User Profiles with XP Home version

[RustyDWO]

In this community center, where I share my knowledge of computing, we had 4 retrofit computers installed, at arival of the broadband connection, with the OS XP-home.
3 PC's are for the co-operators while the fourth is for general use as well internet access fot visitors.
This last became a proble when somebody started MSN.... Now his .NET Passport name is connected to the supervisor and she does not like it at all (the name that is).
We tried and searched forums to come to the conclusion that the Home version is not able to create user profiles and set restriction.
We tried the program WinForcer-lite but that's no good for a user with knowledge above average. Besides I find it confusing.
I also tried to copy the rgedit.msc (that does the trick in Pro) which opens but can't initialize and comes with one of those MS keys it can't find.

Q1. Is there no (free)program like TweakUI that I can use to get this problem sorted???

Q2. Other alternatives besides upgrading to Pro version.

 

[bcastner]

I am not certain what your problem is.

1. XP Home certainly can have user profiles, and restrictions.

2. Administrator names can be changed.

3. Passwords can be changed.

4. Are you talking about Messenger in regards to .NET passwords and usernames?

5. Are all the computers members of a workgroup?

6. How are you sharing the internet connection?

 

[RustyDWO]

Dear bcastner,

(Due to te fact that I'm living in a different timezone gives delay to responding)
In reply to your response the following and correct me if I'm wrong.

1) Yes, but the restriction can't be adjusted to need. Take it (limited access) as MS provides!

2) Yes, but what's the use of that unless somebody takes over?

3) Yes, but that was not any of the problems.

4) No, the relation between .NET pasport and user account.. Once applied you can only change but not disconnect a pasport from an account. No way of getting disconnecte from MS. Personally; it feels like a booby trap. I was glad that I could at least prohibbit MSN to be started via the register.

5) No, because to my knowledge thats not possible with PC's running only with the home version and without a server. That's why....

6) the PC's are sharring the internet connection via a 6-gate ethernet modem/router which I heve the feeling also makes file sharring more obnoxious and slower than it should.

The problems in short.
a) How to disconnect a .NET pasport from an account?
b) How to define (really limit) access in detail for a (guest) user?

Thanks for any reply or suggestion

 

[bcastner]

Your statements in #1, #4, #5 and #6 above really cry out for you to obtain some expert assistance at your community center. XP Home has none of the access control restrictions you claim; you cannot restrict MSN by a registry edit, although you could easily restrict MSN Messenger through the registry; you can remove .NET password accounts; and properly setup file sharing and internet access through a router is neither obnoxious nor slow.

I am reluctant to provide any greater details as I am concerned that you might inadvertantly do more harm than good at the site. Do some reading on the use of the policy, group and password control editors under Win2k and XP. Read some more about Groups and Users, including defining new Groups if you feel constrained by the XP default Group definitions. As it seems you have a working network, read some more about the difference between 'Simple file sharing' and the alternatives under XP; and how to network using only Netbios instead of other and slower protocols.

 

[RustyDWO]

Dear bcastner,

Your statement about expert assistance is a financial problem as the idea is to manage the place with volunteers pf which several have more than basic knowledge of PC's and there OS's. The initial network was istalled by a proffesional compagny. But with exploring persons with complete accessibility it soon become a junkyard.
I'm not sure if the XP Home version here in Europa is simular to those in the USA but I begin to wonder.
Since your reluctancy about providing information and advice
in greater detail, give me at least some hints or links to site that provide information for this. I couldn't find them yet. Even MS.com is "afraid" to reveal information and are probibly more afraid one ends up with a none working system then you are.
We did more than some reading but 99% concerns XP Pro.
In the helpfiles there is absolutely nothing about Groups nor default of that item.
In our XP Home version there is only 1 filesharing method which is similar to the W98 method. When done these folders are accessible for any other user on the network via explorer. Not what we want. User restrictions seem very important in this matter.
In the LAN properties "Client for MS-networking" and associated "File Printersharing" is installed.
I also noticed that in the properties for LAN, which were installed by the profs, there is "QoS packageplanner" which I found in another thread as a problem.
Netbios is set "Standard" in "TCP/IP settings - WINS"

Thanks for any reply or suggestion

 

[wolluf]

RustyDWO

did rgedit.msc mean gpedit.msc? Doesn't work on Home - Group policies not available - so as you say, you are stuck with levels M$ give you for Administrator and 'limited' user. Users do get profiles - but access level is set as mentioned (so just Administrators and 'limited' users).

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxpsimsh.htm

has some details about simplified file sharing in XP (the site has lots of networking info - mostly not about XP Home unfortunately). As that page says, you need to use safe mode to change sharing security permissions.

Don't know if this any use to you (I have limited experience with Home version - have no idea how to disconnect a .NET passport from user in Home).

 

[RustyDWO]

Wolluf,

Thanks very much for this answer.
Yes I ment gpedit.
Finally somebody who agrees that the Home version is like a strait-waistcoat but we are stuck because its provided with the PC. Another MS monopoly!

 

[vickero007]

Hey RustyDWO

You may have tried this, but I figured I'd mention it even though I've never done it.

Start>>Run type control userpasswords2 and hit enter
Click Advanced tab
Click Manage passwords and see if there is anything there, if there is remove it.

About access...
Disable Simple file sharing on all computers:

Click Start then click on My Computer.
At the top of the My Computer window click on Tools then click on Folder Options.
In the Folder Options window click on the View tab.
Under Advanced Settings scroll down to the bottom and the last option will be “Use simple file sharing (Recommended)”. Uncheck this option.
Click Ok to apply settings and close this window.

Assuming they have NTFS file system?...
Okay, now what you want to do is only allow users to login to the guest account on the computer anyone can use. Also, in all of the other computers boot in Safe Mode (F8 while booting) and choose Safe Mode with Networking. Go to the C drive, right-click it and choose Properties. Click Permissions. Make the guest account have denied access/no permissions.
Also at the other 3 computers:

Go to Control Panel>>User Accounts and turn the Guest account on.

Go to Start>>Run and type Net user guest password and hit enter

Go back to Control Panel>>User Accounts and click the guest account. Now you can add a password to it. If the other 3 computers all had the same login password, and you made this password the same as those, then they could all share their files with no problems. But, if the other computer logs in with a different password then it will not be able to access those shares (a password box will pop up).

You could also remove all of the items from the start menu in the guest account on that computer that can be used by anyone. Put an internet explorer link on the desktop and figure out how to disable things like right-click desktop/taskbar and such (probably tweak program).

If you edit the registry like this you can remove My Computer from the start menu too (should be the only thing left after you remove everything else in Taskbar Properties>>Start Menu>>Customize)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum
Value: 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = show, 1 = remove)

Good luck,

-Volkoff007

 

[RustyDWO]

Volkoff007,

Thanks for the extended post and I'll surely try this. You once again proved that not every (IS/IT--manageme) person hides in mistery.

[COLOR=#ff000]In the mean time I also found this site:

http://home.covad.net/~zeiler07/gphome.html

[/color]

 

[wolluf]

RustyDWO - looks like a useful site for (advanced) Home users.