Re: Allowing file share browsing for un-authenticated users

On 27 May, 00:25, Nonapept...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
I have a Windows Server 2003 file server in a workgroup environment
that needs to allow anyone who plugs into the network to browse its
file shares without being prompted for a username and password.
Ideally it would behave just like a Windows XP machine that has a file
share. A simple UNC path like this: \\ServerName\ should reply with
the available file shares to anyone who asks.

What is the option to get this behaviour? I can't seem to find the
local policy to get this to work.

Thanks bunches,

In Win XP, there are 3 crucial options with file sharing.
Within ctrl panel..administrative tools....Local Security
Settings...Local policies
2 interesting options are in one subcategory, 1 is in the other.


Whether you check or uncheck SFS.. i.e. choose SFS or AFS.
It changes an option here.. And vice versa.
The place where the option is is
Local Security Settings...local policies...Security Options
Now see there are a bunch of items called "Network Access........."
The last one is "Sharing and security model for local accounts"

If you change that to Guest. then it does SFS.
If you change it to Authenticate as themselves, then it does AFS.

And vice versa.

Now.. regarding SFS
It does require the Guest account to be enabled,
And the other 2 interesting options are very important
"User rights assignments"
Allow - Everyone
Deny - <-- remove Guest from that list if it is there.

If you do those things, then any user can access. Because they
authenticate as Guest, and Guest can access.

I haven't used AFS as much, but

In Win XP..
if using AFS
and I mentioned how to set that option.. Your post suggests that
perhaps that classic tools..folder options..view..SFS/AFS option is
hard to find. So you can set AFS with that other option too. From
Local Security Settings.
Maybe it is in windows server too.

I think with AFS, users authenticate as themselves, and if that fails,
then it prompts them for a username/password. The username/password on
the remote machine.. (perhaps any user/pass on the remote machine)

So, if the account you are currently logged on as, exists on the
remote machine, then it will log in without a prompt.. i.e. identical
user account .
I don't know if it requires identical username, full name, and
password. Or just identical username and password.
.

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