Is it possible to have a Different set of  Folders visible for my
Laptop when at work than show at home.

I have all my family members folders visible in "My Network Places" for
my home network, but I feel quite uncomfortable that these are all
visible when I logon to my workplace network.

The computer screen in reception is publicly visible, and I don't care
to have my son's study folders, etc on public display.

r***@biznz.net <r***@biznz.net> typed:
If you're on a domain at work, and are also using your computer at home to
share files/data, don't expect you can actually hide anything from the
admins. Even if you don't have a domain at work, I would probably not
recommend you keep personal data on your company laptop. You might instead
store your home data on something other than your laptop - another desktop
at home (which you back up regularly) or a SNAP server or NAS box or similar
(which you also back up regularly).

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:
Please read the post before replying Lanwrench.  This is about having
two sets of network folders on one laptop which is used on two
networks, or masking some folders when logged into a different network.

Is it possible ?

r***@biznz.net wrote:

Show quoteHide quoteShe read and understood your first post, as did I. The answer is "no".
Unless you encrypt the folders - and if I were your boss and found
encrypted folders on a laptop used at work I'd fire you summarily for
bringing something questionable into the company network - *anything* on
your laptop can be seen by a systems administrator no matter where you put
it. Both Lanwench and I understood your question perfectly and the answer
is still "no".

Malke

Although there is no way to do what you want as things are configured now,
you could dual-boot another operating system. Use a third-party partitioner
such as Acronis Disk Director, Partition Magic, GParted, or BootIT NG and
create space for a second operating system. Get a copy of the operating
system of your choice - Windows, Linux, etc. - and install as a dual-boot.
Use one OS for work and the other for home.

I would check with your IT Dept. to make sure this is OK with them. If you
don't have a domain and you are using this laptop at home and then
connecting it to their network - with possible malware on it from your home
activities - then their security is already compromised. Perhaps they won't
care or they will trust you to only boot into the work OS at the office.

Malke

Malke wrote:
Please read the post.  This has nothing to do with SysAdmins or
security.   The ACTUAL question is about making the FOLDERS visible or
invisible on different networks, not the contents.  It has absolutely
nothing to do with what Admins can see, it is about the what the PUBLIC
can see on a computer screen in a public reception area.

I will restate it:  The problem is that when I log on to my work
workgroup, my personal (home network) shared folders all become visible
on the receptionists "Network Places" screen.  This computer is in an
"island" and waiting clients can easily read the screen. This is
innapropriate, not a security issue.

r***@biznz.net <r***@biznz.net> typed:
Show quoteHide quoteI'm sorry my reply was not useful....it seems I can't help you further.

r***@biznz.net wrote:
I did read the post. Read my last one to you. Dual-boot.

Malke

Actually found a helpful (as distinct from critical) person on another
forum who pointed me to NetSetMan (Freebie) that will change the
IPsettings, Workgroup name, etc., etc, with one click - a good solution
to having two different nets set up on the one machine.

Dual booting two operating systems is nearly as cumbersome as having
separate laptops for each application......  The whole value in a
laptop is its ability to travel between different work environments,
and to be able to quickly change to suit the present environment is
really desirable.

r***@biznz.net wrote:

Show quoteHide quoteWell, good luck to you. You do understand that Workgroups are just
cosmetic? Multi-network managers just allow you to connect to multiple
networks and are used when your network settings need to be different.
An example is when you have a static IP assigned for one network on one
subnet and a dynamic (or static) IP assigned on another subnet.

This has nothing to do with Workgroups. All the Workgroups that the
computer has been connected to will still show up in Network Places. A
Windows machine does not need to be in the same Workgroup to share
network resources outside of a domain.

Another way of getting around this would be to discontinue using Network
Places and just make shortcuts to shared network resources instead.

The reason people were "critical" was because you were - and are - so
particularly nasty when people were trying to help you. Don't worry
about it; I'm sure you'll be able to find others willing to help you.

*plonk*

Malke

r***@biznz.net <r***@biznz.net> typed:
Show quoteHide quoteThere are other third party apps (NetSwitcher) which will let you switch
between different network profiles/domains/etc, but that wasn't what you
were asking about in your original post, was it? If so, it was not at all
clear. I'm not sure this will accomplish what you wish, anyway. But good
luck.

