XP/Vista - How to password protect shared files/directories?

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foolios

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Oct 25, 2007
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What are some ways I can password protect or user protect files and directories?

Do I need to set up a domain to do so? Can I get some recommendations please?

I am guessing that this could get crazy intense, so I hope someone will have some patience with me. I am interested in methods for both XP and Vista.

Thanks in advance for the ideas/suggestions/explanations, etc...
 
As far as I know, with XP, password protecting shared files is basically not possible. I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent on Google and on other forums trying to find how to password protect XP shares, and unless I managed to completely overlook it, I didn't find anything. With Vista, however, it is possible.

You're talking about just regular file/folder sharing correct? If so I'll assume you already have the files shared that you need.

All you have to do is go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center, and under the Sharing and Discovery heading simply turn on password protected sharing. This will make it so every time you connect to this computer, you will be asked for your username and password.

Hope this helps!
 
True you can turn off simple file sharing in XP Pro, but that doesn't really password protect shares I don't believe. You can pick certain users on your network/domain that will be allowed access to it, but then I think your usernames have to be the same on all the PCs.
 
Copy/Paste from another forum (May shares are setup this way):

This you can do. Share the folder, ensure your PC's administrator account is added to the ACL and has Full Control. You can remove all other user accounts from this share. Then, create a user account on that PC for the one which you want to have access the folder. Add that account to the ACL and give it the access you wish it to have (ie: Read/Write, excecute, etc).

When creating the account, use the exact same username/password the person you want to give access to logs onto the other PC with. This way they only have to map a drive to that folder to get access.

Works just fine. My kids can't delete crap off on my media center now :)
 
When you try to access a share on another computer using an account that doesn't have access (don't give EVERYONE or ANONYMOUS LOGON any access, just valid accounts) then you'll get a login prompt on the remote computer, where you should type in those on the machine you're accessing.

For example, say you have PC 1, which has a folder you want to share. There's one user account, username "foo" and password "bar". You share the folder as "baz", but don't give "EVERYONE" any permissions in the sharing dialog - remove that entry. Instead, add "foo", with full control allowed.

PC 2 has a single user account too, with username "spqr" and password "wombat". You browse PC 1's shares and see "baz", and try to open it - but there's no account "spqr" on PC 1, so that fails, and you're not allowed generic access under "EVERYONE". So you get a login dialog, to which you enter "foo" and "bar", and get access to "baz".

If PC 2 has another account "foo" with password "bar" too, just like PC 1, then you won't see the login dialog - you'll just be able to access "baz" since you already have the correct login details. If PC 2 has account "foo" and password "flarp", though, it won't work, and you'll see the login dialog again.
 
Thanks guys, very helpful explanations. I am giving it a go and hopefully it will work out.
So, I can either place an account on each pc that I want to control shares on. Each pc will have the same number of accounts, this makes accessing easier. Or I can just add user permissions to a folder and then when trying to access from another pc, it will prompt me for a username and password.

Is that about correct?

I think it might be that I'm not sure how to add objects? Don't I just add a username? But then I don't get a prompt for password so I'm confused. I think the only way I see it working is if I make accounts on every computer that are the same and the password is already integrated for me. But what about the second scenario I mentioned above where I don't want to create all those matching accounts? Or will I have to?
 
I either can't add an object that isn't already existing. User?
And then even if I do add a user and add that object. When I try to connect, I get can't access the folder. It doesn't even prompt me for a username and password.

Ugh, I am so confused now.
 
foolios, with simple file sharing off...you need user accounts on all PCs and you need to add permissions to all folder for those users.

if you are getting denied access, guest could be being denied access...follow my post to check
 
Thank you, I was able to get things working. Not exactly the way I want it yet. But it's a start.
I have been told that I can set permissions for users that don't have an account on the current system. But it seems to only work if there is a user account on each pc for each specific share. Yet, I have been told have read it's possible, but I can't find a tut that shows how it's done. I guess it's not that big of a deal. I'm just afraid that having 10 user accounts on every pc will slow things down. Do user accounts slow a pc down? If not, then I guess it's no big deal at all.

Thanks so much for the help.
 
you can set permissions against domain accounts...but for only 10 boxes, I doubt that a domain server is running.

If you can figure out how to change the value in the "From this location" in the permissions...then you could grant certain users from other machines...but I do not know how to do that.
 
Mithent said:
When you try to access a share on another computer using an account that doesn't have access (don't give EVERYONE or ANONYMOUS LOGON any access, just valid accounts) then you'll get a login prompt on the remote computer, where you should type in those on the machine you're accessing.

For example, say you have PC 1, which has a folder you want to share. There's one user account, username "foo" and password "bar". You share the folder as "baz", but don't give "EVERYONE" any permissions in the sharing dialog - remove that entry. Instead, add "foo", with full control allowed.

PC 2 has a single user account too, with username "spqr" and password "wombat". You browse PC 1's shares and see "baz", and try to open it - but there's no account "spqr" on PC 1, so that fails, and you're not allowed generic access under "EVERYONE". So you get a login dialog, to which you enter "foo" and "bar", and get access to "baz".

If PC 2 has another account "foo" with password "bar" too, just like PC 1, then you won't see the login dialog - you'll just be able to access "baz" since you already have the correct login details. If PC 2 has account "foo" and password "flarp", though, it won't work, and you'll see the login dialog again.
Click to expand...

It's alot easier to just make a foo account on PC1 with the password as bar. Then no login prompt is presented.
 
"It's alot easier to just make a foo account on PC1 with the password as bar. Then no login prompt is presented."

I don't understand what was meant by that. I think you meant it for his explanation. Could you clear it up for me though. Thank you.
 
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