File Sharing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Bunton
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Jim Bunton

Windows xp media centre edition - fully updated

Problem cannot share a (any!) directory on a usb external hard disc

So far - can share c:\temp
folder options - use simple file sharing
properties > sharing - tick share this folder on the network - tick allow
others to change my files

Same settings for M:\. . [the usb connected external drive
The drive shows as a networked drive
BUT on attempted access ERROR "Not accessible - you might not have
permission"

? what to do to make the drive accesible by other network users
 
Jim said:
Same settings for M:\. . [the usb connected external drive
The drive shows as a networked drive
BUT on attempted access ERROR "Not accessible - you might not have
permission"
Click to expand...

Does the USB-attached drive appear as a Network drive, or as a
locally-attached drive?

If it appears as a network drive, then you won't be able to create a
share on the drive - it would be like creating a share on another
server. You can only create shares on locally attached drives (or if teh
network drive is on a real Windows server, by using the server
administration tools)

Run Computer Management, Disk Management, and see if the USB drive
appears there. If it does, then it should be a local drive (and you
should be able to create shares), If Disk Management does not see the
drive, then it is indeed presenting as a network drive, and creating a
share on teh drive could be quite difficult.

Hope it helps a bit,

Andrew
 
Thanks for your reply to my posting Andrew.

yes it appears as 'a disc' in ComputerManagement > Disk management

as disc 6! ( I have two internal drives disc 0 and disc 1
then 4 drives on my card reader
then the new usb hard disc Iomega HDD (M) 465 Gb Ntfs healthy
then the two CD Rom drives

[I can 'see' and access it on my own machine as a networked drive!]
NB - it's actually a directory I'm attempting to share - not the root]

Jim
Andrew McLaren said:
Jim said:
Same settings for M:\. . [the usb connected external drive
The drive shows as a networked drive
BUT on attempted access ERROR "Not accessible - you might not have
permission"
Click to expand...

Does the USB-attached drive appear as a Network drive, or as a
locally-attached drive?

If it appears as a network drive, then you won't be able to create a share
on the drive - it would be like creating a share on another server. You
can only create shares on locally attached drives (or if teh network drive
is on a real Windows server, by using the server administration tools)

Run Computer Management, Disk Management, and see if the USB drive appears
there. If it does, then it should be a local drive (and you should be able
to create shares), If Disk Management does not see the drive, then it is
indeed presenting as a network drive, and creating a share on teh drive
could be quite difficult.

Hope it helps a bit,

Andrew
Click to expand...
 
Windows xp media centre edition - fully updated

Problem cannot share a (any!) directory on a usb external hard
disc

So far - can share c:\temp
folder options - use simple file sharing
properties > sharing - tick share this folder on the network -
tick allow others to change my files

Same settings for M:\. . [the usb connected external drive
The drive shows as a networked drive
BUT on attempted access ERROR "Not accessible - you might not have
permission"

? what to do to make the drive accesible by other network users
Click to expand...

It may be a permissions problem.

Since you are using Simple File Sharing and your USB disk is a NTFS-
formatted disk, then any network access to a shared folder will be
forced to be made via the local "Guest" account.

Right-click on your folder, select "Properties" and click on the
"Security" tab. Make sure that the "Guest" user has privileges in
this folder.

HTH,
John
 
Jim said:
Thanks for your reply to my posting Andrew.

yes it appears as 'a disc' in ComputerManagement > Disk management

as disc 6! ( I have two internal drives disc 0 and disc 1
then 4 drives on my card reader
then the new usb hard disc Iomega HDD (M) 465 Gb Ntfs healthy
then the two CD Rom drives

[I can 'see' and access it on my own machine as a networked drive!]
NB - it's actually a directory I'm attempting to share - not the root]
Click to expand...

Hi Jim,

Hmm, strange. In that case, I tend to suspect that it's a permissions
issue, as described by John Wunderlich in his separate reply. Maybe try
futzing with the permissions a bit ... remember, you need to provide
access to both the Share (an object created by the Server service),
*and* the underlaying NTFS permissions (a separate but related object,
defined in the on-disk file system), in order to access the directory
from across the network.

"Simple File Sharing" is usually the best option (unless you have
elaborate file server requirements0; but if it isn't working as
expected, try turning it off; and then right click the directory and
check the permissions under both "Sharing" and "Security" tabs in the
Properties dialogue. Read access needs to be enabled in both, for the
share to be accessed across the network.

Good luck, hope this helps a bit!

