Windows NT Guest Account vs. Macintosh Guest Account

• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

This articles discusses the differences between the guest account on a Windows NT Advanced Server running Services for Macintosh, and the Guest logon option that Macintosh users may choose when attempting to log on to a Windows NT Advanced Server running Services for Macintosh.

The guest account on a Windows NT Advanced Server is different from the Guest logon option for Macintosh. When a Macintosh user attempts to log on to a Windows NT Advanced Server running Services for Macintosh, and that user selects the Guest option, that user is not logged on to the Windows NT Advanced Server as the guest account.

MORE INFORMATION

When a Macintosh user selects the Guest option during logon, the MacFile Control Panel reports the following when displaying the Users connected:

Connected Users      Computers
<Guest>              <Unknown>

When a Macintosh user selects the Registered User option and uses the user name "Guest," the MacFile Control Panel reports the following when displaying the Users connected:

Connected Users      Computers
Guest                <Unknown>

The difference, as displayed, is the missing greater-than and less-than (">" and "<") signs. The difference, effectually, is that the Macintosh Guest is not the same as the guest account; they are similar in name only.

To disable a Macintosh user from logging on to the Windows NT Advanced Server as a Guest (as opposed to as the guest account), the Allow Guests To Logon check box in the Security box of the MacFile Attributes dialog box must be clear (that is, not checked).

To disable a Macintosh user from logging on to the Windows NT Advanced Server as the guest account, the guest account itself must be disabled. This makes it so no user, from any computer, can use the guest account.

Another option to deny the guest account access from a Macintosh is to limit the guest account to log on only from certain named computers. This can be done in the Logon From box, which can be accessed by choosing User Properties from the User Manager.

The permissions of the guest account is set by the User Manager. The permissions for the guest logon option is dependent upon the Everyone setting under Permissions from the MacFile menu in File Manager. Note that the Macintosh permission structure differs from the Windows NT permission structure.