Share an existing notebook (Windows Vista)

Shared notebooks let multiple users take and view notes together in one notebook. The New Notebook Wizard in Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 conveniently guides you through the creation of new shared notebooks. However, to share an existing notebook on your computer, you first need to connect your computer to a network and configure the security settings in Windows Vista.

OneNote notebooks appear as folders when you view them in Windows Vista. To share a notebook folder with others, you must specify who will be able to access it. This article takes you through the required steps.

What do you want to do?

Share an existing notebook on your computer

Stop sharing a notebook on your computer

Share an existing notebook on your computer

For you to share a notebook that is located on your computer's hard disk drive, your computer must be connected to a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), in your home, at your workplace, or at your school.

Note: Your shared notebook will be available to others only when your computer is turned on. Therefore, we recommend that you avoid setting up a shared notebook on a computer that is frequently turned off.

Step 1: Locate the notebook folder

1. In OneNote, open or navigate to the notebook that you want to share.

2. On the File menu, click Notebook Properties.

3. In the Notebook Properties dialog box, note the Path. This is the location of the notebook folder on your computer's hard disk drive. Memorize this location or write down the full path.

4. Click Cancel to close the Notebook Properties dialog box.

5. On the File menu, click Exit to exit OneNote.

Step 2: Set the network permissions for the notebook you want to share

Each user with whom you want to share access to the notebook on your computer must have a user account and password on the same network as you.

1. In Windows Vista, click the Start button , and then click Documents.

2. In the Documents folder, open the OneNote Notebooks folder. This is where OneNote typically stores all of your notebook folders. If the folder of a particular notebook that you want to share is located elsewhere on your computer, navigate to its correct location.

3. Click the folder of the notebook that you want to share, and then click Share on the menu bar. The File Sharing dialog box opens.

   

4. In the File Sharing dialog box, do one of the following:

   • To share your notebook with everyone on your network, click the arrow to the right of the text box, and then click Everyone.

   • To share your notebook with a specific user or group of people, type the name of the user or group, and then click Add. Repeat this for every user or group that you want to add to your permissions list.

   • To find specific users on your network before adding them, click the arrow to the right of the text box, and then click Find. Type the name of the person you want to share files with, click Check Names, and then click OK.

5. When the name of the user or group that you selected appears in the file-sharing list, click the arrow next to the permission level for that user or group, and then do one of the following:

   • Click Reader to allow this user or group to view your notebook. Users at this level cannot modify or delete information in your shared notebook.

   • Click Contributor to allow this user or group to view, add, change, or delete information in your shared notebook.

   • Click Co-owner to allow this user or group to view, change, add, and delete files in the shared folder.

     Warning: If you don't have password-protected file sharing turned on, and you choose Everyone or Guest from the list of people to share your files with, anyone who has access to your network will be able to access the shared folder. Assigning a permission level of Co-owner or Contributor for the Everyone group or the Guest user account is, therefore, not recommended if you are on a large corporate or school network. For more information, click Tell me about different ways to share in Windows in the Windows Vista File Sharing dialog box.

6. When you finish choosing the people or groups that you want to share files with, click Share. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for User Account Control confirmation, type the password or provide the confirmation to continue.

7. Click Done to exit the File Sharing dialog box.

Step 3: Notify users about your shared notebook

After you grant other users permission to view or edit your shared notebook, you can notify them about its availability by sending them a link to the notebook. OneNote can automatically create an e-mail message that points the recipients to the correct location.

1. In OneNote, open the shared notebook. (On the File menu, point to Open, and then click Notebook.)

2. On the Share menu, click Send Shared Notebook Link to Others.

3. In the e-mail message that OneNote creates, specify the recipients, add any additional information you want to include, and then send the message.

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Stop sharing a notebook on your computer

1. In Windows Vista, click the Start button , and then click Documents.

2. In the Documents folder, open the OneNote Notebooks folder. If the folder of a particular notebook that you want to stop sharing is located elsewhere on your computer, navigate to its correct location.

3. Click the folder of the notebook you are currently sharing, and then click Share on the menu bar.

4. In the File Sharing dialog box, click Stop Sharing.

   

5. When the confirmation message You have stopped sharing the selected folder appears, click Done.

   Tip: To make sure your notebook is no longer visible on the network, test the connection from another computer.

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