Yes, I checked the Apache FAQ, but I am still confused, and it doesn't work. Below is a sample portion of my access.conf file. What I want to do is deny all access to a users home directory unless there is a .htaccess file which allows access. deny from all AllowOverride None Options Indexes FollowSymLinks AllowOverride None order allow,deny allow from AuthType Basic Options Indexes SymLinksIfOwnerMatch AllowOverride FileInfo order allow,deny deny from all In my .htaccess file, I have tried just: allow from and just the line allow from I have tried commenting out the line for the files directive, but no luck. I know this is something simple I am missing, as I can plug in an allow from into the directory match, and it works. Tips please -- V/R Mike Starke