IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
MORE INFORMATION
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve
problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own
risk.
In Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, if working in a workgroup, the
Security tab is hidden by default. This behavior occurs because in Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, guests are forced to log on to a workgroup.
NOTE: Security can only be set in an NTFS partition. If you remove the Everyone group from the NTFS permissions, the file or folder is inaccessible over the network.
When Simple file sharing is enabled, the user is presented with the Simple File Sharing UI rather than the classic "Security" and "Sharing" tabs. This new UI is implemented by default in Windows XP, Windows XP Home Edition, and Windows XP Professional when working in a workgroup. However, the computer is started in Safe mode, the ACL editor is displayed.
The simplified Sharing UI is different for My Documents and the folders that are located in My Documents. When the My Documents folder is opened, the following options are displayed:
- Only I have access to this folder
- This folder is shared on the network
Share name: - Allow other users to change my files
However, when the other folders is opened, the following options are displayed:
- Share name:
- Allow other users to change my files
In addition, when a user password is created in Control Panel, the
Protect The My Documents Folder option is displayed. On a Windows XP Professional-based computer, only you can make a registry change to show the classic security UI.
Registry Key and Values
When security settings are set in Windows XP, the following registry key is used:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
The values are:
- ForceGuest=1: Use this value to force guests on
- ForceGuest=0: Use this value to force guests off
The following table describes the default value for the
ForceGuest registry key for each operating system mode and the Sharing UI and ACL editor behavior.
|
| Personal | 1 (no choice) | Simple | Not available |
| Personal in Safe mode | 1 (no choice) | Classic | Available |
| Professional | 0* | Classic | Available |
| Professional | 1 | Simple | Not available |
| Professional in Safe mode | 0 | Classic | Available |
| Professional in Safe mode | 1 | Classic | Available |
Windows XP Professional defaults to normal authentication but supports the
Log on as Guest option. For example, if the computer is upgraded from Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, and Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows XP Professional uses the
Guest if in a workgroup option by default.
NOTE: You cannot share a folder that is located in My Documents after you configure the simple Sharing and Security setting to
Only I have access to this folder. When security is set for the parent folder, security is set on all child folders; security settings cannot be changed from the child folders.