We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers and 1
Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for this
query). I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of folders/files
recently, and I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Microsoft's
insistence on denying access to some Documents and Settings subfolders
and some Windows subfolders.

Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What can be
done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders and files on
ALL computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer or ZTreeWin or
whatever? I know MS thinks it is protecting us from ourselves, but
there must be some people (like me) who have legitimate reasons for
needing access and are prepared to accept any risks involved.

Lindsay Graham
Canberra, Australia

Lindsay Graham wrote:
> We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers
> and 1 Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for
> this query). I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of
> folders/files recently, and I'm getting increasingly frustrated
> with Microsoft's insistence on denying access to some Documents and
> Settings subfolders and some Windows subfolders.
>
> Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What
> can be done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders
> and files on ALL computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer
> or ZTreeWin or whatever? I know MS thinks it is protecting us from
> ourselves, but there must be some people (like me) who have
> legitimate reasons for needing access and are prepared to accept
> any risks involved.

Are the accounts actually all the same (same actual username and password?)

Change the permissions on all files and folders so that "everyone" has "full
rights".

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

If you are prepared to take the risks then you can grant access to
everything on a computer on all 4 computers by ensuring that the computers
are SHARED on the network. To do this you need to do the following:

1) Double click on My Computer;
2) Right-Click once on C: Drive;
3) Select Properties from the drop down list;
4) Select Sharing tab;
5) You get a message to warn you of the risks. click on it if you
understand it!;
6) In the middle of the new box, there is a check box saying: "Share this
folder on the network". Click on the box;
8) The is another box just below it now became active, click on it as well
so people can change the files and delete the files etc;
9) Click OK
10) Done. Reboot for changes to take place.

hth





"Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers and 1
> Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for this query).
> I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of folders/files recently, and
> I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Microsoft's insistence on denying
> access to some Documents and Settings subfolders and some Windows
> subfolders.
>
> Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What can be
> done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders and files on ALL
> computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer or ZTreeWin or whatever?
> I know MS thinks it is protecting us from ourselves, but there must be
> some people (like me) who have legitimate reasons for needing access and
> are prepared to accept any risks involved.
>
> Lindsay Graham
> Canberra, Australia

Thanks very much for the detailed advice. However, that was done long
ago on each of the computers, and it does not permit access to those
folders that Microsoft deems need protection, eg, C:\Windows and the
Owner identity under C:\Documents and Settings.

Any other thoughts?

Lindsay


On 10 Feb 2010 at 19:30, 20100210 wrote:
> If you are prepared to take the risks then you can grant access to
> everything on a computer on all 4 computers by ensuring that the computers
> are SHARED on the network. To do this you need to do the following:
>
> 1) Double click on My Computer;
> 2) Right-Click once on C: Drive;
> 3) Select Properties from the drop down list;
> 4) Select Sharing tab;
> 5) You get a message to warn you of the risks. click on it if you
> understand it!;
> 6) In the middle of the new box, there is a check box saying: "Share this
> folder on the network". Click on the box;
> 8) The is another box just below it now became active, click on it as well
> so people can change the files and delete the files etc;
> 9) Click OK
> 10) Done. Reboot for changes to take place.
>
> hth
>
> "Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers and 1
>> Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for this query).
>> I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of folders/files recently, and
>> I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Microsoft's insistence on denying
>> access to some Documents and Settings subfolders and some Windows
>> subfolders.
>>
>> Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What can be
>> done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders and files on ALL
>> computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer or ZTreeWin or whatever?
>> I know MS thinks it is protecting us from ourselves, but there must be
>> some people (like me) who have legitimate reasons for needing access and
>> are prepared to accept any risks involved.
>>
>> Lindsay Graham
>> Canberra, Australia
>
>

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
Lindsay Graham <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:

> Thanks very much for the detailed advice. However, that was done long
> ago on each of the computers, and it does not permit access to those
> folders that Microsoft deems need protection, eg, C:\Windows and the
> Owner identity under C:\Documents and Settings.
>
> Any other thoughts?

Add the sole user on each machine to group "Administrators".

.... and please don't top-post, as it makes it difficult to follow your train
of thought.

What about Windows Firewall settings? Go to start, Control Panel, Security
Center, Windows Firewall.

Make sure the settings in the exceptions tab is: File & Printer sharing.

Just ensure there is check mark on the left of this item.

Hope this works.

"Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks very much for the detailed advice. However, that was done long ago
> on each of the computers, and it does not permit access to those folders
> that Microsoft deems need protection, eg, C:\Windows and the Owner
> identity under C:\Documents and Settings.
>
> Any other thoughts?
>
> Lindsay
>
>
> On 10 Feb 2010 at 19:30, 20100210 wrote:
>> If you are prepared to take the risks then you can grant access to
>> everything on a computer on all 4 computers by ensuring that the
>> computers are SHARED on the network. To do this you need to do the
>> following:
>>
>> 1) Double click on My Computer;
>> 2) Right-Click once on C: Drive;
>> 3) Select Properties from the drop down list;
>> 4) Select Sharing tab;
>> 5) You get a message to warn you of the risks. click on it if you
>> understand it!;
>> 6) In the middle of the new box, there is a check box saying: "Share this
>> folder on the network". Click on the box;
>> 8) The is another box just below it now became active, click on it as
>> well so people can change the files and delete the files etc;
>> 9) Click OK
>> 10) Done. Reboot for changes to take place.
>>
>> hth
>>
>> "Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers and 1
>>> Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for this
>>> query). I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of folders/files
>>> recently, and I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Microsoft's
>>> insistence on denying access to some Documents and Settings subfolders
>>> and some Windows subfolders.
>>>
>>> Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What can be
>>> done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders and files on
>>> ALL computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer or ZTreeWin or
>>> whatever? I know MS thinks it is protecting us from ourselves, but there
>>> must be some people (like me) who have legitimate reasons for needing
>>> access and are prepared to accept any risks involved.
>>>
>>> Lindsay Graham
>>> Canberra, Australia
>>