Cheers
Andrew
 
John,
Thanks for your reply to my posting
When using either simple file sharing or not (with Media Centre Edition)
There is no access to the Guest Account from the sharing OR privacy tabs
(the latter only shown when Simple Fule Sharing is OFF)

The Microsoft help on the Guest Account is confusing! It says for example
that the default for guest account is disabled by default but says it
recommends that it isn't!

Well anyway - I now have access by
1. checking that the Guest Accont is "on" on BOTH machines
2. Use Simple sharing (seems to set this globally when you alter it for any
directory on any drive)
3. check that the external drive directory is
allow others share checked
allow others to change my files

BUT - I now find that I can turn Guest User OFF on both conputers
refresh explorer
I can still share
!!

Ah well - Thanks again for your posting - did result in me solving the
problem though I remain jusy a little confused about the sharing system!

Jim

John Wunderlich said:
Windows xp media centre edition - fully updated

Problem cannot share a (any!) directory on a usb external hard
disc

So far - can share c:\temp
folder options - use simple file sharing
properties > sharing - tick share this folder on the network -
tick allow others to change my files

Same settings for M:\. . [the usb connected external drive
The drive shows as a networked drive
BUT on attempted access ERROR "Not accessible - you might not have
permission"

? what to do to make the drive accesible by other network users
Click to expand...

It may be a permissions problem.

Since you are using Simple File Sharing and your USB disk is a NTFS-
formatted disk, then any network access to a shared folder will be
forced to be made via the local "Guest" account.

Right-click on your folder, select "Properties" and click on the
"Security" tab. Make sure that the "Guest" user has privileges in
this folder.

HTH,
John
Click to expand...
 
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300489


John,
Thanks for your reply to my posting
When using either simple file sharing or not (with Media Centre Edition)
There is no access to the Guest Account from the sharing OR privacy tabs
(the latter only shown when Simple Fule Sharing is OFF)

The Microsoft help on the Guest Account is confusing! It says for example
that the default for guest account is disabled by default but says it
recommends that it isn't!

Well anyway - I now have access by
1. checking that the Guest Accont is "on" on BOTH machines
2. Use Simple sharing (seems to set this globally when you alter it for any
directory on any drive)
3. check that the external drive directory is
allow others share checked
allow others to change my files

BUT - I now find that I can turn Guest User OFF on both conputers
refresh explorer
I can still share
!!

Ah well - Thanks again for your posting - did result in me solving the
problem though I remain jusy a little confused about the sharing system!

Jim

John Wunderlich said:
Windows xp media centre edition - fully updated

Problem cannot share a (any!) directory on a usb external hard
disc

So far - can share c:\temp
folder options - use simple file sharing
properties > sharing - tick share this folder on the network -
tick allow others to change my files

Same settings for M:\. . [the usb connected external drive
The drive shows as a networked drive
BUT on attempted access ERROR "Not accessible - you might not have
permission"

? what to do to make the drive accesible by other network users
Click to expand...

It may be a permissions problem.

Since you are using Simple File Sharing and your USB disk is a NTFS-
formatted disk, then any network access to a shared folder will be
forced to be made via the local "Guest" account.

Right-click on your folder, select "Properties" and click on the
"Security" tab. Make sure that the "Guest" user has privileges in
this folder.

HTH,
John
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
John,
Thanks for your reply to my posting
When using either simple file sharing or not (with Media Centre
Edition) There is no access to the Guest Account from the sharing
OR privacy tabs (the latter only shown when Simple Fule Sharing is
OFF)

The Microsoft help on the Guest Account is confusing! It says for
example that the default for guest account is disabled by default
but says it recommends that it isn't!

Well anyway - I now have access by
1. checking that the Guest Accont is "on" on BOTH machines
2. Use Simple sharing (seems to set this globally when you alter
it for any directory on any drive)
3. check that the external drive directory is
allow others share checked
allow others to change my files

BUT - I now find that I can turn Guest User OFF on both conputers
refresh explorer
I can still share
!!

Ah well - Thanks again for your posting - did result in me solving
the problem though I remain jusy a little confused about the
sharing system!

Jim
Click to expand...

A user account can be "on" or "off". It can also be "enabled" or
"disabled". You are confusing the two. On/Off applies to the ability
to login at the main keyboard of the machine (but doesn't affect
network access). Enable/Disable applies to everything. You can
disable the Guest account by entering the following command in a
command window:
net user guest /active:no
Then you won't be able to use it at all.

-- John
 
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