Accessing the shared company file from Windows workstations

Networking company files > Accessing the shared company file from Windows workstations

Workstations are Windows computers that access a company file stored on another computer, referred to as a host computer. Accessing the remote company file folder on the host requires you to complete these procedures for each Windows workstation on the local area network (LAN). This process is also known as mapping network drives.

When you are able to access the company file folder containing the shared company file, you can create a desktop shortcut to the file. Clicking the shortcut starts your software and opens the shared company file.

To access a shared folder on Windows 7 or Vista

1	Display the available networks:

▪	Windows 7: Select Computer from the Windows start menu. In the window that appears, select Networks.

▪	Windows Vista: Select Network from the Windows start menu.

The available networks appear in the window.

2	Display the host computer’s files in the window and locate the Company_Files folder.

note : Access may be password protected

If a password is required to access the shared company file folder, a window will request you to enter a user name and password when you attempt to access it.

3	Right-click the Company_Files folder and click Map Network Drive. The Map Network Drive window appears.

4	Accept the proposed drive letter or choose another, select the Reconnect at logon option, and click Finish. If access to the folder is password protected, a logon window may appear. If so, type the password and click OK.

In Windows Explorer, the Company_Files folder now appears as a network drive under Computer. For example, you might see the shared folder listed as Company_Files on 'Hongs-pc' (V:).

5	Open the shared Company_Files folder. You should be able to see the shared company file in it.

To access a shared company file folder on other Windows versions

note : Access may be password protected

If a password is required to access the shared company file folder, a window will request you to enter a user name and password when you attempt to access it.

1	In Windows Explorer, open Network Neighborhood (or My Network Places).

2	Locate the host computer on which the shared company file folder was created.

If a Connect to hostName window appears, complete the User Name and Password fields, click the Remember my password option and click OK. You should now be able to see the Company_Files folder.

note : Navigating network folders may not be necessary

In some versions of Windows, depending how the network access is set up, all networked computers may be visible in Network Neighborhood (My Network Places) without you needing to navigate network folders.

3	Right-click the Company_Files folder and choose Map Network Drive.

4	In the Map Network Drive window (or wizard), accept the proposed drive letter or choose another, select the Reconnect at logon option, and click OK (Finish). If access to the folder is password protected, a logon window may appear. If so, type the password and click OK.

In Windows Explorer, the Company_Files folder now appears as a network drive under My Computer. For example, you might see the shared folder listed as Company_Files on 'Hongs-pc' (V:).

5	Open the shared Company_Files folder. You should be able to see the shared company file in it.

To open your company file from a shortcut

A fast way to start your software and open a company file is to put a shortcut to the program and company file on the Windows desktop. Then you only have to double-click the shortcut to be up and running.

note : Don’t create a shortcut only to the company file

If you are knowledgeable about shortcuts, you might be tempted to create just a shortcut to the company file. Unfortunately, there are not enough letter combinations to ensure that the .myo file extension is unique to your software. So, double-clicking a shortcut just to a company file might start another program that works with a different kind of .myo file.

1	Right-click an empty area of the desktop and choose New and then Shortcut. The Create Shortcut wizard appears.

2	Type the path to your software program file (Myobp.exe) in the Command line field (or in the Type the location of the item field) and click Next. Alternatively, you can click Browse and navigate to and select the program file, then click Next.

3	On the next page, either accept the proposed name for the shortcut or type your preferred name in the Select a name for the shortcut field (or the Type a name for this shortcut field), and click Finish.

4	Right-click the new shortcut and choose Properties. The shortcut name Properties window appears.

5	Click the Shortcut tab. The Target field shows the location of your program you entered in step 2, for example, C:\Premier19\Myobp.exe.

6	[Windows XP users only] Enclose the location of the program file in double quotation marks ("), for example, "C:\Premier19\Myobp.exe" .

7	In the Target field, type a space after the program location, then type the location of the company file, including the .myo file extension.

[Windows XP users only] The path to this location should also be enclosed in its own quotation marks, for example,
"C:\Premier19\Myobp.exe" "V:\Clearwtr.myo" .

8	Copy the location of the company file from the Target field, minus the name of the company file, and paste it into the Start in field, for example, “V:\” , as shown below.

Note that there should be no quotation marks in Windows 7 or Vista.

9	Click OK to close the shortcut name Properties window.

10	Double-click the shortcut on the desktop to test it. Your software should start on this workstation and immediately open the specified company file, whether it is stored on a remote host or this workstation.

11	Repeat from step 1 on each workstation that needs access to the company file.