On 10 Feb 2010 at 19:29, Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Lindsay Graham wrote:
>> We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers
>> and 1 Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for
>> this query). I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of
>> folders/files recently, and I'm getting increasingly frustrated
>> with Microsoft's insistence on denying access to some Documents and
>> Settings subfolders and some Windows subfolders.
>>
>> Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What
>> can be done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders
>> and files on ALL computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer
>> or ZTreeWin or whatever? I know MS thinks it is protecting us from
>> ourselves, but there must be some people (like me) who have
>> legitimate reasons for needing access and are prepared to accept
>> any risks involved.
>
> Are the accounts actually all the same (same actual username and password?)
>
> Change the permissions on all files and folders so that "everyone" has "full
> rights".
>

Thanks for the help, Shenan. No, different computers have different
names as Owner. None of the computers have passwords to gain access.

Presumably you mean change the permissions on the folders where access
is denied? (the others are already accessible, presumably because the
C:\ drives have all been shared). At least some of the Documents and
Settings folders have been specifically shared, and I'll go through and
check all computers now. What do you mean "everyone" has "full rights"?
(I'm looking at Win XP computers and I cannot see anything like that,
although I'm aware it looks something like that on Vista computers).

The folder C:\Windows cannot be shared in that manner (the Sharing
dialog box says "All the options on this tab are disabled because this
folder is used by the operating system"). Is there any other way of
doing it? I particularly wanted that access today to copy some font
files from one computer to another.

I don't understand why, when the C:\ drive is shared, all folders of
that drive aren't automatically shared.

Lindsay

On 10 Feb 2010 at 20:34, Greg Russell wrote:
> In news:(E-Mail Removed),
> Lindsay Graham <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>
>> Thanks very much for the detailed advice. However, that was done long
>> ago on each of the computers, and it does not permit access to those
>> folders that Microsoft deems need protection, eg, C:\Windows and the
>> Owner identity under C:\Documents and Settings.
>>
>> Any other thoughts?
>
> Add the sole user on each machine to group "Administrators".
>
> ... and please don't top-post, as it makes it difficult to follow your train
> of thought.
>
>

Greg, how and where do I find the group "Administrators"? I am using
Win XP Home -- is it only in Win XP Pro?

As you'll see, I only top-post in this newsgroup when the person to whom
I'm replying has done so.

Thanks again -- I had not thought to look there, but I have now and File
& Printer Sharing is ticked on every computer. Any other ideas, anybody?

20100210 wrote:
> What about Windows Firewall settings? Go to start, Control Panel, Security
> Center, Windows Firewall.
>
> Make sure the settings in the exceptions tab is: File & Printer sharing.
>
> Just ensure there is check mark on the left of this item.
>
> Hope this works.
>
> "Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Thanks very much for the detailed advice. However, that was done long ago
>> on each of the computers, and it does not permit access to those folders
>> that Microsoft deems need protection, eg, C:\Windows and the Owner
>> identity under C:\Documents and Settings.
>>
>> Any other thoughts?
>>
>> Lindsay
>>
>>
>> On 10 Feb 2010 at 19:30, 20100210 wrote:
>>> If you are prepared to take the risks then you can grant access to
>>> everything on a computer on all 4 computers by ensuring that the
>>> computers are SHARED on the network. To do this you need to do the
>>> following:
>>>
>>> 1) Double click on My Computer;
>>> 2) Right-Click once on C: Drive;
>>> 3) Select Properties from the drop down list;
>>> 4) Select Sharing tab;
>>> 5) You get a message to warn you of the risks. click on it if you
>>> understand it!;
>>> 6) In the middle of the new box, there is a check box saying: "Share this
>>> folder on the network". Click on the box;
>>> 8) The is another box just below it now became active, click on it as
>>> well so people can change the files and delete the files etc;
>>> 9) Click OK
>>> 10) Done. Reboot for changes to take place.
>>>
>>> hth
>>>
>>> "Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> We have a small home network with, at present, 4 Win XP computers and 1
>>>> Vista computer (although the Vista machine can be ignored for this
>>>> query). I've had to do quite a bit of rearranging of folders/files
>>>> recently, and I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Microsoft's
>>>> insistence on denying access to some Documents and Settings subfolders
>>>> and some Windows subfolders.
>>>>
>>>> Each computer has one user only and that user is the Owner. What can be
>>>> done to provide EACH user with full access to ALL folders and files on
>>>> ALL computers, using My Computer or Windows Explorer or ZTreeWin or
>>>> whatever? I know MS thinks it is protecting us from ourselves, but there
>>>> must be some people (like me) who have legitimate reasons for needing
>>>> access and are prepared to accept any risks involved.
>>>>
>>>> Lindsay Graham
>>>> Canberra, Australia
>

"Lindsay Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:#(E-Mail Removed)...
> I am using Win XP Home

In that case try disabling Simple File Sharing, and ensure that each
computer has a user account that is EXACTLY IDENTICAL in setup, WITH A
PASSWORD.