Windows XP NTFS file/share permissions...

Probably the highest item on my pet peeve list for Windows XP is the fact that if you are not running as part of a domain, instead using workgroups, you are unable to modify the directory permissions that NTFS allows you to have.  You are stuck with the simple file sharing model; allowing you to only share a folder and state whether you want people to have modify rights on that share.  You are unable to modify the folder directly and give a person in the user group rights to a folder that might otherwise be only allowed for power users and above.  This is, frankly, annoying.  If your in the Administrators group, you should be able to administer the NTFS permissions.  Also, if going to have a simplified interface, fine… but have an Advanced button like most everything else has.

Anyways, all this time I’ve been using Windows XP, I’ve been limited by this issue.  It’s not readily obvious how to modify this behavior; however, it is actually pretty simple and I hate to even admit that I was unable to find it ;-)

To return the advanced share tab and the security tab for folder properties, just follow these very simple instructions.

• Open Windows Explorer.
• Select the Tools menu.
• Select Folder Options...
• Select the View tab.
• Scroll the Advanced settings list to the very bottom.

At this point, you will see the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) option that is current enabled.  Uncheck the checkbox and you now have the control that you should have, not that simplified crap that XP wants to give you by default ;-)

Told you it was simple… If it were a snake…