How to open access to HDD partitions on a home network without organizing a home group that requires password access?

Question

Computer networks

Each time, setting up Windows, I am faced with a proposal to create a home group - a password is issued (different on all computers on the home network), which is then safely forgotten. It's much more convenient to just share partitions on my home computers by going into "Advanced Sharing Options". But how many times I did this - I did not understand the system that allows you to unambiguously achieve a result. It comes to the ridiculous: it seems that the settings are the same for all sections of this HDD, but one section is shared and visible over the network, the other is not. Tell us in what positions to put the following settings:
Enable / disable network discovery, file and printer sharing, password protected sharing.
Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections.
Use 128-bit encryption, or Enable sharing for devices with 40/56-bit encryption.
Well, and others related to the case. Of course, the checkbox in the "Access" tab of the section properties is checked.
UPD: I climbed into the intrigues of the answer to the pages of the MS site, but there the answers are too puzzlingly worded. Here I hope for a clearer explanation.

Answer 1

It seems that he himself managed to find the answer to his own question.
I had to painstakingly compare the difference in security settings, and it turned out that the shared partitions in the list of user groups have the "Everyone" group, while the non-shared ones do not have it, but there is the "Authenticated" group. Deleted this group, added "All" (it just won't work, you need to "Change", then "Add", "Advanced", "Search", and select from the drop-down list below), gave it "Full access", went to another computer and found that this section is now shared on the home network.

Answer 2

On windows 7, everything is here - network and sharing center - change advanced sharing settings. You do everything there.
Give a user access to PC network resources - create this user on your PC with the same password.

Answer 3

it's easier to use a crutch from MS, create a homegroup once, replace the proposed password with a simpler one, like "123456789" and don't bother with it. bring all computers to the home group and use all the balls from any computer.

Answer 4

It's most likely a Windows version issue. Shares work most reliably and are easily configured in Professional editions and later. And you most likely are talking about Home versions, well, or Home Extended. This is if in 7-ke. In 8-ke there are slightly different names, but the essence is the same. And some of the actions described in the answers are simply not applicable in them.
Unfortunately, I had to deal with completely inexplicable situations when Home Windows, for some reason of its own desires, either connected to a shared resource, or suddenly didn’t.
So most likely using a homegroup is the better way.