How to set permissions on a shared folder in Windows XP

By default, simple file sharing is enabled on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer if the computer is not a member of a domain. With simple file sharing, you can share folders with everyone on your workgroup or network and make folders in your user profile private. However, if simple file sharing is enabled, you cannot prevent specific users and groups from accessing your shared folders. If you turn off simple file sharing, you can permit specific users and groups to access a shared folder. Those users must be logged on with the credentials of user accounts that you have granted access to your shared folder.

If simple file sharing is enabled, you see the simple file sharing user interface appears instead of the Security and Sharing tabs. By default, this new user interface is implemented in Windows XP Home Edition and in Microsoft Windows XP Professional if you are working in a workgroup. If you turn off simple file sharing, the classic Security and Sharing tabs appear, and you can specify which users and groups have access to shared folders on your computer.

Note To allow for specific users to access the share folder after the simple file sharing is disabled, you should configure both the NTFS permissions on the Security tab and the share permission on the Sharing tab of the share folder. NTFS permissions can only be set on a partition using NTFS file system. If you remove the Every Group from the NTFS permission, you cannot access the share folder over the network.

How to turn off simple file sharing

To disable simple file sharing, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.	On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
3.	In the Advanced Settings section, clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.
4.	Click OK.

How to share a folder or a drive with other users

To share a folder or a drive with other users, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, click My Computer, and then locate the folder or drive that you want to share.
2.	Right-click the folder or drive, and then click Sharing and Security.
3.	On the Sharing tab, click Share this folder.
4.	To change the share name of the shared folder or drive, type a new name in the Share name box. Other users see the new name when they connect to this shared folder or drive. The actual name of the folder or drive does not change.
5.	To add a comment about the shared folder or drive, type the text in the Comment box.
6.	To limit the number of people who can connect to the shared folder or drive at the same time, click Allow under User limit, and then type the number of users.
7.	To set share permissions on the shared folder or drive, click Permissions. Note To share folders and drives, you must be logged on as a member of any one of the following groups: • Administrators • Server Operators • Power Users
8.	Click OK.