I have a computer on the network with a shared drive for our department. I want the other users to be able to login to the drive using a default password. Obviously I want them to be able to change the password to whatever they want, so I checked 'user must change password at next logon' in the user manager. However, when I try to login to the drive, access is denied because 'user must change password before login.' If the user cannot login, how can they change the password? -confused. ** When the box is unchecked access is allowed. The machine with shared drive is a Dell Optiplex GX1 400 Mhz w/128 RAM running Windows NT Workstation w/ service pack 4.

If you are running in a domain environment, set permissions for a domain group to access your share. Then it's just a matter of managing group membership. If you are not in a domain environment, have the users standing by when you create their account so the can decide their password right then. Hope this helps.

Yes and no. Access isn't the problem, security is. The shared drive can be accessed no problem when password protection is disabled. I realize I could have each member of the group come to me and set their passwords here, and for this small group it would not be very difficult. However, while faced with the problem I figure it would be best to know how to make this work in the event that I have a large group of passwords to set. But thanks because your suggestion triggered something I have not tried yet . . .

You are running a peer to peer network right? So unless the user is coming to the computer and logging in the first time to set their password, you do not want to set that option. Here's why; accessing a share is not logging in. Now if you were in a domain model before the user could access a share they would have to logon. This is where changing their password would come in. Now that they have been authenicated they would have the ability to access the share and whatever share permissions would then come into effect. If you want to keep the "change at next logon" then have them come and logon to the computer with the share to set their passwords.