Auto authentication for WinXP Home

[Admin]

I have a home server with SMB (Samba) shares. On a WinXP Home box one user
account automatically authenticates username and password and maps to the
network drive.

However in the other account, the user is forced to enter a username and
password in order to access the share (i.e. the share is not mapped
automatically using the login username and password). Is this a limitation
of XP Home? If not, how do I get this account to authenticate
automatically like the other account?

 

[Chuck]

I have a home server with SMB (Samba) shares. On a WinXP Home box one user
account automatically authenticates username and password and maps to the
network drive.

However in the other account, the user is forced to enter a username and
password in order to access the share (i.e. the share is not mapped
automatically using the login username and password). Is this a limitation
of XP Home? If not, how do I get this account to authenticate
automatically like the other account?

XP Home doesn't cache authentication to other servers, like XP Pro does. I
would guess that the one account (that isn't forced to enter authentication) is
mirrored for network access on the server.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#NonGuest>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#NonGuest

So mirror the problem account, for network access, on the server.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Help>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Help

 

[Admin]

I'm afraid I don't understand "mirrored for network access on the server".
The server is Samba which is a linux based SMB server which approximates to
a Windows NT serer. I have another WinXP Pro client on the network that
has two accounts and neither has a problem with authentication to the
server on login.

Are you saying that for WinXP Home, only one account will able to be
automatically authenticated? If so... time for another WinXP Pro licence -
pricey for a home user!

 

[Chuck]

I'm afraid I don't understand "mirrored for network access on the server".
The server is Samba which is a linux based SMB server which approximates to
a Windows NT serer. I have another WinXP Pro client on the network that
has two accounts and neither has a problem with authentication to the
server on login.

Are you saying that for WinXP Home, only one account will able to be
automatically authenticated? If so... time for another WinXP Pro licence -
pricey for a home user!

A WinXP Home server uses Guest authentication. The Guest account must be
activated for network use. A WinXP Pro server may use Guest, or a non-Guest,
authentication.

A WinXP Pro client will cache an authentication token (remember non-Guest
authentication), but a WinXP Home client won't.

You need to understand the differences between Guest and non-Guest
authentication, and between Simple and Advanced File Sharing. Then you need to
know how your clients, and your server, are setup. It's all explained in my
tutorial. Samba will follow similar rules, though you may have to translate the
terminology.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html

 

[Admin]

This is very helpful. Thanks.

A WinXP Home server uses Guest authentication. The Guest account must be
activated for network use. A WinXP Pro server may use Guest, or a
non-Guest, authentication.

A WinXP Pro client will cache an authentication token (remember non-Guest
authentication), but a WinXP Home client won't.

You need to understand the differences between Guest and non-Guest
authentication, and between Simple and Advanced File Sharing. Then you
need to
know how your clients, and your server, are setup. It's all explained in
my
tutorial. Samba will follow similar rules, though you may have to
translate the terminology.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html