# Password-protecting a share on XP **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909 "2005-04-24T21:59:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909/1 "2005-04-24T21:59:26Z")
Uh… how? I feel silly for asking something that ought to be so simple, but I can’t find a way to do this, and a half-hour or so of digging around online doesn’t help, either. It seems like the available options are “Nobody can read/write/read and write to this folder” or “Everybody can read/write/read and write to this folder.” I only want someone with the appropriate Shibboleth to read/write to the folder. This should be easy, right? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909/2 "2005-04-24T22:33:36Z")
Open Folder Options in Control Panel. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Folder Options. On the View tab, under Advanced settings, clear Use simple file sharing [Recommended]. Now you’ll see an extra tab called ‘security’ when you right-click on a folder and go to properties. Here you can give specific users access to your folders as opposed to just everyone. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909/3 "2005-04-24T23:28:55Z")
I don’t think it can be done on XP home. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909/4 "2005-04-25T04:50:25Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > Here you can give specific users access to your folders as opposed to just everyone. Password access would be better, but I’d settle for user level access, doesn’t seem to work. (The user that needs access is running Windows 98, so there may be a compatibilty issue.) As it stands, I can’t navigate through XP’s dialogue to find the user. (The Win98 machine doesn’t appear in the list of available locations.) > [@chrisk](#): > > I don’t think it can be done on XP home. Aye, I suppose that figures. ---
**Author:** ![longat24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f17d59/32.png) [@longat24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longat24)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909/5 "2005-04-25T05:11:58Z")
so with Windows SMB sharing there are several options. You should be able to do a “share” level permision based on the share, where you can assign it based on a password for the share. Please note this at least works in Samba on Unix machines. A decent link was: > **[Library & Technology](https://www.wellesley.edu/lts)** > > Library & Technology Services Critical Security Update for MacsFall HoursLTS Service FAQ - Fall 2021 In your case, don’t remove everyone, but you should be able to assign “everyone” a password. This will allow anonymous traffic but with a password requirement. You should also try finding the “allow guest” option. It should work. Now if you are not a member of the domain then you might want to read this article, turns out XP has changed: [http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prde\_ffs\_ypuh.asp](http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prde_ffs_ypuh.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-protecting-a-share-on-xp/300909/6 "2005-04-25T11:51:19Z")
I’m not aware of any Windows OS ever allowing access to a folder by a password? I’m sure you checked byt can you ping the Win98 machine? In the same workgroup? Can the Win98 ‘see’ the Xp at least?