Enable/Disable File Sharing in Windows XP

[Source: http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/winxpnetworking/ht/winxpsfs.htm]
[Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Disable-Simple-File-Sharing-in-Windows-XP-Home-Edition]

If you want to specify access to certain files on your computer by specific users and groups, you need to set advanced-level file and folder permissions. Before this is possible, you must disable the simple file sharing capabilities in your Windows XP software.

(1) Windows XP Professional Edition

The below step-by-step instructions explain how to enable/disable SFS in Windows XP Professional.

Here's How:

1. Open My Computer from the Start Menu or Windows XP Desktop. A new My Computer window will appear.
2. Open the Tools menu and choose the "Folder Options..." option from this menu. A new Folder Options window will appear.
3. Click on the View tab and locate the "Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)" checkbox in the list of Advanced Settings.
4. To enable Simple File Sharing, ensure this checkbox is checked. To disable Simple File Sharing, ensure this checkbox is not checked. Click inside the checkbox to alternately enable and disable the option.
5. Click OK to close the Folder Options window. The settings for Simple File Sharing are now updated; no computer reboot is required.

Tips:

1. The Simple File Sharing checkbox should be at or near the bottom of the Advanced Settings list in the My Computer Folder Options.
2. Enabling Simple File Sharing prevents the ability to assign user-level passwords to shares. When Simple File Sharing is enabled on a computer, remote users will not be prompted for a password when accessing that computer's shares.
3. If the Windows XP Professional computer is part of a Windows domain rather than a Windows workgroup, this process for enabling or disabling Simple File Sharing has no effect. Simple File Sharing always remains disabled for computers joined to domains.

(2) Windows XP Home Edition

You can disable simple file sharing in XP Professional, but not XP Home. Windows XP Home Edition was not designed for high security networking. It was designed for standalone workstations and home based Workgroup configurations. Fear not, there is a way around this.

Here's How:

1. Restart your computer in Safe Mode. To do this, follow these steps:
   • Restart your computer. Before you see the Windows XP logo, hold down the F8 key.
   • Select Safe Mode.
2. Login in as Administrator. You'll get a warning about running in Safe Mode. Click Yes.
3. Find the folder whose permissions you wish to change. Right click on that folder, and select Properties.
4. Select the Security tab and change the permissions of the desired folder(s). You can now change all the permissions of the folder just like you would in Windows 2000.

Tips:

1. If you are looking for information on accessing the file permission settings with Windows XP Professional, see the external links.
2. In other versions of Windows such as Media Center and Professional all you have to do is go to Tools --->Folder Options. Then go to the "view" tab. Go to the white box and scroll all the way down and uncheck the box that says "use simple file sharing".