File Sharing between XP Pro and XP Home

[Guest]

I have a few questions concerning file sharing between XP Pro and XP Home in
a Workgroup environment. I would really appreciate any help.

1)From what I'm gathering on the internet (I've read multiple articles) you
cannot even connect a Windows XP Home computer to a domain. I'm I
interpreting this correctly?

2)I have a new server with XP Pro and 5 other computers with XP Home. I
only have 3 computers (which includes the new XP Pro server) that really
need access to everything (or the main folders) on the server. The other 3
computers need limited access. If I purchase XP Pro for just the 2 computers
that need access to everything then I set up the folders to only allow access
to those computers can I accomplish special file/folder permissions just for
the 3 XP Pro computers without without having to purchase XP Pro for all the
computers? The computers that need limited server access might be able to
see the folders in network places but it doesn't matter as long as they
cannot access the folders. This would still be in a workgroup instead of a
domain. Would this work to allow only my XP Pro systems the full access and
have my XP Home systems with only limited access?

3. If I decide to purchase XP Pro for all my computers and set up a domain
is this a difficult task knowing I already have a workgroup established.

Thanks!

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

These groups are for the support of Windows Defender, but we can answer some
more general questions as well.
(interspersed)

I have a few questions concerning file sharing between XP Pro and XP Home
in
a Workgroup environment. I would really appreciate any help.

1)From what I'm gathering on the internet (I've read multiple articles)
you
cannot even connect a Windows XP Home computer to a domain. I'm I
interpreting this correctly?

Not quite. An XP Home machine can connect to a domain fine, it just cannot
JOIN the domain--i.e. become a managed part of a set of machines governed by
group policy, for example. Additionally, domain passwords are not cached on
an XP home machine, and will need to be re-entered at each logon or
connection. So--an XP Home machine can be used to connect to a domain for
occasional work, or from home--but isn't suited to permanent connection to a
domain--i.e. full time use in a domain environment.

2)I have a new server with XP Pro and 5 other computers with XP Home. I
only have 3 computers (which includes the new XP Pro server) that really
need access to everything (or the main folders) on the server. The other 3
computers need limited access. If I purchase XP Pro for just the 2
computers
that need access to everything then I set up the folders to only allow
access
to those computers can I accomplish special file/folder permissions just
for
the 3 XP Pro computers without without having to purchase XP Pro for all
the
computers? The computers that need limited server access might be able to
see the folders in network places but it doesn't matter as long as they
cannot access the folders. This would still be in a workgroup instead of a
domain. Would this work to allow only my XP Pro systems the full access
and
have my XP Home systems with only limited access?

A domain involves a server level OS--i.e. Windows Server 2003, for example.
So--even though you consider your XP Pro machine a "server"--you needn't
think about domain versus workgroup issues in the scenario as you've
outlined it.

In a domain, there is a centralized logon credential resource shared by all
machines. In a workgroup, credentials are separately defined on each
machine. I believe you can accomplish what you intend with either XP Home
or XP pro on the "workstation" machines, but I'll confess to some
uncertainty, having not worked with XP Home extensively.

3. If I decide to purchase XP Pro for all my computers and set up a domain
is this a difficult task knowing I already have a workgroup established.

You can't do this---a domain would require Windows Server 2003--so don't
worry about it! You should ask these questions in an XP-related newsgroup
to get a second opinion, but I believe that if you turn off "simple file
sharing" on the XP Pro "server"--you'll be able to accomplish what you want.