Sharing folders that everybody can read ?

[Mike Fields]

Sort of along the same lines as "Read Shared File from Other PC"
post, but I didn't want to hijack his. Windows XP Pro multiple
machines. Simple file sharing turned off. Trying to figure out
how to let ANYBODY read a folder. I have read the resource
kit info, played with the permissions etc. If I try and open the
folder from another machine where the account name is the
same on both machines, but different passwords, I get the dialog
box asking for name/password. If I enter guest (I enabled the
guest account), I can get in. If I type the current user name,
I get in. Once it has let me in then subsequent attempts open
without the dialog. What I want to do is have it let anybody
read the files in that folder. If I set a folder on my windoze 98
machine to share, read-only that can be read on the first try
without any issue. I just can't figure out how to do it in XP-Pro
(have SP2 and other updates installed). If I try it from an
account where the names/passwords match on both machines,
I get in with no problem. Which piece of the puzzle have
I missed (I am sharing the virus definitions to other machines
in the network that do not have internet access .. machines
in the kids rooms ;-) )

 

[Guest]

Right-click on the share and then click on Permissions. Click on the Add
button and type in "Everyone" without the quotes. Click on OK. With
Everyone highlighted, check Read under the Allow column and uncheck
everything else.

Try it again.

 

[Mike Fields]

Been there, done that -- it will let anyone in, but
you have to provide a name the first time (any name
works I think) which it then apparently validates
as guest -- it just does not want to do it without
that first time prompt for a name. I would have
thought it would take the name of the user, but
apparently since the passwords don't match, it then
wants to prompt for a name. Seems sort of strange.

mikey

 

[bagins]

Hi, Mike.
Enable Guest account, open share permissions, add Guest and check Read
permission.
On the security tab, add Everyone.
That's it.
Regards

 

[Mike Fields]

Tried that -- yes, I can read it, but only AFTER I enter
a name (including guest) in the popup name/password
box. For the rest of the session, it is no problem (and
the first time does not require a password - just a name
(all the regular accounts do have passwords on them).
I suspect it is because I am trying it from an account that
has a different password on the two machines. Maybe
I'll try it from a new account with no equiv. on the other
machine. Just a bit odd.

mikey

Hi, Mike.
Enable Guest account, open share permissions, add Guest and check Read
permission.
On the security tab, add Everyone.
That's it.
Regards

 

[Mike Fields]

Hah - suspicion confirmed. Even with the "guest" account
off on the server, if I enable the guest account on the client
machine (with no password even), I can access that folder
that I was trying to access. This sort of confirms the suspicion
that it is related to two different passwords on the same
named account on the machines. Guest has no problem.
Fine, I'll run it as a scheduled task (update virus defs)
from the admin account with the extra checkbox in there
for run at startup so I make sure it is updated if the system
is off for several days then turned on.

mikey

Tried that -- yes, I can read it, but only AFTER I enter
a name (including guest) in the popup name/password
box. For the rest of the session, it is no problem (and
the first time does not require a password - just a name
(all the regular accounts do have passwords on them).
I suspect it is because I am trying it from an account that
has a different password on the two machines. Maybe
I'll try it from a new account with no equiv. on the other
machine. Just a bit odd.

mikey

 

[Steven L Umbach]

Enable the guest account on the computer where you want anonymous access to
the share, give everyone read permissions to the share and folder [NTFS],
and on the computer with the share disable the security option
accounts:limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only in
Local security Policy. -- Steve

 

[Mike Fields]

Thanks Steven -- that didn't exactly solve it but I came up
with a different way of working the issue (simply trying to
update the virus sigs on machines that don't have internet
access). Guest could get in with no problem when I set
it up like that, it was only when I tried to access the files
as a limited user that also existed on the server but with
a different password on the two accounts. You could
type either that users name or guest in the pop up and be
in for the rest of the session, but it still wanted somebody's
name.

mikey

Enable the guest account on the computer where you want anonymous
access to the share, give everyone read permissions to the share and
folder [NTFS], and on the computer with the share disable the security
option accounts:limit local account use of blank passwords to console
logon only in Local security Policy. -- Steve

 

[Steven L Umbach]

I think the problem is related to the fact that the user is trying to access
a computer that has the same user account in it's local users but with a
different password. Offhand I don't know a workaround other then don't have
the same user logon with different passwords as I believe the operating
system will try to authenticate as the user account rather than guest first
and normally this is not a problem when passwords match but when they don't
there is a logon failure that prompts the credential pop up box. You could
try removing all groups from the share and folder/NTFS permissions and just
leave guests and maybe one user account to write to it to see what
ppens. --- Steve

Thanks Steven -- that didn't exactly solve it but I came up
with a different way of working the issue (simply trying to
update the virus sigs on machines that don't have internet
access). Guest could get in with no problem when I set
it up like that, it was only when I tried to access the files
as a limited user that also existed on the server but with
a different password on the two accounts. You could
type either that users name or guest in the pop up and be
in for the rest of the session, but it still wanted somebody's
name.

mikey

Enable the guest account on the computer where you want anonymous access
to the share, give everyone read permissions to the share and folder
[NTFS], and on the computer with the share disable the security option
accounts:limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only
in Local security Policy. -- Steve

Sort of along the same lines as "Read Shared File from Other PC"
post, but I didn't want to hijack his. Windows XP Pro multiple
machines. Simple file sharing turned off. Trying to figure out
how to let ANYBODY read a folder. I have read the resource
kit info, played with the permissions etc. If I try and open the
folder from another machine where the account name is the
same on both machines, but different passwords, I get the dialog
box asking for name/password. If I enter guest (I enabled the
guest account), I can get in. If I type the current user name,
I get in. Once it has let me in then subsequent attempts open
without the dialog. What I want to do is have it let anybody
read the files in that folder. If I set a folder on my windoze 98
machine to share, read-only that can be read on the first try without
any issue. I just can't figure out how to do it in XP-Pro
(have SP2 and other updates installed). If I try it from an
account where the names/passwords match on both machines,
I get in with no problem. Which piece of the puzzle have
I missed (I am sharing the virus definitions to other machines
in the network that do not have internet access .. machines
in the kids rooms ;-) )