GNVQ ICT - Intermediate

Unit 10 - Networks and Communications

Network Drives

Hyperlinks on the level above: [Home Page for Unit 10] [ Stand-alone computers ] [ LANs ] [ WANs ] [ Standard ways of working ] [ Electronic communications ] [ Advantages and Disadvantages ] [ Using a network ]

Hyperlinks:

On this level:

Network file management
Network Drives

On the level below:

 

Making network drives, folders and files available or hidden for certain users

One important tool for a Network Manager is to use the file and folder attributes to make some files and folders "read only" or even hidden from view.

In Windows 95/98 etc you can see the file attributes when you display the files using Windows Explorer - as shown in the picture below:

Look at the right hand column of the file listing above

A simply stands for "Archive" - this will help when carrying out backups of files on the disk.  It changes when a backup is made so that the system will "know" not to backup the file the next time.

R is for "read only" - users cannot change the file.  It can be opened but not saved.  However, users could open the file, make changes, and then save it with a different filename.  The original file would remain the same.

H is for "hidden" - unless a special setting is used to list ALL files this is one that will not be listed by Explorer.

A Network Manager has many more alternatives than just these three settings.  He or she can make folders accessible only to certain users - eg. administrators or supervisors.  Other folders he can restrict to using as read only.  For example, on the school network at Hyde Tech Drive Y: is read only for students and most staff, but it can be used to save files by some staff.

When you logon to the network certain drives and folders are available to you - some are not.  This is an important management tool for the Network Manager to prevent unauthorised access to parts of the network that contain important applications or sensitive data that cannot be seen or accessed by students.

On a home computer it may be sensible to set up some areas of the hard disk so that only certain users can save or open certain files.

 

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Please email your comments to mail@ictgnvq.org.uk    Created by K C Parry - Please email your comments to kcparry@ictgnvq.org.uk