Windows XP PRO Networking

[tiger102]

Hi, is there a way to set up a user name and password for anything that is being shared on the network. Like for example if i'm sharing a folder called games, can i put a password on that folder so that only certain users on the local network can access it. this is a home network.

The reason why i ask this is that today i tried to access one of the folders that is being shared, and it asked me for a user name and password, which i though was good. But i don't know how that occured.

So if anyone have used Windows XP PRO to do this, please tell me how. thank you all.

 

[evongugg]

When you map a network drive leave off the check mark on "reconnect at logon". it will ask for a logon id and password every time you try to access it.

 

[Guest]

It depends on whether you're using "Simple File Sharing" or not.

Grumpy

 

[tiger102]

that might be true, but that doesn't stop anyone from doing it the old fashion way by going to network places and click on the shared folder. i'm i correct?

 

[tiger102]

i'm not using simple file sharing, so do you know how do it?

 

[Guest]

I don't have a Windows XP Pro computer to look at right now but it should be in the Security tab under Properties.

Grumpy

 

[tiger102]

I played around with that for many hours, and i still can't figure out a way to do that. and the security tab is so confusing, and once you think you got it, poof, whatever you tried to do doesn't work.

 

[Iceblue]

Unless you are using a domain server, you can't have username / password login to shares for accounts not native to the individual machine. In other words, the login must be to an account on the machine where the share resides.

If you are attempting to access a shared folder on another machine where the account name and password is different from yours on the machine you are on, you need to enable "login in with a different username / password" for the share access. You do this on your machine (not on the machine where the share resides).

The error messages Windows gives you if everything is not properly set up are less than helpful. Basically they are saying "You bought a Pro version of Windows. Go find a pro to help you."

XP Pro is made for corporate networks with domain servers. It is generally speaking not a good fit for small home networks. It is not intended for use by "professionals", but for organizations with professional IT staff. It is not a "better" OS than XP Home, it is just more trouble for most home users who have little or no use for the extra complication it brings with it. There are exceptions, of course. But, to properly set up XP Pro on a non-domain network is fussier and requires more study than doing the same with XP Home.

 

[tiger102]

you need to enable "login in with a different username / password" for the share access

could you please tell me how i can do that.
thank you.

 

[xrvjorn]

Actually, you don't have to do this. Windows will prompt you for the user name/password anyway.

Have you switched off simple file sharing? M$ did their best to hide it, so it's no where near the network options. Instead, you have to go to Folder Options and click the View tab (didn't expect to find it there, did you?). There a list box named Advanced Settings. The last option is "Use simple file sharing". Unselect the option, and that's it!

 

[Iceblue]

No, Windows will still have problems logging you into another Windows computer for a username and password different from your account on the machine you are using.

Yes, it will still ask for username / password, but after it does, it will accept what you type in even if it is different from your present account.

You enable this as one of the options on attaching a network drive.

 

[Madwand]

It can get really messy and confusing, but underneath it all, it's really not all that complex. The messy part is the old old legacy of the underlying system, which is cluttered a bit further by the front end.

A few principles:

1. You should have local accounts that have the same password as on the remote account. I.e. if you want "Joe" to be able to connect to your machine, then you need to create a local (non-administrator!) account called "Joe". If there is already a "Joe" on another computer who wants that access, it can get confusing as to which "Joe" is accessing the files -- is it the local one or the remote one? Which password should be used? The answer from the server's perspective is that it's always the "local" one, which means that the server's password is the one that matters, and if the remote password is different, then it's wrong and won't work. For this it's much simpler if you ensure that the "Joe" on any computer on your network has the same password.

There can be some issues with blank passwords and different versions of Windows -- some might not accept blank passwords across the network.

2. Share permissions are different from file/directory permissions. Basically you have the option to set permissions on both levels. Sometimes share permissions are open but file permissions are not -- so anyone can see the share, but not the files.

3. Permissions are usually better managed at the group level than at the individual user level. Of course to get into this, you get into user group management, but you might be able to keep this simple. (Esp. don't let the "administrators" group get crowded if you want to keep control!)

4. You cannot supply different credentials to a remote computer. E.g. if you connect to share A on computer C as "Joe", don't try to connect to share B on computer C as "Jill" from the same computer -- you need to disconnect "Joe" before trying to connect as "Jill".

5. Much of this can be done somewhat easily and more controllably from the command line. Look at "Net use".

E.g. To create a drive mapping x: to \\server\share as the user Joe:

net use x: \\server\share /user:Joe

(Password will be prompted.)

E.g. To disconnect the drive mapping x:

net use x: /delete

Note that a drive letter is not even necessary, but is often convenient for regularly-accessed folders and some picky software.

 

[xrvjorn]

No, Windows will still have problems logging you into another Windows computer for a username and password different from your account on the machine you are using.

That's odd. I do it all the time and have never had any problems at all with it.

 

[Iceblue]

Then you've been using a very simple setup - say only 2 computers. It is a known Windows behavior / problem. Most of these problems disappear or are covered by a domain server, where users actually log into the domain rather than one computer at a time.

 

[willard garwood]

I need permission to open files in 2009