---
title: "1040 - Installing Desktop 1040 on a Network (Peer-to-Peer Network)"
canonical: "https://support.crosslinktax.com/space/CSC/1869283818/1040%20-%20Installing%20Desktop%201040%20on%20a%20Network%20(Peer-to-Peer%20Network)"
format: markdown
---
> ℹ️ This page explains how to share the desktop software from the main computer/server to other computers (workstations) over the Peer-to-Peer network.

---

## 📘 Instructions

**Important: **Make sure that the main computer and the workstation(s) must be connected to the same network and set with Private network.

[https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/essential-network-settings-and-tasks-in-windows-f21a9bbc-c582-55cd-35e0-73431160a1b9](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/essential-network-settings-and-tasks-in-windows-f21a9bbc-c582-55cd-35e0-73431160a1b9)

![image-20260113-013343.png](media://fdf8f6d5-cf75-4e15-86ea-2043927a05ff)

### **Step 1:** **Create local Windows user account on Main/host computer**

1. On the main computer,​​​​​​​ open Settings App, select **Accounts **> **Other user**
2. Under **Add other user**, select **Add account**
3. Select the option **I don't have this person's sign-in information and **select the option **Add a user without a Microsoft account.**
4. Enter “tax” for Username
5. Let customer enter their own password
6. Let customer set their own security questions and answers
7. Click Next to add the local Windows account

 

### Step 2: Share the software from main computer

1. On the main computer, open the **File Explorer** application.

*This is the yellow folder icon typically found on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.*

2. Browse to where the software is located. By default, this is the **C:** drive (unless a different install location was designated.)
3. Right-click on the xlink## folder.
4. Click on **Show more options** (if on Windows 11)
5. Click on **Share with **or **Give access to** → **Specific People…**
6. On the search bar, enter **tax** and click **Add**.
7. On the ‘Permission Level’ column, click on Read and change it to **Read/Write** for 'tax'.
8. Click on **Share**.
9. This will share the xlink## folder so that it can be accessed on the network.
10. Note down the share network path (\\COMPUTER-NAME\xlink##) and click **Done**

** **

### **Step 3: Access the software from the workstation**

1. **Reboot the computer**
2. **Add network credential**
  1. Click Search on the task bar and type Credential Manager
  2. Click Windows Credentials and click Add Windows Credential
  3. Enter the network path for the main computer, the local Windows user account that was created from Step 1 and the password
  4. Click OK to Save.
3. Open the **File Explorer **application.
4. Type the main computer’s UNC path and press enter

4. Double-click on the **xlink##** folder.
5. Scroll down and look for the xlink32.exe application.
6. Right-click on the **xlink32.exe** application.
7. Click on **Show more options** (if on Windows 11)
8. Click on **Send to** → **Desktop (create shortcut)**.
9. This will create a shortcut on the Desktop called ‘**xlink32.exe - Shortcut**’.
10. Right-click on the shortcut and click **Rename **(or **Show more options → Rename**.)
11. Rename the shortcut to identify the appropriate year and press **Enter**.
12. Double-click on the tax software shortcut.
13. This should start launching the desktop tax software and bring up the login screen.

> ℹ️ More information on how to share a file/folder can be found here: <u>[File sharing over a network in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/file-sharing-over-a-network-in-windows-b58704b2-f53a-4b82-7bc1-80f9994725bf)</u>.