network share passwords

Guv · 15 Jul 2007 at 14:20

I'd like to make all my network shares password protected. Can it be done and how?

I'm sure I've had problems with my network shares before where I've been asked for a password but at that time I didn't want them protected by a password but I have no idea what I changed...

Thanks

InvaderGIR · 15 Jul 2007 at 14:35

What OS are you on?

Vista can easily set that up, XP Pro can also do with with more effort and XP Home can't do it.

InvG

Guv · 15 Jul 2007 at 15:21

InvaderGIR said:
What OS are you on?

Vista can easily set that up, XP Pro can also do with with more effort and XP Home can't do it.

InvG

XP with SP2

MarcLister · 15 Jul 2007 at 15:49

XP Home or XP Pro though?

Guv · 15 Jul 2007 at 15:50

MarcLister said:
XP Home or XP Pro though?

oops sorry forgot that bit - Pro

InvaderGIR · 16 Jul 2007 at 00:07

Well it is possible on Pro, I just don't know how. - Helpful aren't I.

InvG

lokkers · 16 Jul 2007 at 08:06

Make sure Simple File Sharing is turned off (in an Explorer window, Tools, Folder Options, View and scroll to the bottom of the list box.

right click the folder you want to share, select Sharing and Security, then Share this Folder. In Permissions remove the Everyone user and add yourself (username) with Full Control. I then go to the Security tab, remove all the users and add myself there (with full control). I don't think this is necessary, but I've always done it too.

If you want additional users set them up a user account on the machine and explicity add them the same way to both Sharing and Security. You can give them different permissions if you wish to the shares (like Read Only). If you give them the same username/password on your machine as they use on their machine the sharing will be seamless (Windows passes the username/password of the logged on user when authenticating) - if it's different they should be prompted for a correct one.

Zico · 12 Sep 2007 at 19:43

lokkers said:
Make sure Simple File Sharing is turned off (in an Explorer window, Tools, Folder Options, View and scroll to the bottom of the list box.

right click the folder you want to share, select Sharing and Security, then Share this Folder. In Permissions remove the Everyone user and add yourself (username) with Full Control. I then go to the Security tab, remove all the users and add myself there (with full control). I don't think this is necessary, but I've always done it too.

Done

lokkers said:
If you want additional users set them up a user account on the machine and explicity add them the same way to both Sharing and Security. You can give them different permissions if you wish to the shares (like Read Only). If you give them the same username/password on your machine as they use on their machine the sharing will be seamless (Windows passes the username/password of the logged on user when authenticating) - if it's different they should be prompted for a correct one.

I don't use a password to login to my pc nor do any of my brother's pc's. Do I have to set up a password for XP Pro's login on each pc? Or can you password the folder any other way (Guest account?)?

IAmATeaf · 12 Sep 2007 at 22:13

What I think you're talking about is what used to be called share level security where passwords were set on shares and the correct password would allow access. I think MS have all but abandoned this is favour of user level security where your user credentials grant you access providing the share permissions and NTFS permissions allow it.

You will need to put passwords on the account else the default prompt returned will have Guest and Guest access by default is disabled.

Zico · 12 Sep 2007 at 22:54

Hmm

I don't think I can add my any of my brother's PC's as a user on mine. If I goto the folder I am sharing, then to Permissions, then to Add, I can't add any one of my brother's PC accounts as it only lets me look for accounts on my own pc.

Here is a list of our PC names (though I can't remember the user account names for them at the moment - only one account on each as administrator):
Hardcopy (my pc) - Yasin (my account)
Benson (brother 1 pc) - Baz87 (his account I think)
Doberman (brother 2 pc) - whatever his account name is.
Blean (brother 3 pc) - whatever his account name is.
Poppins (father's laptop) - whatever his account name is.

If I could add each of the above user accounts under my pc, I would still want to password protect folders from being accessed by my brother 3's pc Blean.

**Edit**
All pc's are XP Pro SP2 except for my father's laptop which is XP Home SP2

lokkers · 15 Sep 2007 at 17:40

Zico said:
I don't think I can add my any of my brother's PC's as a user on mine.

Which is why, as I said in my original post, you need to create the user accounts locally (i.e. on the machine you are sharing folders from).

For example, on my fileserver (which shall be known as Machine_F), I have several user accounts - Administrator (which has a strong password different from the rest), one for me (UserA), one for my fiance (UserB) and one for my sisters boyfriend (UserC).

UserA (me) has a corresponding account on my machine (Machine_L) - the username and passwords for UserA are the same as the local UserA account on Machine_F. To share a folder on Machine_F with access for UserA, I remove Everyone and add Machine_F/UserA. When I log into Machine_L as UserA and access Machine_F, I authenticate implicitly because Machine_L\UserA == Machine_F\UserA.

That's the simplist way I can think to explain this. I know it works because I have been doing it at home for ages, and the sysadmin at work does it because he doesn't have a domain account (long story).