disable "simple file sharing" over network on XP Home 1

[johnp73]

I want to disable simple file sharing on my XP Home PC (and stop it logging people in as guest who are accessing shared folders on my PC over the network)

The enable simple file sharing tick box is only available in XP Pro, it isn't there in XP home.

I know on XP home and an NTFS file system, there are ways of getting to the proper NTFS file permissions:

- run the shrpubw command and you can share a folder with proper permissions
or
- reboot into safe mode and in the properties sharing tab you can set permissions

However neither of these will disable simple file sharing over the network and although you can set access rights for individual users on the folder on the sharing PC anyone accessing shares over the network will still be logged in as guest and if guest or everyone doesn't have rights to access the folder they'll get access denied - even if they logged onto their computer as a user (with the same password) who has access rights to the folder on the sharing PC.


I've tried the following registry change:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"forceguest"=dword:00000000

(it starts off as "1" on XP home)
(it is "1" on XP Pro when "simple file sharing" is on, and it's "0" on XP Pro when "simple file sharing" has been turned off)

so i tried this on my XP Home but it isn't enough to turn off simple file sharing anyone accessing the PC over the network was still coming in as guest

Does anyone know what needs doing next. It may be something to do with guest or everyone rights or another registry change?


By the way if you go into users and groups and de-activate the guest account it only de-activates the local login - if anyone accesses a folder shared on the network from your PC they still get logged in as "guest"

 

[tfg13]

Have you tried to uncheck "Use simple file sharing(recommended)"? To get to this setting, open Windows explorer, tools, folder option, the view tab, and uncheck "use simple file sharing".

 

[johnp73]

That check box is only in XP Pro, it isn't in XP Home...

 

[tfg13]

According to this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040

Windows XP Home Edition-based computers always have Simple File Sharing enabled.

 

[johnp73]

Yes Microsoft have not provided Home users the GUI interface to disable Simple File Sharing but it's the same NTFS file system and the same underlying OS so I assume it's possible and as i said before if you use the shrpubw command in the Home edition you can share folders with proper NTFS file permissions (as with Simple File Sharing turned off in XP Pro). The only thing you need to do then is stop XP Home from logging in all network users as guest. So i suppose my question is better expressed:

How do you stop Windows XP Home logging all network users in as guest? If you make the guest account inactive using the "net user" command it seems to turn off file sharing altogether. I've also changed the forceguest registry setting as described in my original post, but that hasn't sorted it... so i assume there's something else to do - unless it really is impossible...

 

[mattyjenks]

Change the guest user password... works for me...

 

[johnp73]

Thanks for the advice and that does give more security but when i tried changing the "guest" user password every network user still logs in as "guest" (with that password) and i can't give some users access to some files and others to others as it were...

 

[tfg13]

Here is another MS article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302927/

Note that on Windows XP Professional computers that are not joined to a domain with simple file sharing enabled and on Windows XP Home Edition computers, all users are authenticated as guests.

 

[airbourne]

It's actually not possible. Microsoft has designed it intentionally so that people will buy XP PRO. You have probably already arrived at that conclusion, but when I asked the guys here at the shop, none of us could find a way to get around it. Had fun trying, but we sure did waste a lot of time.

 

[dglienna]

Disable the GUEST account.

-David
2006 Microsoft Valueable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[iownroot]

dglienna,ahhhh MVP stands for Most Valuable Professional, NOT Microsoft Valuable Professional. If you're going to claim to be something on a public forum, it's a good idea to at least know what the letters stands for.

Good day.

CISSP,ISC2 Affiliate & Instructor, MCT, MCSE2K/2K3, MCSA, CEH, Security+, Network+, CTT+, A+

 

[dglienna]

Well, MS gave it to me. Just describing in few words. Everybody knows that MVP stands for Most Valuable Player.

Maybe I'll add a word.

-David
2006 Microsoft Valueable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)