How do i access external fw discs via network when multiple users active

Question

Hi all,
I have an ad hoc network through a netgear router.
I have always been able to access all the drives both internal and external from another networked machine when the machine had only the admin account.
I have recently created new managed users for day to day running as all machines are connected to the internet.
The problem is that now I can only access the home folders of either user and not any other location.
We do not use the home folder system but manage our data on external hard discs.
I have tried from the Admin account and no joy either.
Any ideas as to haw I can get to the external discs - they do not show in the desktop folder of the user. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as this is a pain at the moment.
G4 867dual - 2G ram & 17inch 1.67PBOOK - 2G ram & G5 2.5quad - 4.5G ram   Mac OS X (10.3.8)  

Answer 1

There's lots more info that you might need to provide: Is this a business network with other 'real' users, or a personal one where you own everything, for starters. What's running on each machine? is another. And is the Keychain actually producing the appropriate passwords or not is a third?
But the bit I might be able to contribute is OS 9/Classic which I'm guessing from the "Application "Classic Startup" needs access to #2… unlock keychain etc… " reference you're trying to get going, if only the net thing would get solved. The first time a OS9 machine is made to connect to any other, it presents a little dialogue asking you to check the items you want connect at Start up, and there's an option—also in the logon dialogue window)—to have it store your password in the Keychain (before OS 9 it just stored the Password, no Keychain required). I'm betting someone checked those options once.
There's no direct way to trigger that window so you can uncheck undesired connections, short of selecting a new server in Chooser, but trashing your Classic Finder Preferences should clear all those Startup connections (and some other settings)
Can't help much w/ the Keychain part as it burned me badly once, but David Pogue says you can delete a keychain if you lock it first. You better be sure you know all the passwords that go with it when you delete it though. Without it you'll have to type them.
If it's a personal network, my advice would be one password everywhere (and only where the System won't work without it. OS 9 works without them) and the same owner's name for all computers. The machines themselves don't need identifiable names, but you'll keep it straighter that way.