Passwords for File Sharing

[Tom]

I finally had to upgrade my peer-to-peer network of WIN98 computers to
XP Home.

Before the upgrade, I had the ability to safely share files on a network
occupied by other other computers outside my work group by requiring a
password before granting access to my shared drives and folder.

XP Home doesn't seem to offer this safeguard; or so it seems. I seems
you can either give nothing, or everything (everything meaning full
access, with or without editing capability).

Some site I found suggested using a utility (SCE from Service Pack 4?).
I'm not sure if this path is still available. I suspect MSFT wants
you to buy XP Pro or set up an NT server in order to get password
protection, but I'm not sure.

Is it possible to safely share files with XP Home connected to a
network? Is password protection possible?

Tom

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I finally had to upgrade my peer-to-peer network of WIN98 computers to
XP Home.

Before the upgrade, I had the ability to safely share files on a network
occupied by other other computers outside my work group by requiring a
password before granting access to my shared drives and folder.

XP Home doesn't seem to offer this safeguard; or so it seems. I seems
you can either give nothing, or everything (everything meaning full
access, with or without editing capability).

Some site I found suggested using a utility (SCE from Service Pack 4?).
I'm not sure if this path is still available. I suspect MSFT wants you
to buy XP Pro or set up an NT server in order to get password
protection, but I'm not sure.

Is it possible to safely share files with XP Home connected to a
network? Is password protection possible?

Tom

Like WinNT and Win2K before it, WinXP's file security paradigm
doesn't rely on, or allow, the cumbersome method of password protection
for individual applications, files, or folders. Instead, it uses the
superior method of explicitly assigning file/folder permissions to
individual users and/or groups.

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q308419


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell

 

[Tom]

Like WinNT and Win2K before it, WinXP's file security paradigm
doesn't rely on, or allow, the cumbersome method of password protection
for individual applications, files, or folders. Instead, it uses the
superior method of explicitly assigning file/folder permissions to
individual users and/or groups.

OK, I got it working and here's what I see.

With XP Home, network visitors accessing your shared files always come
in through the guest account. You can't change this behavior because
simple file sharing and the guest account are always on in XP Home.
Therefore the guest account must have a password.

When you go into safe mode, XP Home exposes the security tab and
deceives you into thinking you can set up separate users with individual
passwords and privileges. You can't because unlike XP PRo, you cannot
turn off simple file sharing in XP Home.

One point of possible confusion. Once you set things up, you get the
sense that your shared files are not password protected, because members
of your workgroup only have to give the password once and thereafter are
automatically logged in. Users outside the workgroup always have to use
their password.