Help please - Public folder file sharing

J

Justin Thompson

Hi,

Hope you can help.

Two machines on my network, Mine is Vista 64 and my wifes is Vista 32.
My wife machine has

Network descovery on
File sharing on (does NOT say a password is required)
Public folder sharing on (anyone with network access can open, change
and create)

The public folder share property confirms "everyone" has access write
delete access.
and If I ask her machine to show me all shared folders - it shows the
"public" one.

However....

When look in network places on my machine - I see hers, but when I
tray and access I am prompted for password. If I give her machines
Admin password (it used to be my machine) I get in to see and access
the public folder.

Why is the public folder on her machine not accessible without a
password?

Sorry for such a noob question - but it does not seem sensible
behaviour.

Any help appreciated.
 
J

Justin Thompson

Thanks Bob,

Any chance you could elaborate?

As I said in first post - if you look at the "public folder"
properties, "sharing" tab, "Advanced Sharing", "permissions", it
confirms that "everyone" has full control, change, read access.

If you go to the "security" tab as you suggest? it also says that
"everyone" has full control, modify, read and execute... etc

Is there another "security tab" I have missed?

Thanks in advance
Cheers
 
M

Malke

Justin said:
Hi,

Hope you can help.

Two machines on my network, Mine is Vista 64 and my wifes is Vista 32.
My wife machine has

Network descovery on
File sharing on (does NOT say a password is required)
Public folder sharing on (anyone with network access can open, change
and create)

The public folder share property confirms "everyone" has access write
delete access.
and If I ask her machine to show me all shared folders - it shows the
"public" one.

However....

When look in network places on my machine - I see hers, but when I
tray and access I am prompted for password. If I give her machines
Admin password (it used to be my machine) I get in to see and access
the public folder.

Why is the public folder on her machine not accessible without a
password?

Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do not need
to be logged into the same account on all machines and the passwords
assigned to each user account can be different; the accounts/passwords just
need to exist and match on all machines. DO NOT NEGLECT TO CREATE
PASSWORDS, EVEN IF ONLY SIMPLE ONES. If you wish a machine to boot directly
to the Desktop (into one particular user's account) for convenience, you
can do this:

Vista - Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]
Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by
UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the
desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password
for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if
there is no password (null).

Malke
 
J

Justin Thompson

Justin said:
Hi,

Hope you can help.

Two machines on my network, Mine is Vista 64 and my wifes is Vista 32.
My wife machine has

Network descovery on
File sharing on (does NOT say a password is required)
Public folder sharing on (anyone with network access can open, change
and create)

The public folder share property confirms "everyone" has access write
delete access.
and If I ask her machine to show me all shared folders - it shows the
"public" one.

However....

When look in network places on my machine - I see hers, but when I
tray and access I am prompted for password. If I give her machines
Admin password (it used to be my machine) I get in to see and access
the public folder.

Why is the public folder on her machine not accessible without a
password?

Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do not need
to be logged into the same account on all machines and the passwords
assigned to each user account can be different; the accounts/passwords just
need to exist and match on all machines. DO NOT NEGLECT TO CREATE
PASSWORDS, EVEN IF ONLY SIMPLE ONES. If you wish a machine to boot directly
to the Desktop (into one particular user's account) for convenience, you
can do this:

Vista - Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]
Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by
UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the
desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password
for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if
there is no password (null).

Malke

Sorry - that CANT be right... Why do I have to do that? I want a
public folder which anyone who has network access to my LAN can have
access. If a friend comes round and I want to share a file - I want to
just dump it in the public folder so they can pick it up. I dont want
or expect to have to set up accounts.

For the public folder the help says

"Who can access the Public folder?
Everyone with a user account and password on your computer can access
the Public folder, but you decide whether anyone on the network can
access the Public folder. You cannot choose which individuals can
access the Public folder from the network. You must either grant
access to everyone on the network, or to no one."

So I want the latter - to give anyone on my Lan access.... to just
that folder.

So please.... how do I make it "do what it says on the tin" ;-)

Thanks
 
J

Justin Thompson

Justin said:
Hi,

Hope you can help.

Two machines on my network, Mine is Vista 64 and my wifes is Vista 32.
My wife machine has

Network descovery on
File sharing on (does NOT say a password is required)
Public folder sharing on (anyone with network access can open, change
and create)

The public folder share property confirms "everyone" has access write
delete access.
and If I ask her machine to show me all shared folders - it shows the
"public" one.

However....

When look in network places on my machine - I see hers, but when I
tray and access I am prompted for password. If I give her machines
Admin password (it used to be my machine) I get in to see and access
the public folder.

Why is the public folder on her machine not accessible without a
password?

Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do not need
to be logged into the same account on all machines and the passwords
assigned to each user account can be different; the accounts/passwords just
need to exist and match on all machines. DO NOT NEGLECT TO CREATE
PASSWORDS, EVEN IF ONLY SIMPLE ONES. If you wish a machine to boot directly
to the Desktop (into one particular user's account) for convenience, you
can do this:

Vista - Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]
Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by
UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the
desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password
for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if
there is no password (null).

Malke

Sorry - that CANT be right... Why do I have to do that? I want a
public folder which anyone who has network access to my LAN can have
access. If a friend comes round and I want to share a file - I want to
just dump it in the public folder so they can pick it up. I dont want
or expect to have to set up accounts.

For the public folder the help says

"Who can access the Public folder?
Everyone with a user account and password on your computer can access
the Public folder, but you decide whether anyone on the network can
access the Public folder. You cannot choose which individuals can
access the Public folder from the network. You must either grant
access to everyone on the network, or to no one."

So I want the latter - to give anyone on my Lan access.... to just
that folder.

So please.... how do I make it "do what it says on the tin" ;-)

Thanks

P.S. Just to confirm - I have Password protected sharing "off"

This option also seems to confirm my position... that if this is off,
then anyone shoul dhave access as the help says

"You can limit network access to the Public folder to only those
people with a user account and password for this computer. To do this,
turn on password-protected sharing."

So if I dont want that... turn it off, which I have done - but it
still does not allow access without a password.

Cheers
 
B

Bob Lin \(MS-MVP\)

If you use net view \\remotepcname, do you receive a system error? Also you
may want to use icacls to check the permissions. This how to may help.
How to use icacls
The Icacls.exe utility is included in Windows Vista and in Windows
Server 2003 SP2. With Icacls.exe, you can display, modify, backup and
restore the ...
www.howtonetworking.com/vista/useicacls.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
 
G

Gordon

Justin Thompson said:
Sorry - that CANT be right... Why do I have to do that? I want a
public folder which anyone who has network access to my LAN can have
access.

Err but you still have to give them access to your COMPUTER
first......before they can see the Public folder...
 
J

Justin Thompson

Err but you still have to give them access to your COMPUTER
first......before they can see the Public folder...

Errr but then its not public then... is it?

To use a (poor) analogy... its like your local council providing a
public park... and keeping the gates locked all the time... its not
much use as a public park is it?

If you read my post - it refers to the help which says it should be
open to anyone with network access - thats all I am asking for.

Thanks for your help
Cheers
 
G

Gordon

Justin Thompson said:
If you read my post - it refers to the help which says it should be
open to anyone with network access - thats all I am asking for.


Yes I understand that - but you have to GIVE ACCESS to your machine. If you
just connect your machine to other networked computers, no machine
AUTOMATICALLY has access to any other - the access has to be granted first.
The analogy of a public park is fallacious in computing terms.If you re-read
the Help pages about public folders, you will see that access to the machine
on which they reside still has to be granted...
 
J

Justin Thompson

Yes I understand that - but you have to GIVE ACCESS to your machine. If you
just connect your machine to other networked computers, no machine
AUTOMATICALLY has access to any other - the access has to be granted first.
The analogy of a public park is fallacious in computing terms.If you re-read
the Help pages about public folders, you will see that access to the machine
on which they reside still has to be granted...

Im re-reading.... what bit of this have I not understood?

"Who can access the Public folder?
Everyone with a user account and password on your computer can access
the Public folder, but you decide whether anyone on the network can
access the Public folder. You cannot choose which individuals can
access the Public folder from the network. You must either grant
access to everyone on the network, or to no one.
"

The key bit is... "You cannot choose which individuals can access the
Public folder from the network" ... if I have to give them access to
my machine - I am in fact choosing who has access?

By seeting it up as public... with file sharing on.... and no password
required... and on so anyone on network has access...
Surely thats enough to tell windows... "do what you need to do.... but
give them access"!!!! ;-)

Cheers
 
C

Chuck [MVP]

Hi,

Hope you can help.

Two machines on my network, Mine is Vista 64 and my wifes is Vista 32.
My wife machine has

Network descovery on
File sharing on (does NOT say a password is required)
Public folder sharing on (anyone with network access can open, change
and create)

The public folder share property confirms "everyone" has access write
delete access.
and If I ask her machine to show me all shared folders - it shows the
"public" one.

However....

When look in network places on my machine - I see hers, but when I
tray and access I am prompted for password. If I give her machines
Admin password (it used to be my machine) I get in to see and access
the public folder.

Why is the public folder on her machine not accessible without a
password?

Sorry for such a noob question - but it does not seem sensible
behaviour.

Any help appreciated.

Justin,

What is the setting for Password Protected Sharing, and what is the status of
the Guest account, on each computer?

http://networking.nitecruzr.net/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Guest

To make sharing easiest, it is extremely helpful to give all computers the same
level of protection, which generally means the lowest level used by any computer
on the network.

http://networking.nitecruzr.net/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Synchronise
 

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