Pakku’s Blog

If you read my previous post, Takin’ control over network permissions, you would probably have noticed that it is now very easy to access your files from any computer in your network.

But isn’t this a bit too easy?

By accessing files on an other computer, you are logged on on that computer by the Guest account. Normally this account doesn’t have a password, so Windows doesn’t ask for one.

Previously we have set the Guest account to full control, although the Windows, Program files and user folders still can’t be touched, if someone hacks your network, which is very easy if you have a wireless access-point which isn’t well secured.

As I said before, the Guest account hasn’t a password, and this is the weakness of your network.

So how to set a password on a account which is not initiated to be set with a password?

1. Login as Administrator or as an user with
2. Administrative rights.
3. Click Start, Run.
4. Type command or cmd and press OK.
5. Type net user guest *
6. Enter the Password.
7. Re-enter the Password.

For the one of us who don’t like to do stuff trough the command prompt, here an alternative:

1. Go to Control Panel.
2. Click Performance and Maintenance icon.
3. Click Administrative Tools icon.
4. Double-Click Computer Management icon.
5. Click + sign of Local Users and groups, Users in the Computer Management window.
6. Right-click Guest user in the right pane and click Set Password.
7. Click Proceed button.

NOTE: Do not set password, if the guest user has any encrypted files.

1. Enter a valid password.
2. Re-enter the password.
3. You will get the “The password has been set.” Window.
4. Click OK.

Changing/deleting the password of the Guest account can be done by the normal procedure, so like any other account.

For the advanced users, read on, the rest of you: good luck and see you soon.

To do all this you have to enable the Guest account as you know, the key thought is that there has to be 1 account on all machines that has the same name.

So if you have an account on you computer, for example: Davis, and you set the network permissions that Davis only can access the network share with some sort of right, now can only computers who have an Davis account access that share.

This is just the theory I know, it is up to you to set it up, but with a little thinking and patience this can’t be difficult.

Pakku