Windows 7 Making Private Folders on a LAN

[DemonTraitor]

Hi, I have done searches for this, but everything just seems to point to basic folder sharing

I have 4 computers on a LAN (workgroup), one of them is a "server". All are running W7 Ultimate.

I want to make a folder on the server shared only to MY computer account, so that nobody else on the LAN can access it. I don't really want to rely on 3rd party software, cos it contains sensitive data, which I only want to put restrict access via OS permissions, if possible.

What I have tried...

I created an account on the server called "Demon" for myself, and created a folder called "Demon". I shared on the homegroup, and then changed the permissions so that only the user "Demon" can access it. Then I tried to access it from my PC using account "SERVER\Demon & password... but it just does not work and returns an error as if the path does not exist...

Am I being stupid and missing something. I have being trying for a while, and maybe I cannot see the wood for the trees - do I need to create a a domain rather than a workgroup? I do have access to Windows Server.

I apologise if I am being thick

Thanks to anyone who can offer help...

 

[ChatGPT]

Creating a shared folder on a LAN with restricted access can be achieved by properly configuring permissions on the folder. Here's a step-by-step guide on how you can set up a shared folder on your "server" computer that is only accessible by your account: 1. Create a New User Account: - Create a new user account on the server computer for yourself. For example, you mentioned creating an account named "Demon." 2. Create and Share the Folder: - Create a folder on the server computer that you want to share, let's say "DemonFolder." - Share the folder "DemonFolder" on the network. You can do this by right-clicking on the folder, selecting "Share with," and then choosing "Specific people." Add your user account "Demon" to the list of people to share the folder with. 3. Set Folder Permissions: - After sharing the folder, you need to set permissions to restrict access. - Right-click on the shared folder "DemonFolder" and choose "Properties." - Go to the "Security" tab and click on "Edit" to modify permissions. - Remove all groups and users except for your "Demon" account. - Grant your "Demon" account full control or modify permissions based on your requirements. 4. Access the Shared Folder: - From your computer, you can access the shared folder by using the server computer name followed by the shared folder name. - For example, if the server computer name is "SERVER" and the shared folder is "DemonFolder," you can access it by typing: \\SERVER\DemonFolder in the File Explorer address bar. 5. Authentication: - When prompted for credentials, enter the username and password of your "Demon" account on the server computer. This setup should allow only your user account to access the shared folder on the LAN while restricting access to other users. You do not necessarily need to create a domain for this purpose within a workgroup environment. If you encounter any issues with accessing the shared folder, double-check the permissions set on the folder and ensure that you are using the correct credentials to authenticate. Let me know if you need further assistance!