Public 文件夹(Public folder)最初是在Windows Vista中引入的，此后它出现在每个版本的Windows中。这不是一个很大的功能 - 只是一个具有稍微特殊设置的文件夹，在某些情况下可能很有用。为了帮助您了解公用文件夹(Public folder)是什么、如何使用它以及何时使用它，我们创建了本指南，其中解释了您需要了解的重要信息。
什么是Windows中的(Windows)公用文件夹(Folder)？
Public 文件夹位于所有Windows版本中的"C:\Users\Public"在Windows(Windows)中注册的所有用户帐户都可以访问它。这就是为什么它被命名为Public。所有用户都可以完全访问"C:\Users\Public"中的任何文件和文件夹。
根据您的网络共享设置，属于同一网络的所有其他计算机和设备也可以访问此文件夹及其内容。
公共文件夹里面有什么？
默认情况下，Public 文件夹(Public folder)包含以下子文件夹：Public Documents、Public Downloads、Public Music、Public Pictures和Public Videos。根据您使用的Windows版本，这些文件夹可能包含示例文件，例如音乐、图片和视频。Windows 7就是这种情况，但在Windows 8中，所有这些文件夹都是空的。
Public 文件夹(Public folder)还包含一系列隐藏文件夹：Favorites（仅在Windows 7中存在）、Libraries、Public Account Pictures（仅在Windows 8中存在）和Public Desktop。默认情况下，这些文件夹在所有版本的Windows中都是空的。
公共(Public) 文档(Documents)、公共音乐(Public Music)、公共(Public) 图片(Pictures)和公共视频(Public Videos)也是Windows中标准库的一部分。因此(Therefore)，您放置在其中的任何内容都可以通过Windows轻松访问和索引，以实现快速文件搜索。
如果您不打算使用这些公共(Public)文件夹，可以从您的库中删除它们。要了解有关使用库的更多信息，请阅读本教程：如何使用库管理文件和文件夹(Files and Folders)组(Groups)。
如何使用公用文件夹
此文件夹的主要用途是在同一台计算机上的用户帐户之间或与网络上的其他计算机和设备快速共享文件和文件夹。
使用公用文件夹(Public folder)是一个选择和个人风格的问题。我不想使用它，但这并不意味着它不能派上用场。例如，如果您有多个人使用同一台计算机，每个人都有自己的用户帐户(user account)，您可以使用公共文件夹在所有这些(Public folder)用户帐户(user account)之间共享文件。所有其他(Everything)用户帐户(user account)都可以访问您放置在此文件夹中的所有内容。你们每个人都可以对任何文件进行编辑，一旦保存，它们就可供所有其他用户帐户使用(user account)。
公共文件夹(Public folder)还可用于与网络上的其他计算机共享文件。如果您选择共享此文件夹，其他计算机可以访问其内容。这在与非 Microsoft 操作系统共享文件时尤其有用。由于您不能让他们加入家庭组(Homegroup)，为了方便共享，公共文件夹(Public folder)可以快速运行，无需任何特殊设置。
如何共享/取消共享公用文件夹(Public Folder)
要启用或禁用此文件夹的共享，您需要打开“高级共享设置”("Advanced sharing settings")面板。
然后，在公用文件夹共享(Public folder sharing)部分进行所需的设置。要了解如何在Windows 7中执行此操作，请阅读我们关于如何(How)在Windows 7中自定义网络共享设置(Network Sharing Settings)的指南。
结论
许多人忽略了公共文件夹(Public folder)，包括我自己。但这是因为我没有与他人共享我的工作计算机(work computer)，我也不需要使用它。在您家庭的台式计算机(desktop computer)或工作计算机上(work computer)，此文件夹非常方便。因此，如果可以从中获得生产力的任何好处，请不要犹豫使用它。
Simple Questions: What is the Public Folder & How to Use it?
The Public folder was first introduced in Windows Vista and it has appeared in every version of Windows since. It is not much of a feature - just a folder with a slightly special setup that can be useful in certain ѕcenarios. To help you understand what the Public folder is, how to use it, and when it is useful to use it, we created thіs guide which explains the importаnt bits you need to know.
What is the Public Folder in Windows?
The Public folder is located in "C:\Users\Public", in all Windows versions. All user accounts registered in Windows have access to it. That's why it is named Public. Any file and folder found in "C:\Users\Public" is completely accessible to all users.
Depending on your network sharing settings, this folder and its content can also be accessed by all other computers and devices that are part of the same network.
What Is Inside the Public Folder?
By default, the Public folder contains the following subfolders: Public Documents, Public Downloads, Public Music, Public Pictures, and Public Videos. Depending on the version of Windows you are using, these folders may contain sample files such as music, pictures, and videos. This is the case for Windows 7 but, in Windows 8, all these folders are empty.
The Public folder also contains a series of hidden folders: Favorites (existing only in Windows 7), Libraries, Public Account Pictures (existing only in Windows 8) and Public Desktop. By default, these folders are empty in all versions of Windows.
Public Documents, Public Music, Public Pictures and Public Videos are also part of the standard libraries found in Windows. Therefore, anything you place inside them is easily accessible and indexed by Windows in order to allow fast file searching.
These Public folders can be removed from your libraries, if you don't plan to use them. To learn more about working with libraries, read this tutorial: How to Use Libraries for Managing Groups of Files and Folders.
How to Use the Public Folder
The main use for this folder is to quickly share files and folders between user accounts on the same computer or with other computers and devices on the network.
Using the Public folder is a matter of choice and personal style. I prefer not to use it but this doesn't mean it cannot come in handy. For example, if you have multiple people using the same computer, each person with his own user account, you can use the Public folder to share files between all these user accounts. Everything you place inside this folder will be accessible to all the other user accounts. Each of you can make edits to any file and, once saved, they are available to all other user accounts.
The Public folder can also be used for sharing files with other computers on your network. If you choose to share this folder, other computers can access its contents. This can be useful especially when sharing files with non-Microsoft operating systems. Since you cannot have them join the Homegroup, for easy sharing, the Public folder works quickly and without any special setup.
How to Share/Unshare the Public Folder
To enable or disable the sharing of this folder, you need to open the "Advanced sharing settings" panel.
Then, make the settings you want in the Public folder sharing section. To learn how to do this in Windows 7, read our guide on How to Customize Network Sharing Settings in Windows 7.
Conclusion
Many people ignore the Public folder including myself. But that's due to the fact that I am not sharing my work computer with others and I don't really need to use it. On your family's desktop computer or on a work computer, this folder can be quite handy. Therefore, don't hesitate to use it, if there is any benefit in productivity to be gained from it.
