Share folder with a user account on ANOTHER computer in the workgroup

Mochuelo · 02 Sep 2011

Hi,

It is easy to share a folder with Everyone, or to share it with other user accounts on the same computer, but how can I share a folder with a specific user account on ANOTHER computer in the workgroup?

Reason: in my neighborhood, four friends are connected by cable to the same router, and we all belong to the same workgroup. Each computer has a folder (named "public") that we share with everyone else, but I also want to have another folder (named "private") that I can share with only other computers in my apartment, but not with my friends (on other apartments). How can I do this?

Thank you.
Mochuelo

johncenalk · 04 Sep 2011

Hi there,

if you want to share a folder with a specific user account on another computer you have to create the same user account on a local computer. It is not possible to create a user account on a separate computer and use it on another computer in the same work-group unless you create the same account on both the computer. if you want to do without doing this then you have to go into a domain evn.

Cheers

Mochuelo · 05 Sep 2011

Hi johncenalk,
But then, I see a security risk. Imagine my desktop is "ComputerA", and I share a folder "private" with user account "UserPrivate", defined both on my desktop and also on my laptop "ComputerB". I, when logged in as "UserPrivate" in any of those two computers, would be able to access folder "private" in "ComputerA". OK. So far, that works.
But I guess that the user account "UserPrivate" does not have to have the same password on "ComputerA" and "ComputerB". Why do I say this? Because the network and sharing options let you choose a user on your computer, regardless of its password. I don't think my computer ("ComputerA") knows whether "UserPrivate" in "ComputerB" has the same password as in "ComputerA", because otherwise it would have allowed me to choose directly that remote user. So, my theory is that it disregards passworks. You share a folder with a certain user NAME.
If that is the case, another computer, neither at my home nor mine, could also create (knowingly or accidentally) a user account named "UserPrivate", and that user would be able to access my "private" folder, and I don't want that.
I'll do some tests to check this.
Thank you.

UKMedia · 05 Sep 2011

Mochuelo said:

Hi johncenalk,
But then, I see a security risk. Imagine my desktop is "ComputerA", and I share a folder "private" with user account "UserPrivate", defined both on my desktop and also on my laptop "ComputerB". I, when logged in as "UserPrivate" in any of those two computers, would be able to access folder "private" in "ComputerA". OK. So far, that works.
But I guess that the user account "UserPrivate" does not have to have the same password on "ComputerA" and "ComputerB". Why do I say this? Because the network and sharing options let you choose a user on your computer, regardless of its password. I don't think my computer ("ComputerA") knows whether "UserPrivate" in "ComputerB" has the same password as in "ComputerA", because otherwise it would have allowed me to choose directly that remote user. So, my theory is that it disregards passworks. You share a folder with a certain user NAME.
If that is the case, another computer, neither at my home nor mine, could also create (knowingly or accidentally) a user account named "UserPrivate", and that user would be able to access my "private" folder, and I don't want that.
I'll do some tests to check this.
Thank you.

If you have Password protected sharing turn on in the Network and Sharing center/Advanced sharing settings. You will be prompted to enter in the password when trying to acces the 'UserPrivate' folder.

Regards
UKMedia