Software
by senthilm_india Accepted solution
by 1bn0 Accepted solution
Windows 9x allowed you to share folders and set a ppasword for them. As long as the user connecting to the share knew the password they could gain access.
Your question implies you are not currently using a server.
XP relies on file and share permissions. You can share a folder that allows Everyone to have access, but I expect that is not what you want.
You can create user accounts for the people you want to have access to the folders, on the XP machine that will be sharing the files. If their username and password is the same as their local machine they can gain access based on the permissions you have set for the account on the sharing XP machines.
This option can be feasible if you have no budget and less than 10 users. XPPro and W2KPro can be used like this but only allow 10 user connections. After that you need a server.
There are some NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices that may be able to provide the functionality you want without installing a full Network Server setup.
Be carefull what you purchase here. There are many NAS devices that are little more than an external Hard Drive Enclosure with a Network Connection. They do not offer or support user account access and controls.
Those that do are usually a little more expensive but are essentially acting as a proper File Server with user security.
A low cost alternative would be to install Linux and Samba on a machine. This would require a certain level of expertise but is not beyond anyone with a reasonable level of computer literacy.
by dumphrey Accepted solution
by technogeek-1995 Accepted solution
by 1bn0 Accepted solution
"10 or 20 computers"
"ask password to access each and every time"
Neither of these issues is resolved by your answer.
by technogeek-1995 Accepted solution
This is the way to solve it; It could be "encrypted." He is a link;
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000705.htm
Do this backwards. It should work; have any questions post back.
by ekline Accepted solution
Well seeing as how you personally are requiring a password... The only way you could do that is to use some sort of Secured FTP Client on each machine to actually set a password for each user to gain access to a limited amount of folders.
The best method of utilizing NTFS Security and File Sharing Security is by using Server 2003. Since you only require at TOPS, 20 users. I would just purchase a Personal Computer and use it to install an OEM Version of Server 2003 with 25 CALs.
By using Server 2003 and registering all PC's to a domain. You will then be able to set shares on your PC based on a network user and no longer having to set up EACH individual user on your own machine just so that they can connect to your PC to share files.
Setting up Active Directory for something this small and actually using it in the environment will be fairly easy. All you seem to need it for is to share the "USER" Database at this point to restrict users from accessing folders.
In the mean time, you'll have to set up EACH user with their username and password on their computers up on the computer in mind. No explicit passwords can be used unless you go the FTP or Secured FTP Route. Then restrict their usernames from each folder they don't need to be in.
(REQUIRES XP PROFESSIONAL)
FIRST STEP: ADD USERS
1) Right Click on My Computer and select "MANAGE"
2) You will see a spanning tree option for "Local Users and Groups," Open it.
3) Click to Highlight "Users"
4) Click on Action(menu) and select "New User..."
5) Repeat this step to add users
6) If you have simple 2 groups of "Management" and "Employees" then DO seperate them because it will help. Click on groups and add these groups the same way you add users.
7) To add a member to the group, double
click on the group or right click>Properties and you can "ADD" a user.
SECOND STEP: SHARING
1) Open My computer, Click Tools(menu) and select "Folder Options"
2) De-Select the box at the bottom that states, "Use Simple File Sharing(Recommended)"
3) Right Click on a "MAIN" folder to share all your shared folders in and select "Share this folder".
4) Click on the Permissions button below and select "Full Control" for "Everyone." Then Click Security... Remove all but "Everyone" and have Full Control there as well.
THIRD STEP: SECURITY
You have multiple folders in your Shared Folder now... But you have a folder with items for your Managers Eyes ONLY then you can explicitly set permissions by this step.
1) Right click the folder, Click either "Sharing and Security" or "Properties"
2) Select the "Security" Tab and click on "Advanced"
3) Uncheck the option to "Inherit" security
4) Click "Add.." and of course add "Managers" Group to your list with Full Control
...
I'm pretty sure you get the point from this end. How ever you need to add everyone and use this hierarchial NTFS Security system or you have to rely on third party software.
by senthilm_india Accepted solution
by technogeek-1995 Accepted solution
by 1bn0 Accepted solution
I do believe the section under "Other security solutions for protecting your files and folders in Windows" might work under XP.
Compress the folder, (basically make it a zip file) and password protect it.
I think this would work if you are letting XP use its native zip support instead of a third party program as XP treats ALL zip files as compressed folders.
(I usually hate the way it does that)
by technogeek-1995 Accepted solution
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