Re: Sharing Folders using EFS in XP Pro

From: Shenan Stanley (news_helper_at_hushmail.com)
Date: 01/20/04 

Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 23:32:54 -0600

Douglas Pribyl wrote:
> I am stumped and I hope that someone can help me. I have
> a customer with a Windows XP Pro computer that has two
> users. These two users have placed all of their shared
> files in the "Shared Documents" folder.
>
> They have very confidential information stored in this
> folder and have tried to encrypt the folder using the
> built in Encrypted File System software. It is very easy
> to encrypt the folder, but only the user that encrypts it
> has access to the files making it useless.
>
> There are currently thousands of files in this shared
> folder, and I am told by Microsoft that I have to click
> on each indvidual file and add the second user's account
> for shared access to these encrypted files. This is
> absolutely absurd and impossible.
>
> I need to find out if there is a patch or a workaround
> that allows you to add more than one user to an encrypted
> folder and thus give them access to all encrypted files
> in that folder and all subfolders as well. If
> Microsoft's EFS product can't do this, is there a product
> that integrates with Microsoft's File Explorer so that I
> can still right click on a folder, have the option to
> encrypt it, and then designate the users that can access
> it?? Being able to only share individual files makes no
> sense to me at all. Any help with this matter would be
> greatly appreciated.

As far as I understand it, you can only grant access to a specific file -
one at a time - as you have stated. I do not believe there is a way to do a
folder in Windows XP.

I do believe this was "remedied" in Windows 2003:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324897#22

(As you can see, If you have these files stored on a Windows 2003 server and
shared among the two - you MAY be able to do what you wish..) 

-- 
<- Shenan ->
--

Relevant Pages

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  • Sharing Folders using EFS in XP Pro
    ... a customer with a Windows XP Pro computer that has two ... files in the "Shared Documents" folder. ... to encrypt the folder, but only the user that encrypts it ... Microsoft's EFS product can't do this, ...
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