XP Home Edtion: shared folder workaround

What are shared folders? They are folders that are shared or can be share by users
inside or outside your network. In Windows XP Home Edition there's no way to add a
password to a shared folder, which means unrestricted access to the folder. Leaving it open to
attackers that have a valid user name and password. (ex:user = john pass = ********)
A simple workaround will prevent outsiders from accessing shared folders. If attackers don't have
a valid user name and password, they can access a shared folder only as Guest(Microsoft's default
user account) by default you can't password-protect it. So lets workaround this drawback:

*Log on as Administrator.
*Go to Settings| Control Panel| User Accounts, and click on Guest Account to make sure it is
turned on.
*Go to Start| Run, then type cmd.exe, then hit Enter.
*At prompt type net user guest password then hit Enter.
*Go back to User Accounts and click on Guest Account.
*Now U can add a password, do so then reboot.

From now on any attempt to log on to a shared folder for Guest account will require the
Guest password for access even if guest account is turned off!!


Knowingishalfthepower

knew there was a reason I keep coming here... cheers v much for this info phaza7 - this issue has been bugging me for a while. As a thought I know that there is a 'hidden' admin account on winxp... do you know if it is possible to use the above procedure to similarly password protect that account as well?

edit:

just found a way to answer my own question, thought I'd share it

goto

start > run

type in

control userpasswords2

this will bring up a dialogue box that will allow you to change not only the guest and hidden admin account passowrds but also the default login names for these accounts. enjoy

Z

Thanks for that, never thought about the defaults for user accounts

useful info 10x

in my work i notice that,only one thing is bugging me:

If attackers don't have
a valid user name and password, they can access a shared folder only as Guest

i find some boxes whit that, in user name have: box name\Guest , but no way to access , and they have the original installation

you can remove the folders or restrict access.. ( you can quite easily make your folders read only so if they want to tamper with anything they have to copy it to their machine first.) you can find all great information about tweaking XP the way you want it at www.tweakxp.com it is a really cool site

Actually I found in any NT platform, why not just go old school. Use the Computer Management feature? In there it gives you a list of any account (Under Local Users and Settings, then Users). You can click on the Guest user and then disable the account. That way no one can long in as a guest, there is no guest account, etc.

I've never used HomeXP though, I've only used XP Pro, and all the other NT platforms. As I've heard HomeXP is the same, just doesn't have certain features. Could someone let me know if this works? Thats what I do on all my machines after I install XP Pro.