file share with homegroup

Hello I just tried a new approach to the above. Instead of clicking "share" and specifying who will be shared with, I just used the laptop and went to Computer>homegroup(desk)>began typingon the laptop in an existing word document existing in the desktop and the typing appeared in the desktop. It can't be that easy. Before i was clicking on share and clicking upon the homegroup with just about each move. Many times i would get an error message that it is a read only file and cannot be used. After rambling, the question about homegroups is, once you have clicked who you want to share with, can you just type upon one machine and the same document in the other rmachine will be accepting the same changes? I came back to edit b/c I just tried to write on a file in the desktop which also exists in the laptop but instead of changing a box appeared with three options one being do I wish it to be a read only file? I kep making the same error -whatam i doing wrong?

you only have to specify share a folder once, after that you can enter and read/write to anything inside it at any time.

now for the files/folders inside the shared folder, if you've set the permissions to read only then you will not be able to make any changes just read it.

if you want to make changes you have to make the files/folders permissions read/write.

not having any windows systems running i can't give you exact step by step details, but here's a couple of links.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows…ring-essentials (don't forget to follow the links in the page to get more information if needed)

http://www.windows7.cc/windows7-news/how-l…r-in-windows-7/

Thank you for the two referrals. Whati have to figure out is why I sometimes get the box with the 3 choices telling me that the other pc has not allowed me to read/write. It seems I follow steps and can do it somtimes but going the other way causes the issue.

at a guess i'd say your putting a file into the shared folder on the desktop from the laptop, so then that file can then be read and written to from both the desktop and the laptop, because the file is on the desktop it will have write permissions to everything put into it's shared folder. now if you put a file into that shared folder from the desktop you'd be able to only read it from the laptop unless you've specified the permissions to be read/write by anyone when you created the file. the same thing would apply when putting a file into the shared folder on the laptop from the desktop, you'd be able to read/write to it from both machines because the laptop has write permissions to anything in it's shared folder but if you put a file into it's shared folder from the laptop itself then the desktop will only be able to read it unless you've made the file read/write by anyone. might not be 100% accurate but that's what i think is happening, you just need to understand a bit more about file permissions,who(which machine) owns the file, and what the defaults are for each file/folder/machine.

I think you have articulated my inability accurately. Reading your explanation again and again while experimenting will help me get this system to 'sink in'. I have to understand who the boss is so to speak. I'll be back with a resolve. It really is handy as I saved a lot of time the other day writing into a common file thereby keeping both docs current. It avoided having to use a flash drive.Thanx again for the time.