How to circumvent Access Denied?

[Lindsay Graham]

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

 

[Shenan Stanley]

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".

 

[20100210]

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]

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

 

[Greg Russell]

In

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.

 

[20100210]

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]

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

 

[Lindsay Graham]

In

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.

 

[Lindsay Graham]

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?

 

[Gordon]

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.

 

[Greg Russell]

In

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

I'm sorry that I can't answer that question for you, as we've never used the
"Home" versions here, but in "Professional" it's Control Panel ->
Administrative Tools -> Computer Management (Local) -> System Tools -> Local
Users and Groups -> Groups -> Administrators -> Add (button) ...

There are no doubt other routes to the Groups functionality.

 

[John Wunderlich]

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

OK. Here's the story.

1) You say that your computers have XP Home. This being the case, you
cannot disable "Simple File Sharing". Simple File Sharing is enforced
for XP Home. (FYI: If you had XP Pro, the answer to your problem would
be trivial)

2) One feature of "Simple File Sharing" is that *any* network
connection to the file system authenticates as the user "Guest".
Therefore, *all* access to files and folders is that of the Guest user.

3) Refer to the document "How to configure file sharing in Windows XP"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304040>
File accessibility over the network by a non-owner or non-administrator
(e.g. "Guest") is through "Level 4" (read only) or "Level 5"
(Read/Write). Thus, according to the access chart, any file you wish
to access over the network must be a Level 4 or Level 5 file/folder.

4) By default, Windows assigns certain folders to Level 2. Among these
folders is every folder in the "C:\Documents and Sharing" folder, the
"C:\Program Files" folder, and the "C:\Windows" folder. A Guest user
on the network cannot connect through these folders (although
sometimes other folders under these folders can be shared).

5) Bottom Line: I believe that I read somewhere that using the
"cacls.exe" program, permissions might be modified to allow access like
you desire for the Guest user, but AFAIAC that's a exercise for the
student. Otherwise, the more straightforward solution to your problem
would be to upgrade to XP Pro and disable Simple File Sharing.

HTH,
John

 

[mm]

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.

Don't be misled by his sins. Even then you can post below him or
interspersed with him, and above those prior to him.

 

[mm]

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.

Exactly. MS is trying to protect people from other users.

Any other thoughts?

So really, why do you have to have access to all those files from
every computer. They're not meant to be changed at all, or maybe once
in a great while. If you need to change them, isn't it worth the
effort to go to each computer?

Lindsay

Do you want to update them or only look at them?. IF you only want to
look at them, at jpsoft.com, bottom left corner you can dl tce LE 10,
or maybe even 11, for free, and afaik it will look at anything, using
the List command.

It runs much much faster than any program that can edit a file, so I
think it copies it only to the video card memory, not to a work area,
so maybe that is enough to avoid the problem you are having.

My network isn't really working yet or I'd test them for you, but it's
a great program anyhow. It an alternative to cmd.com . Installs
pretty easily. Seems to require two clickings to get it to run, first
click puts in in the taskbar.

Remove NOPSAM and email me if it works for you. But reply to this
post via the newsgroup please, unless you've tried it already.

P&M