers. Any changes you allow them to make to a shared file or folder will change the file or folder on your computer. However, you can restrict people to just viewing your shared files, without the ability to change them.