File Sharing with Multiple Users

I wanted to set up file sharing on a Mac Mini for a group of Windows users. There are two things I wanted to do with this.
1. Have a folder with a list of commonly used files and folders for the users to access.
2. Push a backup of certain files that belong to individual users to the Mini for backup. I don't want one user to have access to another user's files on the Mac Mini.
Is there a preferred method of setting something like this up? Do I create users as Sharing Only users? I'm used to Windows server shares, where I specify the access on a folder level basis. I'm not sure how to do this within OS X. Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong. Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Each user with access to the Mac would have access to its public folder. That would work for one of your tasks.
It would be no problem to set up a folder for each user on the Mac. Not so sure about the push part. They'd probably need to pull.
Your main task will be to get the basic sharing going for the PCs. Fortunately, as things are todsy under Leopard and Snow Leopard, that's easier that the other way. I am hoping that the PCs all are running Vista or Win7. What are they running?

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    I have two Macs, both of which ca seen each other across the network. My question regards file sharing with multiple users on the same computer. When file sharing, are the files from all users available across the network, or just those of the user presently logged in? The issue is that I am trying to access files from a user who isn't currently logged in, but another user on that computer is. I need to get into that person's documents, but I don't see a way to navigate to their documents folder.

    Right, I got that. But the computer is in constant use by User A, while I need access to User B's files. I could need access at anytime, and it would be a pain to make User A log off and log in as User B everytime. I was just wondering if there is anyway to access User B's files in this situation, without logging User B in.

  • File sharing across multiple user accounts on the same machine

    Hello,
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    writing a droplet that would change the permissions of files dropped on it and move them programmatically to the shared folder
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    Right, I got that. But the computer is in constant use by User A, while I need access to User B's files. I could need access at anytime, and it would be a pain to make User A log off and log in as User B everytime. I was just wondering if there is anyway to access User B's files in this situation, without logging User B in.

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    Message was edited by: Michael710

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