XP Home and Private folder

[Guest]

I am using XP Home edition running on an unmodified Dell Dimension (about 1 year old). I mistakenly set my Documents and Settings Folder (DS) to Private and I can not figure out how to undo this.

I used the User control panel to create a password for my account. A dialog appeared asking if I would like to make my documents private. I mistakenly answered yes. This has destroyed my home network, I can not see my files from another computer. If I right click on my DS folder and select the Sharing option it shows "Make this folder private" checkbox as checked. However it is greyed out, I can not uncheck it. I also can't uncheck the "Share this folder" checkbox, or change the Share name. I can check, and uncheck the "Allow network users to change my files" box, but checking this box does not restore my ability to access my files.

Please help. Neither Dell and Microsoft will help without some $$.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

I believe the following is the way to undo what you have done. Boot to Safe
Mode (boot the system, start tapping f8, when the menu appears, select Safe
Mode and press enter). Once in Safe Mode, open Windows Explorer, go to
Tools, select Folder Options, go to the View tab, scroll the list to "Use
simple file sharing, remove the check, click apply and ok. NOTE: you cannot
do this at system level in XP Home because Simple file sharing is hard coded
into it.

Now, go to the folder you made private, right click, select properties, go
to the Sharing tab and place a check next to Share this folder.

If the above doesn't resolve it, try using System Restore to take you back
to a time prior to when you made the folder private. Start\All
Programs\Accessories\System Tools\System Restore.

 

[Guest]

Well you seemed to know what you were writing about, but no luck. "Use simple file sharing" does not seem to be an option in XP Home, safe mode or otherwise. I'll give the system restore option a try this weekend.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

It is an option Home Edition but your file system has to be NTFS. If it's
fat32 the option isn't there but neither are any of the other security
options either. I'm surprised you were asked if you wish to make the folder
private under those circumstances unless your system is using NTFS.

Yes, try System Restore.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your help. System Restore did restore my network back to the original state. I can now access the computer from the network. I was able to create a password without making it private. However the password does not seem to affect the ability to access my files from the network. Isn't there any way to allow the files to be accessable but still require a password? Right now I can mount the share without any password and see all my files.

And fyi, the file system is NTFS, and there is no "Simple file sharing" checkbox.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

On Home Edition, the Simple File Sharing checkbox only appears in Safe Mode,
boot the system start tapping F8 and when the menu appears, select Safe
Mode.

If you compress the files, using XP's file compression, I believe you can
password protect and I don't believe that will interfere with accessing the
files. If it does, you may want to seek help on the windowsxp.network_web
newsgroup.

 

[bleak]

found a clean way out!!

Hello!
I did the same: checked 'make folders private', and could not remove the privacy again.

I found a way out though:

Start in safe mode as a administrator. Take ownership of the folder, as described elswhere. Not your 'user main folder' though, then you will have problems getting the files back in your original 'user folder' later on (xp needs one for every account, so dont move it).
The privacy lock will disappear after the take-over.

Repeat the procedure in safe mode, this time locked in as the original owner.

You got your lack of privacy back

Regards
Bleak and shallow

 

[steve19800]

i found another way out too. I login as administrator on safe mode.
Just go to user accounts in control panel. click change password. Type current password but don't type new password, this will reset the settings of 'make private folder' and let you start from the beginning and determine whether you want to make it private or no. I tried system restore point but nothing happened in this case.
Hope this helps. Thanks