Hi is there any way to allow domain users to share files without making them local administrators on the workstation they log into?

All my searches in google point me to add the users to the power users group.But doing this will allow them to install software which is a luxury i cannot afford to give.

Would really appreciate if someone can point another way to do this.

Thanks in adavnce.

Why not make a folder on a server with READ/WRITE rights on it. And map that folder to a drive for them?

well yes that is the recommended option but you see my client wants the users to be able to share folders from their own pcs and not access them from a file server.

Anyway i have resigned to the fate that making them power users is the only way.

Actually...I don't think it is. I haven't messed with this, but trying giving them the "Allowed to create permanent shared objects" permission. Of course, this still doesn't have anything to do with setting the Security permissions (remember, you have both Share permissions and Security permissions). As a Power User you can't set permissions where you don't already have Full Control. The only way to do that is as an Admin (where you can brute force it when necessary).

I would still be pushing them towards using a file server if they care about security and file/share management at all.

Well i got all the bigwigs together explained to them the risks involved with giving users additional privileges and fortunately they bought that and now are considering investing on a file server.

knowing what needs to be done is one thing but convincing someone else to go with it is an entirely different ball game altogether.Its extremely annoying when something that is so very simple and clear is so colossally difficult for others to grasp.clients can sometimes be such a pain in the neck.

Thanks for the suggestion memnoch.didnt know about("Allowed to create permanent shared objects") this one;took a look at the microsoft website and i cant say i am any wiser now .this is the explanation they give :

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserve...3.mspx?mfr=true

quote

Create permanent shared objects

Allows a process to create a directory object in the Windows Server 2003 family and Windows XP Professional object manager. This privilege is useful to kernel-mode components that extend the object namespace. Components that are running in kernel mode already have this privilege inherently; it is not necessary to assign them the privilege.

Default setting: No one