Server 2003 - File Sharing

feenster99 · 20 May 2007 at 23:39

Hi all,
I'm supporting a customer who has a Windows 2003 server. It's not running Active Directory, so is just running as a file server. They want to split the company's data into seperate chunks that can be protected from the other users (e.g., Directors, Sales, Technical).

I was planning on setting up 3 users on the Server with the above usernames, then setting the shared folders with appropriate permissions. I then want to set it up so that when the user accesses a protected folder, they are asked for the username/password for the first time in the session. I know this is possible as it's the default action for accessing some shares - however, I can't get the shares setup like this. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Matt

Relentless · 21 May 2007 at 00:28

Turn off simple file sharing on clients.

and dcpromo the 2003 box and create a domain, much easier to manage.

IAmATeaf · 21 May 2007 at 11:23

You'd be better of creating groups and then assigning perms to the groups, then assign users to the group. Makes for much easier management. As far as getting asked for username/password, not sure you'll be able to do this is this is the same server they have their user accounts on and get validated by.

BoomAM · 21 May 2007 at 14:08

IAmATeaf said:
You'd be better of creating groups and then assigning perms to the groups, then assign users to the group. Makes for much easier management. As far as getting asked for username/password, not sure you'll be able to do this is this is the same server they have their user accounts on and get validated by.

As above.
That's what i'd do personaly.

.

feenster99 · 21 May 2007 at 19:01

Hit some complications when i was trying to set this up today. The person who set it up original didn't install Active Directory, and has put the Server in a different workgroup to the client PC's. Unfortunately, it's too far to travel (and out of my remit) to sort this out, so I have to make do.

However, i disabled Simple File Sharing, setup a user on the server called "sales", and created a new share called "Shared" - I gave this full control for the sales user, and removed all other permissions. However, when I tried to connect, I just get an access denied error. Am I missing something really obvious?

Matt

mr.bond · 22 May 2007 at 21:09

feenster99 said:
Hit some complications when i was trying to set this up today. The person who set it up original didn't install Active Directory, and has put the Server in a different workgroup to the client PC's. Unfortunately, it's too far to travel (and out of my remit) to sort this out, so I have to make do.

However, i disabled Simple File Sharing, setup a user on the server called "sales", and created a new share called "Shared" - I gave this full control for the sales user, and removed all other permissions. However, when I tried to connect, I just get an access denied error. Am I missing something really obvious?

Matt

Not obvious, but you are missing something

When clients/servers are setup like this in a workgroup, the accounts are held localy on each machine (in their own SAM database). So, if you create a user called 'sales' on the server and assign it permissions, how can the user account held on the client PC tell the server that it should have access? How can it authenticate? It can't (directly).

However, there is a work around which isn't very pretty, but never the less should work (well it does when I've had workgroup pc's running win98, and the server was win2k).

Create accounts on the server AND client machines with *EXACTLY* the same USERNAMES and PASSWORDS and use these to logon, or for the accounts you have on the clients now, mirror then on the server. Assign these user accounts permissions to the files/folders/shares and the clients *should* be able to authenticate. You may need to call the workgroup the same, that part I'm not sure of.

Let me know if it works.

feenster99 · 22 May 2007 at 21:16

Mr.bond - that is quite obscure! I remember hearing about this in connection with Win98 however. I should be able to just create the groups on the server then, match the usernames/passwords and it should work.

Many thanks for your help - i'll give it a go later this week.

Matt

mr.bond · 22 May 2007 at 22:28

You're welcome, always happy to help (and receive help).