Permissions - convoluted question

[Ancient]

Just installed WinXP on my laptop (clean install, no other OS). Having a
problem with one little thing. First, here's what the machine does OK, and
what I need it to do:

1) Successful: Got it networked through a router to my office desktop
machine. Able to see laptop C-drive in its entirety on my desktop, and vice
versa. Only two machines connected this way, and that's all there will ever
be.

2) Successful: Laptop has web access via the router.

3) Laptop will occasionally be used by 2 other people at home, so I have 3
profiles: Mine (admin), and 2 others (not admin).

4) Desktop is part of a VPN setup to my remote company HQ, and laptop may
end up this way, too. This info's provided as background, in case it's
relevant to the next thing, below.

The two other home users are the type that tech support people dread, or
want to shoot. They flail with the mouse and delete things without knowing why. They see error messages and dismiss them before writing them down. I thought XP would provide the ability to keep these users from messing the the entire C-drive, while still allowing them to mess up just what's in their My Documents/My Pictures, etc folders.

But, if I log into their profiles, I find that they can hide/unhide/destroy the entire C-drive contents (via My Computer). How do I deal with this? I
don't want them to be able to see, touch, smell or fondle anything but their own folders.

One last thing: The desktop uses the same workgroup name as the machines I access at my headquarters through the VPN. I used the same workgroup name for the laptop because I assumed it had to be this way in order to access the desktop. And, there's no domain assigned (yet).

So, how do I limit the users on this laptop?

Someone in a winxp newsgroup suggested looking at the group policy editor (gpedit.msc), at the "users and groups" section, but I don't see that when I start the utility.
Help!

[snowmonkey]

First thing is First, is your file system NTFS or FAT32, if you have FAT32 then changing Group Policy will not help you at all,,your users will be able to access everything anyways.

I have tried Access Manager software and it works great for Administrator's who want to lock other users out, here is the link, give it a try: http://www.softheap.com/fr.html


cheers

[Ancient]

I set up the machine with NTFS.

I appreciate the software tip, but isn't there a way of achieving my goal using only what XP came with?

[Play_The_0dds]

just my opinion, being that you dont know how to do this, snowmonkey's software link looks like a really good idea, if you use the xp settings to do this, you can lock yourself out of everything causing major problems. sometimes a third party interface is a better way to go, most have undo options and instructions that prevent you from totally trashing your system, i sound very over cautious, but this is having seen people loose things they can not replace. tech forums are good sounding boards for problems, i use them myself. but know this, if someone post you should do this and do that, they may be 12 and mad at the world. i no longer post registry hacks or system configurations that could make a bad situation worse, just try to keep my post to fix basic problems so people dont have to pay for every little problem that comes up. some feel comfortable handing out "fixes" which they are correct, but if the person following the instructions misunderstands, or for example in the reg sets the wrong key, disaster strikes, much in there looks the same.

[Ancient]

OK....but I like risk, and this machine has nothing of value on it yet, so if I trash it, I'll just start over. How else am I going to learn?

My son has the same strategy for skateboarding: JUST DROP IN! I'm adapting it to computers. :-)

[Play_The_0dds]

http://support.microsoft.com/default...NoWebContent=1
http://support.microsoft.com/default...NoWebContent=1
http://www.activewin.com/tips/reg/1/reg_tip_6.shtml
that should prety much get you on the right track, you can search the microsoft site for about every need you should have.

[snowmonkey]

"""My son has the same strategy for skateboarding: JUST DROP IN! I'm adapting it to computers"" , as an adult you should know that you don't want to dive into an empty pool,, take known_criminal advise and read up about it first.


cheers