user accounts - limiting access

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sherry
  • Start date Start date
S

Sherry

Is there a way to limit the access that a Guest has so
they are unable to see my documents, use my programs,
delete or change my files, programs, documents, etc.?
 
Sure, you just have to setup explicit permissions on all the files and
folder you want to protect.
 
-----Original Message-----
Is there a way to limit the access that a Guest has so
they are unable to see my documents, use my programs,
delete or change my files, programs, documents, etc.?
.
JUST GO INTO CONTROL PANEL, USER ACCOUNTS, EDIT THE
Click to expand...
ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT AND MAKE IT PRIVATE .. AND SETUP A
GUEST ACCOUNT AND MAKE IT A " LIMITED ACCOUNT "
 
To do this, you must be running NTFS as your file system on the drive in
question. If your hard disk/partition is not NTFS you will need to convert
it. To do this, open a Command Prompt window and enter the following
command:

CONVERT X: /FS:NTFS

Where X: is the drive letter you wish to convert. You may also want to see
http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm to ensure that you're getting the optimal
conversion.

After this step is completed and you've rebooted the computer, if necessary:

XP PRO: In Windows Explorer, go to Tools, Folder Options, View and uncheck
Use Simple File Sharing. Now, when you right click on a drive, folder or
file (on an NTFS partition) and select Properties, you'll see a Security
tab. Here you can assign or deny permissions based on user name or user
group membership.

XP Home: By default, you can only make files and folders under My Documents
"private". This is done by right clicking a folder or file and selecting
Properties, Sharing. To change the permissions on other folders, you need
to boot the computer to Safe Mode and log in on the built in Administrator
account. In this mode, you'll see the Security tab in Properties, and you
can assign permissions based on user name or group membership.

How Do I Get the Security Tab in Properties - XP Home (makes the Security
tab appear outside of Safe Mode)
http://www.dougknox.com, Win XP Tips section

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308419

HOW TO: Disable Simplified Sharing and Password-Protect a Shared Folder in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307874
 
Not sure what you are asking.
Do you mean that this Guest account should not be able
to see/use its own My Documents, etc. or that it should
not be able to see / use these as they are available in
some other account ?

If you mean the first it is possible but can make the Guest
account somewhat useless for general purposes.

Otherwise, with use of NTFS you can do this but it will
involve a combination of
1. making folders private in the other accounts
2. moving things out from the All Users profile
3. setting permissions on a number of areas in
the filesystem so that there is a Deny explicitly
set to control that account's access

The reason for this last one is that when logged in
interactively the Guest is considered to be a member
of Users, and this Users group has grants made to it
in many places (Program Files for example).
You do not want to interfere with this grant as doing
so would impact all account, so you need to use a Deny
to override this grant for just that Guest account.
 
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