I'm working in a multi user environment and would like to find a way to prevent anyone else accessing work kept in a folder. How do I change permissions on the folder to prevent others from gaining access? I've tried to change the security permissions, but it also denies myself. I entered a special permission for just me to have access to the folder, and then prevented other users, but when I prevent other users it seems to over ride the other permission. Is there any way to prevent this over ride?

Thanks for any help, please ask any questions that may help you help me!

EDIT: This is on Windows XP by the way. Passwording files and/or folders would be helpful as well.

Edited 27 September, 201015 yr by Bezzy

Assuming different users have different accounts the way i'd do it (as a start point) would be to remove ALL entries from the Security tab and then place just my user back in there with Full Control.

Hiding folders gets a little more complicated.

MPM

You need XP Pro - you can then set the security to just a particular user. If they are documents in the folder you can just password protect them unless it is a p0rn folder you want to protect :p

It's not p0rn, no!

I work with people with learning disabilities, and they are prone to deleting things without consent! However, they have to be accessible so that teaching resources can be opened. I currently have to back everything up. I'm not sure if I can just put myself in there, don't know if it works or not. Something I'll have to look at.

At the minute the permissions are for 'creator/owner', 'administrator', and 'users'. There are multiple user accounts, 50+ or something similar, so it's not something like a home set-up, and there are maybe 20-30 computers too.

Not all programs are done in Microsoft programs, so not all files can be password protected either - bit of a pain really!

Any ideas?

Sounds like you need a server then tbh - get one of them sorted, put all the files on and play with the perms to your hearts content.

Would need to know how its set up before giving you any more advice - are they standalone just hooked to a router, part of a workgroup, part of a domain etc etc.

Make the users read only for everything?

Make the users read only for everything?

Not as easy as read only. They need read and execute at the very least. You could do write only for example on a work in folder. They could save to it and then nothing else, not even open files or folders.

Not as easy as read only. They need read and execute at the very least. You could do write only for example on a work in folder. They could save to it and then nothing else, not even open files or folders.

Ensure your normal users are defined as users on the XP machines and not in the admin group.

One the file/directories:

Admins (local machine): Full control

System: Full control

Users (local machine): Read & Execute

This assume your disks are formatted NTFS, which I am sure they are. If you are not in the local admin group, then add yourself in with full control (or add yourself to the local admin group). You can script the permissions and just run a batch file against each machine to set them up.

You need to be running the disk formatted as NTFS not FAT32.

Instructions to convert here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307881

You also need to make sure that your other user are not administrators or they will be able to access everything.

Alternatively you can make a secure volume (drive) using something like TrueCrypt which is free.

http://www.truecrypt.org/