Make Shared Folder Fully Accessible (unconditioned)

[inwell]

Hi,

My 5 win7 ultimate x64 pc will share their drive with each other completely. Without any restrictions (full read/write/modify access )

I do not want any PC asking for User Id and password when the access the shared drive.

What i know basically is i will be having same workgroup on each PC .
I will turn on Network Discovery and enable file and printer sharing.
Will turn off Password Protected Sharing radio button.


Now doing this what i need is,

1. what type of user accounts i need on my each pc? (every pc log in to with its own different user name and password)
2. In advance sharing tab,just using EVERYONE will solve my problem?(along with NTFS permissions)
3. Do i need guest account on ?
4.should i disable the user id and password for booting ?
5.Will creating homegroup instead of workgroup a better option ?

best wishes

 

[Parman]

The way that you want it do would be more secure if each PC was in the homegroup. Without the homegroup you would also have to do 1 of 2 things. Add Everyone to the NTFS permissions and share permissions, or create each user account on the PC and give them NTFS permissions.

Unless you're on a domain then you can just add the domain accounts to the NTFS permissions.

With a homegroup all you need to do is add each PC to the homegroup Then set the access level.

 

[inwell]

Parman

so if add each pc to homegroup,the share wont ask for password at all ? (i will be sharing a whole drive ) and whatever username / id on individual pc be,it will still work flawlessly ?

 

[Parman]

Homegroup doesn't work that way. You can only libraries though Homegroups. I suppose you could attempt to add the whole drive to a library but i don't know if you can.

Sorry that i missed that part of your first post. Its something you could try though.

 

[chev65]

Homegroup doesn't work that way. You can only libraries though Homegroups. I suppose you could attempt to add the whole drive to a library but i don't know if you can.

Parman, by default, the entire User folder is already shared with Everyone, but only with the Sharing tab, the Security tab and the NTFS permission settings are not set to share with Everyone.

Still your statement about setting up a Homegroup is true, and it's by far the easiest and safest way to share files and folders in a Workgroup. You can also do selective sharing by just keeping certain Users outside the Homegroup.

So by default, you can share Library's and also all folders which reside in the User folder unless someone unchecks the share in the Sharing tab.

With Windows, you only want to allow for access through the User folder and not the C: drive. This is by default and is much safer than sharing out the entire drive.

Therefore if you are in the Homegroup you will have access to every file in the User folder of all Homegroup machines and all Workgroup machines which are outside the Homegroup.

With Windows 7 SP1 the entire User folder is share out by default through the C:>User sharing tab only.

For sharing with Users who are in the Workgroup but not in the Homegroup, it's best to use the Public folders for that rather than bringing down the NTFS permission settings.

 

[Parman]

Thanks for the correction, and i agree that just sharing the users folder is a lot safer and probably only thing that actually needs to be shared between the PC's.

It it not correct that if you add a folder to your libraries that they will be shared via homegroup?

 

[chev65]

Thanks for the correction, and i agree that just sharing the users folder is a lot safer and probably only thing that actually needs to be shared between the PC's.

It it not correct that if you add a folder to your libraries that they will be shared via homegroup?

Yes but any Homegroup user can either uncheck any Library folder to never share it out, or you can choose Nobody when you right click on a Library folder.

And to share an entire Library "attached drives included" with anyone outside the Homegroup but in the Workgroup just choose "Everyone" after right clicking the Library folder, where it say's, "Share With" Specific People, choose Everyone.

 

[Parman]

Right on, I need to get my homegroup setup so a can stop working with theory, and start working with application.

 

[chev65]

Right on, I need to get my homegroup setup so a can stop working with theory, and start working with application.

Yes you need to get hands on with a Homegroup then set other machines outside the Homegroup and see how many selective sharing possibilities are available. It's so much safer and easier this way.

I'm an idiot for messing with those NTFS permission settings when there was NO reason to do so.

 

[Parman]

I'm an idiot for messing with those NTFS permission settings when there was NO reason to do so.

Right but without the homegroup that's the only way. I think thats what makes homegroup so powerful.

 

[chev65]

I'm an idiot for messing with those NTFS permission settings when there was NO reason to do so.

