Windows 7 - How to enable files and folders sharing

In this tutorial I would like to help Windows 7 users who migrated to 7 straight from Windows XP, how to join a network and share files and folders on the network.

First of all you need a Windows 7 computer connected to a local area network. Network computers must be on the same workgroup so you can easily share files and folders between them.
To join the workgroup in your local network:

Open the Start menu and then right click Computer and choose Properties:

In the Properties window navigate to Computer name, domain and workgroup settings and click Change Settings:

A new window will appear. Here you can enter a brief descriprion of your computer (optionally). To join a workgroup click on Change button:

In the new window enter you computer's name and the workgroup's name and click Ok.

A welcome to the workgroup message will appear and click Ok. Then a warning message will pop up and click Ok to close it. Now click Close on the System Properties window and restart your computer.

Now your computer is on a Workgroup in your local area network but due to Windows 7 default network settings your computer is not yet ready to share files and folders. To enable file sharing you must:

Open Control Panel from the Start button and then go to Network and Sharing Center:

In the Network and Sharing Center window click on Change Advanced Sharing Settings from the left panel:

 To enable file sharing and make you computer discoverable on the network make sure you check the settings like in the picture below:

Restart computer for all the changes to take effect.