I am having some networking issues with user permissions. I have a setup of about 9 PCs all running Windows XP SP2 and are networked wirelessly without a domain. So far I have had no problems with file and printer sharing but now I need to set user permissions so some PC's on the network can access a share while the others can't. Now when I go under (file) sharing & security settings to set permissions I am not seeing the other PCs on my network I want to allow in. I only see my local machine and the users on it, how do I look at the entire network when adding permissions? When I go to add a new permission for a folder I only see Users, Groups, or Built-in security principals as the Object Types. I want to be able to see Computers there as well so I can allow access that way. I hope my issue makes sense and I have included all the information necessary. Please help as I need to restrict user access in any way possible as right now all shared folders are visible to all computers on my network. Thank You
Hey, I'm afraid there is no function for that in XP. You will have to log onto all remote machines locally and then set permissions and restrictions. The best way to do that is to setup a user group and add the restricted users to it(group policy). They will have file and printer access but to the folders you designate. Administrators will have complete access. If the remote machines are in varied locations and you don't want to walk back and forth, you can use remote desktop to log into any machine in the workgroup. You MUST have Administrator access and Administrator accounts on all machines.......hope this helps
If I understand this correctly, you are saying I need to create a common user group across all PCs to be able to restrict and allow selective access. Right now all the computers are named differently i.e. Email-pc, Accounts-pc etc. Is there a software that will accomplish this without setting up a server since the network isn't that big? Cheers
Hey, I know of no software for your purpose. You should setup group accounts through Local Users and Groups in Computer management. Lets say you want to limit the access to the Accounts pc only. You will setup a group account on all Pcs that have access to Accounts PC.....Lets name it Staff. You will add all the users that you want to access any pc that they will be working on. Now in the Accounts PC you will grant access to only Administrators(default setting)...the other accounts will be restricted. Lets say you have an accountant that needs access to Account PC from remote locations. Then, you will create another user group named lets say Accounts on the pcs that they will use and add them to it. Only they and Admins will have access to the Accounts PC......the other groups are restricted. Bsaically you will create group accounts and add users to them. In this way you can grant and restrict access to shares by groups. You and whomever you choose will be the in the Admin group and have total access to the workgroup. The other groups containing users will be restricted or granted access to whatever shares you like. In this way you can secure folders, drives and pcs in the workgrop. If you need more help see the tutorial in windows as to setting up user and group access in the networking applet.....hope this helps If you are still confused, provide a breakdown of users and pcs and who you want to allow and restrict and i will try to help you......Later
Thank You for hanging in there with me. I am researching Windows 2003 Server so I can make a network with a domain but that will be something I do later on. For now I am stuck with all Win XP computers. OK, first of all I need to understand some basic terminology like how is a group account with 2 users different than just 2 users on a PC? Say I have this PC called Accounts and it has 2 users called Mary and Beth and I have a share on a PC called Email and only Mary should see it and not Beth. Then there is another folder on the Email pc that only Beth should see. If you can tell me with an example that would be great, I need to read up again on this as in the past I have never really had to do anything but simple file sharing and I don't have a background in computers so any help is much appreciated. P.S. I like your sig. M.K.G. has some great quotes.
Hi, yes MKG has great quotations. Great men have great thing to say!! I don't have very much time right now so if you want to restrict user access to folders check this link.........http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/232 Talk to you later tonight or tomorrow........ For some reason the link has to be pasted into a browser........
I looked at the link but it doesn't seem to work for network shares for me, only between different users on the same PC. Can I add passwords to network shares?
Hi, sorry I took so long to get back to you..........I have had my own problems with Rogers and their new docsis system cable modem...........RIDICULOUS!!! There is too much to type so I found a good link for you....... http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/ShareWinXp.asp PS. Sorry if I've confused you in the past links.
Thank You so much, I was trolling Windows Server 2003 websites as I was having no success in controlling shares without a domain. I am away from my office right now but this link looks like it will be very helpful. I will update here in the next day or so after work. Cheers
