Is it possible to put a password on a share that is on an Windows XP home
computer, or any other way to allow only certian users to use the share?
I'm sorry, but Windows XP doesn't have passwords for shared disks and
folders the way that Windows 95, 98, and Me do.
What's more, Windows XP Home Edition wasn't designed to control access
to shared disks and folders. By default, it gives access to all users
on all computers. Here are some supported ways to control access in
XP Home:
1. Create a hidden share and only tell selected people about it. I've
written a web page with details:
Windows XP Simple File Sharing
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm
2. Assign a password to the "Guest" account. When other people try
to access anything on your computer, they'll be prompted to enter the
password:
a. Click Start | Run.
b. Type "control userpasswords2" in the box and click OK.
c. Under "Users for this computer", click Guest.
d. Click Reset Password, enter a password, and click OK.
I've heard of some other possible solutions for XP Home, but they're
unsupported and undocumented. I haven't tried them, and I can't
promise that they work safely, but they've been recommended by people
I trust. If you want to try them, back up your important data first,
and create a system restore point so that you can recover if problems
occur:
1. Start Windows XP in "Safe Mode with Networking" (which temporarily
disables "Simple File Sharing"), share the desired folder(s), set the
permissions, and reboot normally.
2. Use the CACLS command, as described here:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web/msg/6faf782867cba46f
3. Follow the procedure shown here:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_home_sectab.htm
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)
Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
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