These things are all in how you perceive them.  My perceptions
evidently don't match yours.
I resent being accused of things I never did, didn't intend; and that
are off topic:
E.G.
Lanwrench hits me with,  "don't expect you can actually hide anything
from the
admins." when what I actually asked for was how to hide some folders
from public view.
Then Malke jumps in with this piece of nastiness -
"and if I were your boss and found encrypted folders on a laptop used
at work I'd fire you summarily for
bringing something questionable into the company network - *anything*
on
your laptop can be seen by a systems administrator no matter where you
put it"
It was Malkes suggestion to "encrypt the folders" and then Malke wants
to "summarily fire" me for doing it. Amazing!
Malke invents an imaginary  sin, and then without giving me the benefit
of doubt, or a chance to defend, is going to carry out a vicious
sentence (and apparently enjoy doing it.)

I didn't ask for, intend, or want the contents hidden from any SysAdmin
(who, by the way, is me); I simply inquired if it was possible to mask
some folders from public view, and all of a sudden I'm public enemy No
1 wanting to "hide things from the Company Admin" plus introduce
"possible malware  from my home activities",  and "compromise their
security".

You people should write spy stories instead of attempting to get your
kicks from putting down innocent enquirers on public forums.  You have
written masses of reply and buried my actual question in a sea of
ill-informed and ill-natured comment.  You have a truly wonderful
imagination if you perceive all the foregoing as "when people were
trying to help you;" as you phrased it.

The only factual suggestion offered here to my inquiry was the one that
I could somehow fit my laptop up with a dual operating system.  That
seems like using a sledgehammer to crack nuts, there has to be a simple
answer - after all, half the business world takes their laptop home at
nights, or out of their main work environment and uses it with
different networks and systems.

It is interesting to me that wherever this type of question is asked on
a forum some self righteous and nasty minded womble immediately assumes
the worst and tells the inquirer  they are in the wrong for trying to
compromise "the system".  I refuse to believe this - I think most
questions like this on forums are from other hopeful pilgrims like me
genuinely wanting answers.

It is not encouraging to those of us who "don't know everything" to ask
a genuine question and be put down for it.  Is this not what these
forums are for?  - to share knowlege?  This "put-down" mindset is so
prevalent, that I spend many hours in searching before I dare ask a
question.  I am sorry for not knowing the answer to my question, and
promise it will be a very long time before I dare ask another one here.

r***@biznz.net <r***@biznz.net> typed:
I can assure you that I had no intention of insulting you. I'm sure the same
goes for Malke. I'm truly sorry that you have taken offense at my words, as
that was not my goal (read my first reply to you - I may have been off base
in my assumptions, but I made a polite suggestion - and in my second reply,
I apologized for not being able to help you further.

I'd suggest that if you want to hang out in these newsgroups, or anywhere in
usenet (the MS groups are really pretty mild), you may wish to develop a
thicker skin where this sort of thing is concerned - and perhaps a more
genial approach. You're asking for free tech support from strangers,
remember! If someone has misunderstood, correct them politely. How about,
"I'm the systems administrator, I'm not worried about my admins, I'm worried
about my computer broadcasting my data to the others on the network".
Someone would probably still have responded with suggestions as to how you
could make sure the data is actually *secured* and inaccessible....and
likely have asked you more questions.

Given the minimal information you provided, I don't think anyone's
assumptions were so far off base. If you spend a little time lurking, and
reading (which is a good idea), you will see that the assumptions were based
on frequent, similar posts, most of which concern "how do I hide my stuff
from the admins?".

Then I feel obliged to ask why you are posting this question in a Windows XP
newsgroup, without any mention of your network configuration, your role on
the network, your permissions as opposed to those of others, and what you've
tried so far? Why would your network or your computer be set up such that
this information would be broadcast? Why would it not be firewalled? If you
hide the name from being broadcast, what's to stop others from poking their
nose in anyway? Why is a computer in the reception area even on your network
at all, if it is left on / logged in / unmonitored?

By leaving out such detail, you essentially asked us to make several
assumptions - and if I made the wrong one, it's not because I was trying to
be malicious.

Security by obscurity is not security at all. But here you go. If all you
care about is hiding the obvious from the uninformed, you could simply
disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and there you go. No more *anything* in network
neighborhood. However, this certainly wouldn't satisfy me, were it my data.

I hope you will indeed post again if you have a need of it - these groups
can be a great resource. However, remember that you are dealing with people
who cannot see your computer from their own desks, who are fallible, who are
used to dealing with unclear and insufficiently detailed posts, and who are
volunteering their time to try to help others - and be a little patient. If
you want a direct one-on-one answer to a specific question, you can always
call MS product support services for a flat rate charge per call. Good luck,
and pax.


<snip>

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