SMB sharing issue

Howdy folks, I'm playing with my new (and first) Mac and have a small issue which I am SURE is a checkbox SOMEWHERE...

I have done some successful experimentation with the Mac --> Mac sharing, and have moved to Mac --> PC sharing where I hit a hiccup.

I have a folder that is shared on my Macbook. I have confirmed the following:

1) The folder is listed under 'Shared Folders' in Preferences --> Sharing
2) I am implementing AFP and SMB sharing under Preferences --> Sharing --> Options
3) I can ping the Macbook from my Windows PC
4) In Start --> Run I enter: \\<IP ADDRESS>\ and see the public folders of both user accounts on the Mac listed but NOT the new folder that I have created and shared
5) I have restarted both the PC and Mac and confirmed the above again

Any suggestions on why I CAN see my public folders but CANNOT see the new folders I have created and shared?

Thanks for any suggestions your can offer.

Take Care.

Are the folders you are trying to share inside of a another folder? If so, the problem is the folder containing the folder you are trying to share doesn't have correct permissions. I ran into this too.

Hey! Looks like that was it. I put the new folder in the same directory as the public folder and I was able to bring it up on the PC without a problem.

I guess a general inquiry with this having been learned...

Do all folders that are too be shared need to live in the root of my user folder?

I guess thinking about it on a high level, aren't all folders sub-folders of a parent? Is there a folder permission somewhere to tell the OS that there is a shared folder within it? Speaking from the Windows world, you can share any folder, regardless of what root folder they are a child of. Is this NOT congruent with OSX?

Thanks!

Don't move too much stuff around in your home folder, it can screw database libraries that certain iLife apps and other built in apps need. It's what keeps OS X secure, you can share a folder, but if the folder it resides in doesn't have permissions, no go. Viola, no backdoor to let in god knows what!

Yes, you can share any folder on Windows. By default a new share has Read only permissions, but alos you need to ensure the NTFS permissions are set as well to allow other users to see it, they might not be the same as a folder above it or next to it, it will apply the most Restrictive permissions here.
So check the permissions on the Security tab as well.

ErikJenkins1187 said:

you can share a folder, but if the folder it resides in doesn't have permissions, no go. Viola, no backdoor to let in god knows what!

Click to expand...

I understand the concept but am I (again) to assume that only folders that reside in my user home folder are able to be shared? The folder that the shared folder resides in needs to have rights, but does the folder of the folder that contains the shared folder need to have rights? Do you see where I'm going here?

If I have a folder that needs to be shared to Windows PCs, where does that folder need to be created? root of hard drive? home folder? etc...

Thanks again.

You can share out of your home folder, it just can't be a folder within a folder that doesn't have permissions. I have it setup so I can share my iTunes folder for a network shared library for my girlfriends laptop (yes I know you can set it up easier by just having a shared library, but I wanted her to have artwork). In order to do this I needed to share my Music folder in my home folder, then the itunes folder, and finally the iTunes Music folder. After I did that I had no problems!