Networking External Hard Drives

[RicoSpook]

Hello, I have a WD TV Live Plus connected to my Plasma TV.  I have two 2TB WD Element external hard drives and a network cable connected to the WD TV Live Plus.  This way the users can view the files directly on the TV from the hard drives or from their computers on the local network. The problem is no user control when it comes to physical access to the hard drives and file permissions. I want to network the hard drives from a locked room with the router. I know I can purchase another computer and network the hard drives that way which would give me control over file permissions. I also know that I could purchase a WD Network External Hard Drive that connects to the router which I could set file permissions, but it would take a long time to upload 3TBs of files through the network, plus for the money I might as well buy an inexpensive computer. Is there any other way of sharing the external hard drives 24/7 on the network from the locked room with user permissions. Thanks for any help.

[Wizer]

What type of user control you need? Can you view the files on your TV?

It might just be a limitation on the TV.. Dont you think? 

[RicoSpook]

I don't want any of the users to change, relocate, and delete any of the files.  Is there something  the external hard drives can plug into that would convert them to a network hard drive with configurable user permissions.  Thanks for any help!

[mike27oct]

I am trying to understand exactly what you mean by all this.  Are you wondering how to keep certain people from viewing certain videos; for example keep your kids out of the adult films?

If so, you should be able to adjust each file's permission via properties/security.  Maybe another way to do this is to put certain films on the public drive and have others on a private drive with a password of something like that.

Addl note:  it appears we were posting at the same time, so I just saw your reply after mine posted.

You can set the properties of the folders and/or individual files to be accessable by "Everyone" and with Read permission only, and you can have total acess ro Read/Write etc,  although I do not know if Read only prevents deleting or relocating.  Maybe someone else knows this detail.

[Wizer]

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RicoSpook wrote:

I don't want any of the users to change, relocate, and delete any of the files.  Is there something  the external hard drives can plug into that would convert them to a network hard drive with configurable user permissions.  Thanks for any help!

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Oh ok.. Well Mike27Oct gave you some pointer. 

To change privileges go to windows , assign whatever permissions you want ( read only, read/write, hidden ) 

Then connect to the WD TV .

[RicoSpook · Accepted solution]

Thanks for trying to help.  I called WD support.  They told me you cannot set file Read Only permissions our any other type of permissions for users who are using XP operating systems.  Any user on the network using XP will always have complete control over the files on the external hard drive that's connect to the WD TV Live Plus.  Thanks again.!

[mike27oct]

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RicoSpook wrote:

Thanks for trying to help.  I called WD support.  They told me you cannot set file Read Only permissions our any other type of permissions for users who are using XP operating systems.  Any user on the network using XP will always have complete control over the files on the external hard drive that's connect to the WD TV Live Plus.  Thanks again.!

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I believe I read something like this in the Win7 help file about sharing recently.  I think the bottom line is you have to have backups of all your media files these days with our having lots of music, photos and video files around..  Too many things can cause a file to get zapped, deleted, etc.  There are even reports of the WD units changing file size of ISO files to "0 bytes".  I know first hand that this can happen, and others had reported it before it happened to me.  I lost two files this way and had to copy the back ups over to the WD drives.

Even so, files are likely "safest" left on the WD-attached drives, as there is only one way a person can tamper with them from the WD, and that is through the FIle Management menu.  Just tell your gang that this menu choice is "off limits" and as for them causing any damage from their PC to the files  -- just cross your fingers, AND have backups.