PW Protecting Shared folder in XP Pro

M

maxse

Gawd
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
516
I have a question. I just set up my first home server form an old computer. Everything works great, even got tightvnc to work. My question is however, how can I PW protect the folders that im sharing? In Windows 98 it was easy, it just lt you set a username and password to protect the shared folder but I cant seem to find a way to do this in XP Pro. Any suggestions?
 
use the ntfs file system and active directory and use security under folder properties and give access to those u want incluing:

give access to:
Admins group
the user
system

possable access to:
authenticated users
network

remove:
everyone
 
huh? I am using NTFS w/ XP Pro. Also under the sharing and security for each folder, it doesnt say anything about pw protecting anything, which is precisely why I posted this. In windows 98 you could pw protect each folder easily. This is what I dont understand, XP Pro is supposed to be easier for networking, oh well...

So any1 else have any info on how to do this, or can elaborate a little?
 
You don't 'password protect' in the same way under NT based OSes. What you are doing is sharing folders, then the username/pw controls access to the share. What you will need to do is setup a username(use computer management, in the administrative tools section of the control panel), then setup the share. When you select sharing, just select the share name, and then hit 'permissions' and set your username to allow full control.

It's a bit tricky to setup at first, but after you understand it, it's much easier to use than the 9x system, and it's a lot more secure. Also, you can 'hide' a share by adding the '$' to the end of the share name, so you don't see the share name when you browse the network.
 
ok thanks sandmax. Going to try it out right now. But why would u want to add a $ at the end to make it invisible? Isnt that the point, to see a shared folder? I dont think I quite understand wha tu mean very well...

*EDIT* Well I went into computer management and under shared folders it just shows the folders that Im sharing. Dont see an option to set a permission or anything.
 
Right click on the folder in Windows Explorer, and go to the Security tab.
 
Go to any folder, then Tools->Folder Options->View-> Uncheck "Simple File Sharing" in the scroll menu.

Then you'll see the "Security" option on right-click menu and folder properties display.

Damn SFS!
 
agh okay thanks lomn. So I finall have the security tab. Now on the server part, do I have to create a name and a pw on it. Or do I allow the name and password of the regular machine?
 
Guys I am still having a huge problem with this. I created two names in user accoutns on the server machine. Now I enabled sharing and security to those specific accoutns on the server machine.

Now on the client machine I go to MAP NETWORK DRIVE to letter. I click on connect using a different username. I then type the username and password that I gave access to on the server machine (right?). Everything seems to work until I restart the client machine I got a message saying the following "The network folder specificed is currently mapped using a different username and password. To connect using a different username and password, first disconnect any existing mappings to this network share."

I have no clue why this is happening. What does it mean anyway? When I disconnect the drive, restart then map it again it works, but again until I restart the computer again. once I restart I get this message again. Please help!
 
You have to be logging on to Windows with the same username that is on the server. Easiest way is to create the same un/pw on the server as you are using on the workstation. Then everytime the workstation logs on, it will reconnect the network drive automatically.
 
On the client, try typing servername\username for the user name field.
 
ok thanks ugys going to try out ur suggestions. Id rathe rnot use a 3rd party app as I actually want to learn how to do this.
 
nope servername\username, does seem to work.

I am currently logged in with a different username on the client than that is on the servre. It seems fine, but I have to retype the pw everytime I reboot the computer. Oh well at least its working now. It seems to me that w/ win98 it was soo much easier.
 
maxse said:
I am currently logged in with a different username on the client than that is on the servre.
Click to expand...
Just create that username with the same password on the server and give it access to your shared folder and you won't have to re-enter the password.
 
k thanks guys. Now just another question. Since I have 2 different usernames on the server machine (I will have 2 people using it myself included). Is there a way to get the server machine to boot to a username , or it doesnt mattter? Beucase when I use tightvnc to connect and I just booted the server it is usually at the screen which lets me select a username and enter a paswword. Its never in windows already. And the same hting happens once its in windows and idle for a while it goes back to that screen. Is there anything I Can do about this?
 
You can... TweakUI (in MS Powertoys) lets you auto-login, and you should be able to turn off auto-logout at the screen saver menu.

However, they're both very bad ideas from a security standpoint.

Also (if this is a 2K machine or up) I'd just use XP's remote desktop instead of VNC. But that's just me.
 
As long as you're in a workgroup, logon as the user you want to automatically logon. Then:
Start>run type control userpasswords2
 
S1nF1xx said:
As long as you're in a workgroup, logon as the user you want to automatically logon. Then:
Start>run type control userpasswords2
Click to expand...

That jsut brought me to a pw config screen. Nothing here seems to let me automatically log in...

By the way all machines are running XP Pro. Whats a reson not to use tightvnc?
 
maxse said:
By the way all machines are running XP Pro. Whats a reson not to use tightvnc?
Click to expand...
Well, I think the Remote Desktop tool in XP is extremely responsive, though I don't have experience with tightvnc.

However, *vnc would let you watch someone else, which the built-in won't let you do (it's full-fledged login, and boots other users off via fast-user switching)

//edit: and as a repost, TweakUI provides autologin.
 
im trying to use remote desktop now, for some reason having some trouble with tightvnc, it gives me a black screen. And remote desktop gives me the message saying that the domain/workgroup does not have any terminal servres... and it cant connect to the computer, while tightvnc has no problem. What bites?
 
Never seen that one. Sounds like an error you'd get connecting to an NT4 box or something.

Have you checked that RD is allowed (in My Computer->Properites->Remote)? I don't think that's the usual error, but it could still be responsible. Alternately, are firewalls enabled? That could mess things up, too.
//edit: lastly, have you tried putting the IP rather than the name into RD?
 
thanks lom, I fixed it now. I jsut un-installed it and installed ultra-vnc and its working now.

But I have a different problem now, which occured all of a sudden. When I try to connec to the shared drive on the servre I get the following message:
"Mircosoft Windows Network:Multiple connections to a servre or shared resource by the same user, using more than one username, are not allowed.Disconnect all previous connections to the server or shared resource and then try again."

Why am I getting this error again all of a sudden. Everything was working already the only thing I had to do was enter the password each time I rebooted a client computer, but now I get this and I cant even connect!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top