Access to the Windows folder on a mapped drive

Hello,

In order to support a legacy application I have to grant read/write access
to the whole shared C: drive of a Windows XP Professional SP2 machine acting
as a file server, including the C:\Windows folder. In other words, the
clients (which are also Win XP Pro SP2 btw) mapping the C:\ drive on the
host machine need to read files in the Windows folder of that machine.
Everything is OK except that access to the Windows folder is denied. I
understand that this is due to XP's security policies nonetheless.
To overcome that restriction, I added an admin-type account on the file
server for each workstation that needs this sort of elevated access level.
Those accounts are the same case and have the same passwords as their
counterparts on the workstations. This, however, didn't make any difference
as access to the <mapped_drive>:\Windows folder is still denied.

So my question is: In an scenario like this, how do I grant access to the
C:\Windows folder on the file server so that the workstations can access the
files in it?

Thanks,
Fernando

Steve
Mon May 19 22:41:07 PDT 2008

On Mon, 19 May 2008 20:11:43 -0300, "Fernando Ronci"
<fernandoronci@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>In order to support a legacy application I have to grant read/write access
>to the whole shared C: drive of a Windows XP Professional SP2 machine acting
>as a file server, including the C:\Windows folder. In other words, the
>clients (which are also Win XP Pro SP2 btw) mapping the C:\ drive on the
>host machine need to read files in the Windows folder of that machine.
>Everything is OK except that access to the Windows folder is denied. I
>understand that this is due to XP's security policies nonetheless.
>To overcome that restriction, I added an admin-type account on the file
>server for each workstation that needs this sort of elevated access level.
>Those accounts are the same case and have the same passwords as their
>counterparts on the workstations. This, however, didn't make any difference
>as access to the <mapped_drive>:\Windows folder is still denied.
>
>So my question is: In an scenario like this, how do I grant access to the
>C:\Windows folder on the file server so that the workstations can access the
>files in it?

To allow networked access to the Windows folder, disable simple file
sharing on the host machine:

1. Open My Computer.
2. Click Tools > Folder Options > View.
3. Scroll to the end of the advanced settings.
4. Un-check "Use simple file sharing (recommended)".
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
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Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Anteaus
Tue May 20 00:41:02 PDT 2008

I think it might be worth adding that this is an Extremely Bad Arrangement.
If any other workaround is possible, it should be used instead.

"Fernando Ronci" wrote:

> In order to support a legacy application I have to grant read/write access
> to the whole shared C: drive of a Windows XP Professional SP2 machine acting
> as a file server, including the C:\Windows folder.

Fernando
Tue May 20 09:06:10 PDT 2008

Thanks !! It worked.

Now I've got a partially related question.
When mapping the C$ share on each workstation for the first time, the system
offers the option to remember the Username & Password. When checked, the
user doesn't need to re-map and re-type the credentials every time his/her
machine is rebooted or turned on. However, there's a single Win XP machine
that for some obscure reason it doesn't have the checkbox "Remember
password". What's wrong with this machine? How do I fix it?

The same issue (save for a slightly difference) occurs in a couple of Vista
clients when they map the C$ share on the Windows XP file server. Although
these two Vista machines do have the option for remembering the password,
they don't honor it. Again, for some obscure reason, they don't re-map the
C$ share on the Win XP file server when they're rebooted or turned on. There
must be some sort of network protocols mismatch between Vista <---> XP. Is
there a solution ?

