renewcommand \section* or adding number count

I have two master files (a,b) that use the same content file (c). when I compile with file a I wish the section and subsection titles to have the characteristics of \section (i.e. section numbering) yet when I compile with b that it would have the characteristics of \section* I thought I could use the renew command on section* but that doesn't seem to work.

Peter

Oops solved it using the command
\setcounter{secnumdepth}{-1}