I have a home network with one Windows 95 computer, one Windows XP Home
computer, and occasionally a Windows 98 SE computer.
I would like to be able to have the Windows 95 and Windows 98 computers
access files on the Windows XP Home computer, but have them authenicate as
users on the XP computer (schoolkid account on win95 and schoolkid account on
winXP computer, with same password). That way a person can't log on to the
win95 computer with a new username, and access files on the XP computer. Is
there any way to do this on XP Home Edition and Windows 95?
By design, XP Home Edition allows networked access by all users on all
computers. Microsoft apparently thinks that user validation and NT
folder permissions are too complicated for home users to understand,
so they created XP's "simple file sharing" model: all networked access
validates using the Guest account.
Here are some ways to control access in Home Edition:
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 network password to the Guest account. When other people
try to access shares 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.
3. Create a compressed folder and define a password for it. Everyone
who accesses the folder, from the local computer or from the network,
must specify the password to access the files in the compressed
folder. This Microsoft Knowledge Base article has details:
HOW TO: Use Compressed (Zipped) Folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306531
--
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
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com