ARCHIVED: How do I set up Windows 2000 or XP Professional to accept FTP transfers?

Note: FTP, though efficient for transferring files, lacks any significant security features. Usernames, passwords, and files are sent across the network unencrypted (i.e., in plaintext). In addition, no built-in safeguards exist to ensure that computers connecting to yours via FTP are who they claim to be. For information about more secure options, see the Secure File Transfer Alternatives page from the Information Technology Security Office at Indiana University.

Setting up an FTP server in Windows 2000 or XP Professional involves installing Internet Information Services (IIS), and thus requires administrative rights. This suite of Windows components handles all the functions formerly handled by Windows NT's Peer Web Services. IIS, and consequently FTP server capability, is not included in Windows XP Home Edition.

Note: IIS is known to have serious security flaws and has been targeted by several computer viruses, including Code Red and Nimda. If you install IIS on your computer, UITS strongly advises that you also install any security update patches that Microsoft provides. The appropriate patches for Windows 2000 are available from Microsoft.

Microsoft claims that Windows XP already blocks the viruses in question, but check Microsoft's IIS page frequently for any updates that may be released.

Installing IIS

1. For Windows XP Professional systems running in the default Start menu configuration, click Start, then Control Panel, then Add or Remove Programs. In Windows 2000 (or in XP if it is set to classic Start menu view), click Start, then Settings, then Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. Double-click Internet Information Services. This will open another window listing the IIS subcomponents.
4. Check File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Server. The Common Files and Internet Information Services Snap-In boxes will also check by default. Make sure no other boxes are checked, and then click OK.

Note: Windows may prompt you for your Windows CD at this point.

Configuring the FTP server

1. On the desktop or Start menu, double-click or click My Computer, and then double-click the hard drive on which you have Windows installed.
2. Open the folder inetpub. Right-click the ftproot folder and select Properties.
3. Click the Sharing tab. Select the radio button Share this folder and click Permissions. From the list that appears, select Everyone, and then click Remove.
4. Click the Add... button. In the drop-down list, select your computer's name. In the list of user groups that appears in the center scrollbox, select Users. Click Add, then OK. In the Permissions window, set the access level. If a user needs only to download files from your computer, set the access to Read. To give upload permission, also check Change. Click OK.
5. Create user accounts for each of the individuals who will need to access your server. You can do so by opening the Control Panel and then double-clicking the Users and Passwords icon. For each user, you will need to provide a username and domain. At IU, use the Network ID username, and enter ADS for the domain.
6. In the main Control Panel window, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click the Computer Management icon. A new window will open. On the left, beside Services and Applications, click the + (plus sign), and then click the + (plus sign) beside Internet Information Services.
7. Right-click Default FTP server and select Properties. Under "Services", make sure that Allow anonymous connections is not checked. This will prevent unauthorized access to your workstation. Click OK, and then close all windows.

Your computer should be ready to accept FTP connections.