cannot share printer or files

[shank]

I have 2 WinXp Home machines that cannot see each other. I found this
paragraph and need clarification...

-------------------------
Background: Simple file sharing, the only method on Windows XP Home and one
of two choices on Windows XP Professional, always uses the Guest account.
(Classic file sharing also automatically uses the Guest account if the
original logon request fails.) If access through the Guest account is
inhibited, then sharing cannot work, except when logging on to XP
Professional with classic file sharing through another account
-------------------------

I have the Guest account disabled, just so the icon doesn;t show up at
login. Is that what's stopping the computers from seeing each other? If a
user is logged in with admin rights, I don't see why the Guest account is
needed. Please clarify.

thanks

 

[Lance]

You have two XP Home computers. For XP Home, ONLY the guest accounts can
use File and Printer Sharing, doesn't matter who's logged in. When you
get sharing working, it's really the guest account that's accessing the
other computer.

For XP Pro with Simple File Sharing turned on, it works just like XP Home.

For XP Pro with Simple File Sharing turned off, then the person logged
in must have rights on the other computer. If that person doesn't have
rights, then XP Pro will try to log into the other computer with the
guest account. If that fails, you'll get an Access Denied error

Lance
*****

shank thought carefully and wrote on 8/23/2004 2:25 PM:

 

[shank]

Unfortunately, I have to do this by phone with a person that's not very
computer literate. I had them re-enable the Guest account and now they
computers can see each other. However, there's an access denied error and
they cannot share resources. If the Guest accounts are actually doing the
connection, do I have to establish a user account on both machines, for each
user?

Computer A = Larry (this computer has the printer)
Computer B = Patty (wants to use the printer on Computer A)
Do I have to setup an account on Computer A for Patty?

thanks again!

 

[Lance]

Been there with the novice over the phone and, darn, I'm at work where
we all use XP Pro.

Try assigning the same non-blank password to the Guest accounts on
computers A & B

Lance
*****

shank said the following on 8/24/2004 6:25 AM:

 

[shank]

Try assigning the same non-blank password to the Guest accounts on
computers A & B<<
Where can I set a password on the Guest account? The only options they see
are turning it on and off. No password options at all. They are using an HP
printer setup disc. The setup disc can "see" the printer they want, but they
cannot select it for some reason. Any thoughts?
thanks