Right but without the homegroup that's the only way. I think thats what makes homegroup so powerful.

Well if you are in a Workgroup you can share with other Workgroup machines without bringing down the NTFS permissions just by using the Sharing tab on the User folder. This is the default for SP1 but there is a lock on the C:Users>Username folder on pre SP1 versions of Windows 7.

But if a few Win7 machines are in a Homegroup and you want to share with non Win7 machines in a Workgroup, then you would need to bring down the NTFS permissions by adding Everyone to the Security tab, this is not a very secure way of sharing at all and is best avoided.

In these cases you should be using the Public folders to share with users outside the Homegroup rather than bringing down NTFS. Or you can share out an entire Library with Everyone and still never touch the NTFS permission settings.

 

[Parman]

I'm an idiot for messing with those NTFS permission settings when there was NO reason to do so.

Right but without the homegroup that's the only way. I think thats what makes homegroup so powerful.

Well if you are in a Workgroup you can share with other Workgroup machines without bringing down the NTFS permissions just by using the Sharing tab on the User folder. This is the default for SP1 but there is a lock on the C:Users>Username folder on pre SP1 versions of Windows 7.

But if a few Win7 machines are in a Homegroup and you want to share with non Win7 machines in a Workgroup, then you would need to bring down the NTFS permissions by adding Everyone to the Security tab, this is not a very secure way of sharing at all and is best avoided.

In these cases you should be using the Public folders to share with users outside the Homegroup rather than bringing down NTFS. Or you can share out an entire Library with Everyone and still never touch the NTFS permission settings.

I was unclear. I was talking about not entering any credentials in. In the Workgroup situation you would still need to enter the user and password of the machine correct?

Which the best way to share without any credentials is defiantly the public folder. Which doesn't do what the OP wants.

 

[chev65]

No, with Workgroup machines, you do not need to enter credentials unless you have password protected sharing turned on, even then, if a user checks the box to remember the credentials it won't ask for them again. I believe this can be overridden by using GPE.

Yes as you mentioned earlier, setting up a Homegroup will allow for total access to the entire C:User folder with no password requirements as well.

The Public folder info was only to allow for secure sharing outside the Homegroup.

 

[Parman]

No, with Workgroup machines, you do not need to enter credentials unless you have password protected sharing turned on, even then, if a user checks the box to remember the credentials it won't ask for them again. I believe this can be overridden by using GPE.

That is if the user accounts exist on both PC. If not Workgroups would be open to anyone and everyone connecting to the network.

 

[inwell]

chev65

as i stated in my first post,i will be using all the Win7 boxes my self. (with one admin account on every box to log in)
i want to share my entire drive : D or :E (data) within all 5 pc and i want that share easy so none will ask for credentials
(i will be rendering images in 3dmax on 5 pcs and the data will be saved on DATA drive of any of the pcs so i do not want any credentials to interrupt my 3dmax from saving files)

 

[chev65]

chev65

as i stated in my first post,i will be using all the Win7 boxes my self. (with one admin account on every box to log in)
i want to share my entire drive : D or :E (data) within all 5 pc and i want that share easy so none will ask for credentials
(i will be rendering images in 3dmax on 5 pcs and the data will be saved on DATA drive of any of the pcs so i do not want any credentials to interrupt my 3dmax from saving files)

This can be set up rather easily by just adding Everyone, Edit-Add to the Security tab on the C: Drive. Then enable the share with the Sharing tab on the C: drive. I have screen shots of this if you required them.

You don't need to add Users to your machine for this and matching user names and passwords are NOT required.

The problem is that it's very unsecure to share an entire drive and you really should be working from the C:>User folder instead which will share out all files in the User folder.

 

[inwell]

i will not be sharing my C drive (OS drive) just DATA drive

and as for security is concerned , all the computers are operated by myself only. (just we use hardware resources of other 4 PCs )

 

[Parman]

Instead of adding everyone. What do you think about adding authenticated users. You will probably have to enter username and password the first time but if you click to remember credentials. Then you wont have to enter them again.

 

[inwell]

if i disabled the password protected sharing (radio button),then anyone on the network can access the shared folders or still i have to type "Everyone" in permissions window ?