How can I get full privileges to a computer on my home network

[Green Lantern]

Greetings, I'm not very experienced in matters of networking. I set up a wireless home network between two pcs both running windows 7. The second pc is used by the family. It has four accounts on it, one for each user. I would like to sync files from my work pc to my account on the family computer so that in the event my work pc fails I can use the family machine as a backup. This is important as I run my business from home on my work pc. I can access all files on both machines. I can see my pc from the family system. I can copy files to the c: drive of the family machine as long as I don't try to copy to a folder in a user account. But when I try to write files to my account on the machine I am denied access and informed that I don't have access rights.

I went to the c: drive and shared it out to everyone on the network (me). As far as I can see I have the required privileges but there must be something more required to write to a password protected account. If it's the passwork I don't know where to enter it from my work pc.

I've been futzing with this now for hours and got nowhere but here. If anyone can help me out I'd be all sorts of pleased and grateful.

GL

 

[chev65]

It's a big security risk to share an entire drive which is one of the reasons it's not easy to accomplish. You would be better off just sharing the User folder instead.

But if you insist on sharing the entire drive there is a way to do that also but you need to use the Security tab for that one.

Open My Computer -> right click Local Disk D,C which ever -> select Properties -> select Security tab -> click Edit button -> click Add button -> enter the name of the User you want to set Security permissions (it is the same user name you've set the sharing permissions for, ex.
Choosing Everyone will set the read-write permissions to every user which will attempt to connect to your shared drive) -> click OK -> select the desired permissions -> click OK -> wait while permissions are set -> and your Done.

 

[Green Lantern]

Hi. Thanks for the swift response. You know, I thought it would be easiest to just give myself access to the whole shebang. I hadn't thought of setting privileges for my user folder on that machine. I'll go and give that a shot and let you know how it went. Thanks again. GL

 

[Green Lantern]

Hi Chev65, It worked just fine! Apparently I hadn't made the c: drive fully available. I don't know what I did wrong, but there you go. I granted permissions to "everyone" and to "homegroup". Does this now mean that my kids will also have access to my stuff over the network? Any suggestions as to how to best manage the security aspect? GL

 

[chev65]

Now that is more difficult because you need to have more than one User account on the same machine and also other machines in order to share with individual users. Other wise you can only share with "Everyone". So you need the extra User accounts in order for the individual names to show up.

And man I wish there was a better way to do this part, although it sounds like you already have more than one account on at least one machine so it should be easier.

The procedure below looks harder than it is actually is but it's confusing at first until you do it for the first time. It's been tested and it does work.

When the users connect, you need to have password sharing enabled under Advanced Network settings window. (i.e. they must put in a password to enter the shared computer (they can always save this setting so they need not enter it next time). You now need 2 local users on the Windows 7 computer, e.g. call them User 1 and User 2 with their own respective passwords. Don't make them ADMIN users.

Note that you also need to remap the drives and use these logins and passwords for the drive mapping.

Now User 1 has access to everything, so on the outside folder give them complete access (or read only as you desire, including access to the special folder inside). Repeat this action for user2.

Now go to the special folder that you only want User 1 to have access to. Right click on it and select properties/security. On the permissions tab, have a look and write down the current permission settings (this is an important reducndancy step should something you do fail later). Now look for a tickbox to inherit parent permissions and untick this. Now give permissions only to those users that you want to access this folder. Be aware that you probably need SYSTEM and CREATOR OWNER on the list.

Like all good plans, switch User to User 1 on the Windows 7 box and test that they can locally access what they are supposed to. Repeat with User 2. Now remap the drives with the new passwords and give the passwords out to the users.

This should enable you to share with only certain Users and not others.

 

[Green Lantern]

Whoa! Have mercy! I'll have a look at it again in the morning, but I think I'm going to have to hire you as a consultant for bit bucks to implement this one. Seriously though, thanks for the data. I may just leave well enough alone though. I don't think my know how is up to the task and I don't think you have enough patience to get me there

 

[chev65]

LOL, I agree it's a PITA to read through but a fairly easy process once you get through it the first time.

I really wish that the User names would show up for each computer in the network but for some unknown reason Msoft did not do it that way. The individual User names only show up if you have more than one User account on each machine in the network.

 

[Green Lantern]

Hi Chev65, I agree totally! I went up to the "family pc" and logged in as my daughter. Sure enough, she has full access to all my files. I think I'll spend a bit of time tomorrow working on your diabolical plan. I'm in Switzerland and it's way late at this point so my mind is a bit too foggy to tackle it now.

If you could let me know what you mean by "remap the drives"? I confess I don't know what that might entail.

It would be great if I could get back to you if I get stuck. You've been a terrific help. Thanks! GL

 

[chev65]

Mapping the drives is just a matter of checking to see that the drive you want to share with others is mapped properly. This step is mostly needed if you are using a bunch of different drives for sharing.

The process is outlined in the tutorial below from Brink.

If you are just using single drives for sharing it will show up in Windows explorer when you click on the little folder icon lower left on the taskbar.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49517-map-network-drive.html?filter

 

[Green Lantern]

Hello Chev

Thanks for the tutorial. I had a head start on you today. I had an idea that that's what you meant but I wasn't sure.

If I understand you correctly I need to have at least two users on each pc to do this.

If this is truly the only way to accomplish this then Microsoft has really laid a bit egg.

GL

 

[chev65]

Hello Chev

Thanks for the tutorial. I had a head start on you today. I had an idea that that's what you meant but I wasn't sure.

If I understand you correctly I need to have at least two users on each pc to do this.

If this is truly the only way to accomplish this then Microsoft has really laid a bit egg.

GL

Yes basically you need to create seperate User accounts and then share only through those accounts if you want to keep those files invisible to the rest of the network.
I agree it's rediculous because I see so many uses for this feature. I'm sure they have some security reason or other networking limitation causing this but I can't figure out what it is.

 

[Barman58]

As both machines are running win7 there is another option - that is to share using homegroups.

set up your homegroup - from your post above I take it that this is working already.

On the work PC go into homegroup options and remove the default options set when creating the homegroup - those to share the libraries for images, videos etc.

on the family PC you can leave the default sharing as set-up.

now on the work PC right click on the folder you wish to share only with your user, and select the Share with option and specific people option on the sub menu and give read write permissions to your user name.

this should give only your user access to the files

this method can be used to provide access to other family members to any areas on the work pc that you deem suitable

 

[chev65]

I believe he is using Homegroups Mr. Barman you are correct. Have you tried this yet, it would be great if there was an easier way.

Far as I know the User names do not show up unless you create seperate User accounts on the same machine and also the other machine you intend to share with. Without those seperate User accounts the sharing options are either Everyone or Nobody. Thats what I was referring too anyway.

 

[Barman58]

Hi Chev,

I agree that you have to create the usernames on the both machines to share specifically but the general homegroup sharing does not need this AFAIK, but just joining the homegroup is enough for all users, on a machine to gain access.

The lack of propagation of the username across the workgroup is a weakness of the Peer to peer sharing scheme, but the use of a server-client, (domain), system is overkill for most small networks.

will have to investigate further when I get back to my own network where I do have different users on machines

 

[chev65]

Oh indeed, Homegroups does not show seperate user accounts for sharing unless you set up more User accounts on each machine, it drives me mad.

I've been using Homegroups for over a year now and those names absolutely will not show up unless you create another User account. Not to mention that Homegroups will not work properly in a Domain.

I can't for the life of me figure out why this is so but it would be so much better if each User name on the network showed up instead of this all or nothing deal they have now.