Windows Home Server is a great way to manage user accounts. You can create, manage, and delete user accounts with ease. You can also add users to groups and create profiles for them. This article will show you how to manage user accounts in Windows Home Server. First, open the Windows Home Server Administrator Tools. This tool is located in the Start menu. Next, open the User Accounts folder. In this folder, you will find the User Accounts Manager. This tool is used to manage user accounts on Windows Home Server. The User Accounts Manager is a simple but powerful tool that allows you to create, manage, and delete user accounts with ease. To use the User Accounts Manager, follow these steps:

  1. Open the User Accounts Manager by opening the Administrator Tools and then opening the User Accounts folder located in your Start menu or within your Documents folder if you are using Windows 7 or later versions of Microsoft Windows.
  2. In the User Accounts Manager, click on the New Account button. This button will allow you to create a new user account on Windows Home Server.
  3. In the New Account dialog box, enter a name for your new account and click on OK . The new account will be created and added to your list of users in the Users pane of the User Accounts Manager.
  4. To manage your new account, open its Properties window and then click on its Edit button . The Edit button will allow you to change some of its properties such as its name and password . You can also change some of its settings such as its type of account (user or group). Click on OK when finished editing your new account’s properties .
  5. To delete an existing user account on Windows Home Server, follow these steps: 1) Open the Users pane of the User Accounts Manager 2) Right-click on an existing user account 3) Select Delete fromthe context menu that appears 4) Click on Delete fromthe context menu

Add a New User

To add a new user to Windows Home Server (WHS), open the Home Server Console and select User Accounts. A screen will pop up advising you about user accounts, allow you to enable the Guest Account, and set a password policy. To stop it from popping up every time click the box next to Do not show this message again then click Ok.

Now click on Add and an Add User Account screen comes up. Type in the user name, logon name, and determine if you want to enable Remote Access. Remote Access allows the user to connect to the server through the Internet. If you choose Remote Access, you can select if they have access to shared folders and home computers, shared folders only, or home computers only then click Next.

Type in a password for the user twice and make sure it meets the password requirements.

 

Next select the type of rights they have to each of the shared folders from Full, Read, or None.

Full – allows the user to create, change, and delete files in the shared folders. Read – allows the user to read the files only. They cannot create, change or delete any files in the shared folders. None – doesn’t allow the user any access to files in the shared folders.

The settings you chose are configured and the new account is added.

Now when you look at the list of users you’ll see the new account listed.

 

When a user logs on to their machine and tries to access the shared folders, they’ll be prompted to log on with the username and password you created for them.

If you didn’t allow the user access to a certain folder, if they try to access it, they’ll get the following Network Error message.

If the user only has Read rights, they can access the files but not make any changes to them. Like in this example, a user with only Read rights to the Music share, tried to delete a file and received a File Access Denied error message.

Passwords

If you want to keep things simple for the user you might want to make sure the password on the machine and the server account are the same. This makes it easier for them so they don’t have to type in the server password every time they want to access the shared folders. If the passwords aren’t the same, when they log on their machine they’ll see the following notification.

They can click the balloon message or right-click the Home Server Console icon and select Update Password.

Then select the radio button next to Update password and click Ok.

Now the user just needs to select Keep my password on the home server or Keep my password on this computer (whichever one they want) and type in their computer password and the password for the server and click Ok.

Then they’ll get a message showing it was changed successfully.

Disable a User Account

Sometimes you might want to disable a user account so they can’t access files on the server. Instead of completely removing the account, an easier method is to disable it. This will temporarily prevent a user from accessing shared folders on the server. Under User Accounts right-click the user and select Disable Account.

Then click on Yes when the dialog box comes up asking if you’re sure.

Now when the user tries to access the shared folders on the server, they’ll get a message telling them the account is currently disabled.

Remove a User Account

Sometimes you might need to remove a user account completely. Under User Accounts right-click on the user you want gone and select Remove.

You’ll be prompted to keep their shared folder or remove it. If you think you might add them at a future date, you’ll probably want to keep the shared folder. In this example we’re going to remove it.

Next a message comes up telling you that you’re about to remove them and in this case delete the shared folder.

That’s it. Everything will be removed and when you close out of the wizard, they’ll no longer be listed under User Accounts.

 

Manage User Account Properties

Sometimes you might need to change a user’s password or change the folders they have access to. Right-click on the user account and select Change Password if that’s all you need to do, or Properties to change folder access or other properties.

In the Properties window under the General tab you can change their logon name, Remote Access and Account Status.

Under the Shared Folder Access tab you can go through and change the type of access they have to each of the shared folders.

Note that any changes you make won’t go into effect until after the user logs off then back on again.

Conclusion

This should get you started with managing users on your home or small office network. Keep in mind that the maximum number of accounts allowed on WHS is 10…not including the Guest Account. Managing your users is a great way to administer the type of content they have access to, and preventing them from deleting important data.