XBMC - Windows 7 Guide to SMB Shares

So, you have now successfully installed XBMC for iOS... (If Not, Click Here for the installation guide)


This Guide will walk you through the steps to add a SMB share from your computer running Windows 7.  SMB shares (aka a shared folder) will allow you to view your movies, listen to mp3's, and view pictures that are currently stored on your PC hard drive; all inside XBMC for iOS.

Introduction



XBMC's library's work best whenfull access to video and audio files is provided to them via an SMB share.However, Microsoft is making it more and more difficult to share using SMB in Windows.You have to turn off Homegroup and change all sorts of settings inside Win 7.  Use thefollowing guide to quickly and easily turn SMB sharing ON in Windows 7.


Preparation


As a initial step, you should be connected to your network.  This can be done by either a WiFi or LAN connection.   Also, when you are first connecting your Windows 7 computer to yournetwork, it will ask if you are connecting to Home, Work, or a Public network.This guide presumes that you selected Home. The same steps SHOULD work if youselected Work. They will almost certainly not work if you selected Public.Also, sometimes you will be asked to be certain if you want to do something oryou will be asked to go up a level in clearance to do something. This guidewas written with the assumption that you have ADMIN privileges.


The Process



Step 1: Click the "Network Internet Access" icon at thebottom right of your screen, next to your clock, speaker icon, and possiblypower icon. Click open the "Network and Sharing Center."


Step 2: Locate and click "Choose homegroup and sharingoptions." You are now on the "Change Homegroup settings" window.In this window, click "Leave the homegroup..." A warning will pop up.Go ahead and click "Leave the homegroup."


Step 3: You are now presented with a page labeled "Share withother home computers running Windows 7." From here click the link"Change advanced sharing settings..."


Step 4: You are now at the "Change sharing options for differentnetwork profiles" page. This is where you are going to do the nittygritty. I'm going to go option by option. Most of these will probably alreadybe configured correctly, but I'll tell you how they should be configured,nonetheless.

Network Discovery: turn on network discovery

File and printer sharing: turn on 

Public folder sharing: Your choice. It can be on or off. 

Media Streaming: By default, this is off. You can turn it on if you want, butit is not why we are here, so I'm going to leave it off for now. 

Password protected sharing: Turn off password protected sharing 

HomeGroup connections: This doesn't really matter, since you already lefthomegroup. However, I allowed Windows to manage my homegroup connections.

This is what your screen should look line when your all done

Step 5: Click Save changes. Now close the window that says"Share with other home computers running Windows 7."


Step 6: Navigate to a folder you want to share. For example, mine are located at F:\TV Shows\Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. First, left click on F:\TV Shows\Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (or whatever your folder is named) tomake sure it is highlighted. Then, right click on the folder. Put your mouseover "Share with" and four options should pop up "Nobody,Homegroup (read), Homegroup (read/write), Specific people." Click"Specific people..."


Step 7: You should now be on a dialog that is entitled "Choosepeople to share with." Your goal is to share the folder with"Everyone." On the dialog there should be a list of people. This listmight include "Administrator," your username, "Guest," and"Everyone." It might only contain a subset of that group. If"everyone" is listed, simply click everyone, then click "Share."Voila, done. If you want to decide whether to keep Everyone as a Reader orchange them to a Reader/Writer (or vice versa), read Step eight.


If Everyone is not listed, click the dropdown arrow next to the "Add"button. "Everyone" should be on the list there. Click it, then clickAdd. If "Everyone" isn't on the dropdown list, you may be able totype "Everyone" in and click Add. Feel free to comment if this is anissue and/or it doesn't work.


Step 8: Once "Everyone" has been added to the list, youhave two choices. You can choose to keep "Everyone" as a Reader only,in which case XBMC would be able to read the files, but could not writeanything into the folder, meaning it could not correct file names or exportnfos and tbns into the folder, if you want that. Or you can choose to changeEveryone to Read/Write, using the drop down arrow on the Everyone line. ThenXBMC can export, but you have to deal with the danger that anyone on thenetwork could change the files.


Once you've made your decision, click "Share."


Step 9: Repeat steps seven and eight for all folders you wish toshare.

All Finished

Now you can add your sources in XBMC without difficulty.  Here is what you should see on your iDevice.

XBMC on iPad - Homescreen

Once you select the "Videos" icon from the home screen, Click on Add Video Source , then click on Browse

Once you have selected browse, then select "Windows Network (SMB)" option.

Find the folder you shared earlier from your Win 7 PC - This pic  is an example of a SMB share of Mickey Mouse Club House that I shared earlier - (they are for my daughter (not myself))... LOL