How to share folders or partitions with specified users

[DiscoStu]

Hello there,
I know that probably this question has been posted a lot of time, but I cannot find a working answer so I am here to ask again, don't kill me for this, it is simply not working for me

So, I have this PC with Windows 7 on it.
I have a partitions (but I've tried with a single folder and it is not working too) that I want to share over my home network but just for specified users (not Everyone). The network consists of 3 PC:

PC1 - The one with the partition I want to share
PC2 - The one that must access the partition
PC3 - It should have no access to the partition (not see it at all would be great).

So on PC1 I share the partition and set access to EVERYONE. I can access the partition with both PC2 and PC3. So the network is working but this is not what I was looking for.
So, googling, I've read that I'm not on a domain so I can't specify a user on another PC for accessing the partiton and I have to use an alternative method: on PC1 I have to create a user that has the same name and password of the user on PC2. So I did: I created a user "monkey" with password "monkey" on PC1 and on PC2. I've deleted EVERYONE and put just monkey among users that can access the partition. I log on on PC2 with monkey, I see the partition in network resources but when I try to access it says that I have no permissions to do it.
So... how to solve it???
I've passed the last 2 days trying to do it, but I can't...
Thanks in advance!

 

[chev65]

The PC1 and PC2 both need to be Windows 7 or 8 machines for this to work.

You would need to make sure that the C:>Users folder is shared out through the Sharing tab which is the default settings and all machines.

Assuming PC1 and PC2 are Windows 7 machines, you would set up a Homegroup between those two machines. Those two machines will now have exclusive access to each other files and folders while the third machine, which is not included in the Homegroup, will have no access to either of those two machines because of the Homegroup you just set up.

Setting up a Homegroup creates a virtual firewall between the Homegroup machines and the other machines which aren't included in the Homegroup. This firewall works even if sharing is enabled.

You can also share a folder with the PC3 machine by using the Homegroup "Share With" feature, selecting Everyone will allow machines which are outside the Homegroup to have access but only to that folder.

This is exactly why Homegroups was created by Microsoft in the first place, it's not just for sharing Library's like everyone's thinks.

 

[DiscoStu]

Well first of all thanks Chev, this is an interesting workaround, but how would you do it without the Homegroup tip ?
I still can completely understand the SHARE WITH tab... I mean: the SECURITY tab is for giving or denying access to files/folder/partitions to other users of the same PC, and SHARE WITH should be the same but for network users, correct?
If it's correct, how to use it? I mean, it is working just if I put "everyone", I can't put users of other PC of the workgroup, so it's quite unuseful or, most probably, I am not able to use it correctly... can you help me to understan?

 

[chev65]

Well first of all thanks Chev, this is an interesting workaround, but how would you do it without the Homegroup tip ?
I still can completely understand the SHARE WITH tab... I mean: the SECURITY tab is for giving or denying access to files/folder/partitions to other users of the same PC, and SHARE WITH should be the same but for network users, correct?
If it's correct, how to use it? I mean, it is working just if I put "everyone", I can't put users of other PC of the workgroup, so it's quite unuseful or, most probably, I am not able to use it correctly... can you help me to understan?

There is no messing with the Security tab at all in this style of sharing. Setting up the Homegroup is the only way to do this, this isn't a work around at all, it's the only way to accomplish sharing with some people and not with others when they are on separate machines.

Generally speaking you would be far better served by never touching the NTFS security permissions tab as it can lead to big problems down the line.

You only need to set up a Homegroup between the two trusted machines leaving the selective share machine out of the Homegroup but part of the same Workgroup. Once that is done then the two trusted machines will have access to which ever folders are shared out while the machine outside the Workgroup will only have access if you add "Everyone" to the Shared with list.

This link explains how to make sure that the C:>Users folder is shared out and how you can un-share a folder or share a particular folder with Everyone.
http://www.eightforums.com/network-sharing/20146-shared-default.html

You can also add a drive location to a Library and share that Library with just the Homegroup or with Everyone as desired.

 

[DiscoStu]

Chev,
thank you again, but... I am still confused.
Let me explain what is my desiderata.
When I am at work (i am not inside a domain) I want to use a shared folder on a remote computer.
I simply do: \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\c$ and, after few seconds, it prompts me to insert username and password. I type the same user and password that I would type to connect with remote desktop and, i can access the C: of the xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx machine.

I would simply replicate this situation at home. Is it possible to do it with Windows 7?

So to clarify:
I have at home
PC1: username monkey password monkey - with 3 partitions: C:, D:, F:
PC2: username donkey password donkey

On PC1 I would like to share partition D: with everyone (and it is already working) and F just if you type username and password. So from PC2 if I type \\PC1\F it should ask user and password and I would type monkey monkey...

Thanks again!

 

[chev65]

Chev,
thank you again, but... I am still confused.
Let me explain what is my desiderata.
When I am at work (i am not inside a domain) I want to use a shared folder on a remote computer.
I simply do: \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\c$ and, after few seconds, it prompts me to insert username and password. I type the same user and password that I would type to connect with remote desktop and, i can access the C: of the xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx machine.

I would simply replicate this situation at home. Is it possible to do it with Windows 7?

So to clarify:
I have at home
PC1: username monkey password monkey - with 3 partitions: C:, D:, F:
PC2: username donkey password donkey

On PC1 I would like to share partition D: with everyone (and it is already working) and F just if you type username and password. So from PC2 if I type \\PC1\F it should ask user and password and I would type monkey monkey...

Thanks again!

You would need separate drives in order to set up different permissions for each user. Windows is fairly limited on setting up individual shares for Users on different machines. This is the reason I mentioned setting up a Homegroup to allow for some separation between the Workgroup machines and the Homegroup machines.

There is no way to set up separate permissions for each partition of a drive because the NTFS permission settings relate to the entire drive.

 

[DiscoStu]

Ok let's change:

On PC1 I have 2 folders
Music and Pictures

Music is shared with everyone, so if I do \\PC1\Music I can access it from any pc in the network.
For pictures, I would like to share it only after typing user name and password, like in the last example.

Is it possible?