Best approach for sharing files between Windows computers on LAN

Question

I've read a tons of solutions for sharing files between Windows computers, but I would like to know what is the best one for my case. Hope someone else will also gain from this.

I would like to share music and movies between my flatmates on our LAN, I would like the "connection" to sharing folder to be the most simple, but also I don't want to share anything on other network (ie. other LAN where I connect).

I can use Homegroups, where I believe I won't have to create a local account on my computer where the shared folders will be, because they will just connect with Homegroup password. In homegroup I can share for example C:\Users\Public\Movies.

But when I did that I found that in shared folders I share also the whole C:\Users\ I don't want to share anything on other lans (i know that other people won't have NTFS permissions so they won't be able to access my files, but still it is an "open share")

I can also use Folder Sharing, create a new share (probably hidden share with $), add Permissions for Everyone and then every friend of mine will connect to this share.

But I believe I would have to create another local account at my computer for the purpose of logging into remote share (that Everyone token) and my friends will use this for connect. Can I somehow restrict this account to localy login to my computer (ie. I don't want anyone to be able to physically login to the PC and use it, they can use the account just for remote sharing)?

So which one of these is better?

Answer 1

Homegroups are not so secure as Folder sharing. I'm not able to set needed security permissions and there has to be the whole C:\Users\ shared.

The best option is to use Folder sharing. To have it completely secure it's good to create a hidden share ($ at the end of the share folder name) and to add a new user which will be used to login into the share. The new user shouldn't be a part of "Users" group. This way he won't be able to log in to Windows locally (some other fixes at: Local Security Policy may be needed). But you've got to add permissions to this user (or some new group he is in) for the shared folder in order to grant the user access to that folder.