I am a network administrator and I deal with one File&Application Server, one Exchange Server 2000 and one SQL Server 2000 that all run on Windows 2000 Server SP4.

On the File Server, there is a common folder where users can upload and download non-business related items like vacation pictures, clips etc. Now I am asked to limit access to this common folder in such a way that this folder will be accessed at predefined time periods. I made a search on the net and the only tool I could find was Easy File Protector supporting time basis access limit. However it is a shareware.

Do you know any Microsoft kit or a tool (preferable open source or freeware) to handle this task?

Thank you in advance.

ekadim

How complicated does it need to be? Have you considered a scheduled batch file that either shares/unshares the folder or adjusts NTFS file permissions.

It does not need to be really complicated. Yes, it might be done through a batch:

The requirements:

- Make a special folder on the file server only write accessible but not read accessible unreachable for certain time period like from 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m

- Or as a second choice make the folder totally inaccessible for the predefined period.

By the folder is already on a mapped drive. It is not shared drive itself. The folder is visible to users as follows: H:\GENERAL\COMMON\TRANSFER

Thank you so much for your kind help.

...Or as a second choice make the folder totally inaccessible for the predefined period.
Suspect I would go this route as I think adding write permission to a folder with CACLS also implies read permissions. SetACL - Windows permission management (http://setacl.sourceforge.net/) and How to Use CACLS.EXE in a Batch File (http://support.microsoft.com/?id=135268) may also be useful.