Thanks,
Fernando

"Steve Winograd" <bc070521m@comcast.net> escribió en el mensaje
news:4uo434d7k9g36i3i59vvnv833omo0ik3vm@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 19 May 2008 20:11:43 -0300, "Fernando Ronci"
> <fernandoronci@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> To allow networked access to the Windows folder, disable simple file
> sharing on the host machine:
>
> 1. Open My Computer.
> 2. Click Tools > Folder Options > View.
> 3. Scroll to the end of the advanced settings.
> 4. Un-check "Use simple file sharing (recommended)".
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Steve
Tue May 20 16:39:37 PDT 2008

On Tue, 20 May 2008 13:06:10 -0300, "Fernando Ronci"
<fernandoronci@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> To allow networked access to the Windows folder, disable simple file
>> sharing on the host machine:
>>
>> 1. Open My Computer.
>> 2. Click Tools > Folder Options > View.
>> 3. Scroll to the end of the advanced settings.
>> 4. Un-check "Use simple file sharing (recommended)".
>
>Thanks !! It worked.

You're welcome!!

>Now I've got a partially related question.
>When mapping the C$ share on each workstation for the first time, the system
>offers the option to remember the Username & Password. When checked, the
>user doesn't need to re-map and re-type the credentials every time his/her
>machine is rebooted or turned on. However, there's a single Win XP machine
>that for some obscure reason it doesn't have the checkbox "Remember
>password". What's wrong with this machine? How do I fix it?

Windows XP Home Edition doesn't have the "Remember Password" box. Only
XP Professional does.

>The same issue (save for a slightly difference) occurs in a couple of Vista
>clients when they map the C$ share on the Windows XP file server. Although
>these two Vista machines do have the option for remembering the password,
>they don't honor it. Again, for some obscure reason, they don't re-map the
>C$ share on the Win XP file server when they're rebooted or turned on. There
>must be some sort of network protocols mismatch between Vista <---> XP. Is
>there a solution ?

I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to this.

>Thanks,
>Fernando
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Fernando
Wed May 21 04:21:42 PDT 2008

"Steve Winograd" <bc070521m@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:45o6349u0qohmjaijho8blu4d5752n8257@4ax.com...
>
> Windows XP Home Edition doesn't have the "Remember Password" box. Only
> XP Professional does.
>

Thanks Steve.
Yes, the machine is running XP Home Edition.
Being unable to save the username/password poses a severe limitation from
the usability point of view.
Do you by chance know how can I programmatically map the C$ share via C# or
Powershell (or even the plain old NET USE command line) ? I understand that
the System.Management namespace has the facilities to do it. The idea is to
place an .exe or .bat in the startup folder to automatically do the mapping.

Thanks.
Fernando

Steve
Wed May 21 09:24:43 PDT 2008

On Wed, 21 May 2008 08:21:42 -0300, "Fernando Ronci"
<fernandoronci@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Windows XP Home Edition doesn't have the "Remember Password" box. Only
>> XP Professional does.
>
>Thanks Steve.
>Yes, the machine is running XP Home Edition.
>Being unable to save the username/password poses a severe limitation from
>the usability point of view.
>Do you by chance know how can I programmatically map the C$ share via C# or
>Powershell (or even the plain old NET USE command line) ? I understand that
>the System.Management namespace has the facilities to do it. The idea is to
>place an .exe or .bat in the startup folder to automatically do the mapping.
>
>Thanks.
>Fernando

You're welcome, Fernando. Here's how to specify a user name and
password in NET USE:

NET USE d: \\computer\share password /USER:name
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Fernando
Thu May 22 04:31:58 PDT 2008

Thanks Steve.
Everything is OK now.

Cheers,
Fernando

"Steve Winograd" <bc070521m@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:pfi834l6e99e3553ed4lppaj9gtr8cgptq@4ax.com...
>
> You're welcome, Fernando. Here's how to specify a user name and
> password in NET USE:
>
> NET USE d: \\computer\share password /USER:name

Steve
Fri May 23 19:31:20 PDT 2008

On Thu, 22 May 2008 08:31:58 -0300, "Fernando Ronci"
<fernandoronci@hotmail.com> wrote:

>> You're welcome, Fernando. Here's how to specify a user name and
>> password in NET USE:
>>
>> NET USE d: \\computer\share password /USER:name
>
>Thanks Steve.
>Everything is OK now.
>
>Cheers,
>Fernando

You're welcome, Fernando. :-)
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com