Windows 2000 Quick Fixes

Chapter 8.  Sharing and Accessing Network Resources

The primary purpose for a network is to enable users to share their resources and data, whether those resources are files, printers, email, or other data. Windows 2000 makes it easy to share resources and access shared resources across the network, giving you various levels of security to protect those resources as needed. For example, you can use two different levels of access control to restrict user access to your shared resources: share permissions and NTFS permissions. As you’ll learn in this chapter, these two types of permissions help you fine-tune the access you want others to have to your shared folders and files.

You’ll also learn in this chapter about hidden shares, which are accessible just like a regular share but don’t show up when users browse the network for shared resources. Windows 2000 uses hidden shares for administrative purposes, and you’ll learn how to take advantage of these shares as well as hide shared resources from browsing.

Security goes hand-in-hand with resource sharing, and this chapter provides solutions for sharing-related security issues. You’ll discover how to determine which users are connected to your computer at any given time and what resources those users are accessing. You’ll also learn how to control access and turn off file sharing altogether if needed. Another important security-related topic explained in this chapter is user rights, which define the types of tasks a user can perform. ...