The previous installments of this article described the ins and outs of NTFS permissions. However, permissions do not stop there. When it comes to a network environment, you also need to be familiar with share permissions.

The default share permissions in Windows XP include:

• Full Control - Allows a user to create, delete, modify, and grant share permissions

• Read - Allows a user to read the contents of a folder, but not modify any contents. Users cannot create files either.
• By default the Users group is assigned Read permission to a shared folder.
• Change - Allows a user to create, delete, and modify the contents of a folder. This includes creating documents and subfolders.

Share permissions can be set from a folder’s properties dialog box after it has been shared. A shared folder can be created within Windows Explorer using the steps outlined below. Keep in mind that by default, the Everyone group is granted Read permission to a shared folder.

1. Right click the appropriate folder and click Properties.

2. Select the Sharing tab.
3. Click the Share this folder option.
4. Click the Permissions button to specify which users and groups have access to the folder and the type of access they will have.
5. Click OK.
6. Use the up and down arrows beside User limit to configure how many users can connect to the shared folder at one time.
7. Click OK.

Another method of sharing a folder is to use the Shared Files wizard. This method is useful if you are sharing several folders. You can launch the Shared Files wizard using the following steps:

1. Click Start and select Run.

2. Type shrpubw.exe and click OK.
3. The Create Shared Folder dialog box appears.
4. Browse to the location of the folder you want to share.
5. Type in a share name and a description.
6. Click Next.
7. Specify the type of permissions by selecting one of the options shown in the figure.
8. Click Finish.
9. Click Yes if you want to create another shared folder. Otherwise, click No.

You can also share and stop sharing resources from the command prompt. This is accomplished using the ‘net share’ command. To share a resource using this method, open the command prompt from the Accessories sub menu on the Start menu. Next, type in the ‘net share sharename’. For example, to share a folder on you D drive called Files, simply type the following at the command prompt:
net share Files=d:\

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