Restricting shared folder access on Windows 7 network?

Factual Questions
1

I have seven computers on the same LAN, all of them running Windows 7.

Computer 1 has a second HDD that all other computers share. I want to restrict access, so computers 2,3 and 4 have access to only a specific set of folders on Computer 1 while computers 6 and 7 have access to another set of folders. There will be another set of folders that will be accessed only from Computer 1 itself, none other will have access there.

How can I do that?

2

You can’t restrict access based on computer name, just user account.

The “server” is the computer with the shared disk…

First, ensure all the computers are in the same workgroup - this makes things easier. Then, ensure that all the computers are logging on with different accounts (if you use auto-logon). Set up all user accounts on the “server”, and then set up user accounts for specific users on specific machines and use the same password on “server” and workstation accounts.

A digression: PC1\user1 is not the same as PC2\user1, even in a workgroup. But… if PC2\user1 tries to connect to PC1, it will first try user1. If the two user1 accounts have the same password, authentication will occur. Otherwise, the user will have to authenticate as PC1\user1, with the right password.

On the “server”, create your folders, right click, choose the permissions tab. Add the specified permissions for the local user accounts. Deny access to users that you do not want in the folder. Do this for all folders.

Now, you can set up your whole disk share to give all users access, and the lower-level filesystem permissions you just applied will restrict access (MS networking 101 - the most restrictive permissions apply). I would also share each folder, add fileshare permissions in the same way and get users to attach to those shares, so they don’t see the other folders.

3

Thanks! That was exactly what I needed.

BTW, will this work on Windows 7 Home too? I am not sure what version do these computers have.

4

Yes. workgroup-based sharing is supported on all editions of Windows 7, and every previous version of windows (though you may need to do some extra configuring on the server to talk to Windows 9x-era machines)