LITTLEBLACKDOG.COM

Tail-Wagger Joined: 10 Aug 2003 Age: 24 Posts: 2202

is there a way to stop people on the network from copying files on to their hard drives?

right now i only am allowing one PC on the network to view my music/vidoes (the "Media Center" PC) however, my roomates could still leech my shit. they could take the files from my pc, put on the media pc, then from there over to their computers.

i know it sounds kind-of rediculous, and almost impossible to allow read, but not copy.

but i thought it was worth a try.

i'm running windows xp pro.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 7:35 am Post subject:

What format is you HD? If it is NTFS you could lock it down with permissions.

Tail-Wagger Joined: 10 Aug 2003 Age: 24 Posts: 2202

scarecrow wrote:
What format is you HD? If it is NTFS you could lock it down with permissions.

yes, its NTFS. but i cant figure out how to set up permissions to work that way.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 9:38 am Post subject:

Can't be done. If someone can read it they can make a copy of it.

Moderator Joined: 26 May 2001 Posts: 8155 Location: Borneo

you could inflate the mp3 to wav and let them read that. But Demon is right

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 10:56 am Post subject:

Are you using the HTPC software to access the network share directly?

If so you could do the following:
1. Set permissions on your computer to allow only yourself (And whoever else may need access to them locally), then allow a universal ID for the HTPC software
2. Use the "RunAs" Command for the software

This may work....but if it doesnt, post what media software your using, how they get the files from your comp, and all the other good details Smile

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 11:04 am Post subject:

Sorry must have misread your post there

Tail-Wagger Joined: 10 Aug 2003 Age: 24 Posts: 2202

i'm using myHTPC. and i kind-of figured that if you can read, then you can copy.

i was just hoping that there was some way to do it.

right now i'm just not sharing the folder, and when i want to go to the media pc, i'll share it.

that seems like the only fail proof method.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 8:14 pm Post subject:

spark rain fire wrote:
i'm using myHTPC. and i kind-of figured that if you can read, then you can copy.

i was just hoping that there was some way to do it.

right now i'm just not sharing the folder, and when i want to go to the media pc, i'll share it.

that seems like the only fail proof method.

Ok, Setting permissions and using the RunAs command for myHTPC don't appear to work, but there are the following alternatives:

1. Use Administrative Shares. Don't share the folder at all, instead just check to see if the admin share is on. E.G. C:\Music that is normally shared as \\computername\music can now be shared as \\computername\c$\music.

This will allow you to log on to your username at the media PC, map a drive to the needed folders and they will authenticate using your user id/password on the remote machine.

Downsides: Everyone you want to give access to these files will need to have admin priveldges on your machine.

2. although I have not tried the following, you can give it a shot. Use the local computer policy to block access to the computer from the network. You can do this via the following:
2A. Go to start -> Run and type in MMC
2B. Go to File - > Add/Remove Snap-in -> Click on Add -> Select Group Policy -> Click on Add -> Group Policy Object = Local Computer - > Click on Finish
2C. Click on Close -> Click on OK
2D. Navigate to the following location in the group policy: Console Root\Local Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment
2E. In this location, select "Access this computer from the network", change this to the allowed usernames to access this computer over a network (Your Username(s)).

This should idealy prevent access to the computer over a network with the exception of the user names/groups you specify.

The only other portion to lock would be the following scenario: I am at the media PC and copy the file to the media PC, then copy it to my computer (Because I figured out I cant access the media PC over the network), or I copy directly from your pc, to my PC. This would be harder to enforce....but the above suggestion may help in the meantime until other alternatives are found (Such as shelling out to myhtpc, and really locking down the media pc)

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 9:02 pm Post subject:

I'm assuming this media PC is yours right? So why can't you shut off network sharing on the media PC so your friends can't leach from it? Then it wouldn't do them any good to leach stuff from your puter to the media PC cuz they couldn't get it from there.

Also, if this is a problem, could you not password the media PC so they can't use it? Or limit their access to only stuff locally on the media PC not the network resources?

EEps · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 10:00 pm Post subject:

If you want them to just listen to stuff without copying...couldn't you just stream yer stuff? Wink Smile

Tail-Wagger Joined: 10 Aug 2003 Age: 24 Posts: 2202

tecgod13 wrote:
I'm assuming this media PC is yours right? So why can't you shut off network sharing on the media PC so your friends can't leach from it? Then it wouldn't do them any good to leach stuff from your puter to the media PC cuz they couldn't get it from there.

Also, if this is a problem, could you not password the media PC so they can't use it? Or limit their access to only stuff locally on the media PC not the network resources?

the media pc is for 'everyone' thats why i have to get my personal files from the network. my current method of not sharing my folders, then sharing them when i go to the living room seems to be working alright.

Tail-Wagger Joined: 10 Aug 2003 Age: 24 Posts: 2202

BamZipPow wrote:
If you want them to just listen to stuff without copying...couldn't you just stream yer stuff?

i have no knowledge in this area