Files Sharing Problem

[Frederik]

Hi all,

Situation:
* 2 computers A & B [A: WinXP Pro SP2 desktop / B: WinXP Home SP2 laptop]
* both computers have internet access via a router [static ip]
* computer A uses McAfee firewall / computer B uses WinXP firewall [file
sharing exception checked]
* TCP/IP settings on both computers have file and printer sharing checked
* both computers have the same workgroup name
* computer B [laptop] can see the files computer A is sharing
* "net view" command lists both computers
* PROBLEM: COMPUTER A CAN NOT SEE THE FILES COMPUTER B IS SHARING !!! [even
when firewalls turned off]

What else could I have forgotten?

Many thanx,
Frederik

 

[Chuck]

Hi all,

Situation:
* 2 computers A & B [A: WinXP Pro SP2 desktop / B: WinXP Home SP2 laptop]
* both computers have internet access via a router [static ip]
* computer A uses McAfee firewall / computer B uses WinXP firewall [file
sharing exception checked]
* TCP/IP settings on both computers have file and printer sharing checked
* both computers have the same workgroup name
* computer B [laptop] can see the files computer A is sharing
* "net view" command lists both computers
* PROBLEM: COMPUTER A CAN NOT SEE THE FILES COMPUTER B IS SHARING !!! [even
when firewalls turned off]

What else could I have forgotten?

Many thanx,
Frederik

Frederik,

Is the Guest account enabled, using Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net user guest
/active:yes" in the command window, on Computer B?

Look at registry key [HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa], value
restrictanonymous, on Computer B.
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows200...2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/regentry/46688.asp>
<http://www.jsifaq.com/subf/tip2600/rh2625.htm>

The above articles refer to Windows 2000. Remember WinXP is NT V5.1, and Win2K
is NT V5.0.

Have you used the Registry Editor before? If not, it's a scary tool, but it's
pretty simple once you get used to it. Here are a couple articles that might
help:
<http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...home/using/productdoc/en/tools_regeditors.asp>
<http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/registry>

Just remember to backup the key (create a registry patch) for
[HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa] before making any changes, if
appropriate.

From the Annoyances article:
You can create a Registry patch by opening the Registry Editor, selecting a
branch, and choosing Export from the File menu. Then, specify a filename, and
press OK. You can then view the Registry patch file by opening it in Notepad
(right-click on it and select Edit). Again, just double-click on a Registry
patch file (or use Import in the Registry Editor's File menu) to apply it to the
registry.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Frederik]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the answers, but the problem remains.

Is the Guest account enabled, using Start - Run - "cmd" -
type "net user guest /active:yes" in the command window,
on Computer B?

I enabled the guest account, but still no access [this is the error when I
type \\<name or ip computer A> in Windows Explorer: "Windows cannot find

Look at registry key [HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\
Control\Lsa], value restrictanonymous, on Computer B.

RestrictAnonymous is set to 0, what I assume is ok.

Regards,
Frederik

 

[Frederik]

Correction to my previous posting:

"...\\<name or ip computer A>..." must be
"...\\<name or ip computer B>..."

Frederik

 

[Chuck]

Correction to my previous posting:

"...\\<name or ip computer A>..." must be
"...\\<name or ip computer B>..."

Frederik

Frederik,

OK, we tried the easiest things to check, and no help. So let's start from the
beginning.

Please provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.
Identify operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig
listing.

In the vast majority of the file sharing problems that I'm experienced with,
asymmetrical access problems (Computer A can access Computer B, but not vice
versa), a forgotten and misconfigured firewall turns out to be the culprit. Is
Computer B running ONLY the WinXP WF (has it always been)?

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Frederik]

Hi Chuck,

Here it is (for safety reasons I replaced a few things with "---"):

****************
** COMPUTER A ** [WinXP Pro SP2 English]
****************

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ---
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter WWW:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : ---
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1


****************
** COMPUTER B ** [WinXP Home SP2 Dutch]
****************

Windows IP-configuratie
Host-naam . . . . . . . . . . . .: ---
Primair DNS-achtervoegsel. . . . .:
Knooppunttype . . . . . . . . . . : gemengd [= mixed]
IP-routering ingeschakeld. . . . .: nee
WINS-proxy ingeschakeld . . . . . : nee

Ethernet-adapter LAN-verbinding:
Verbindingsspec. DNS-achtervoegsel:
Beschrijving . . . . . . . . . . .: Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated
Controller
Fysiek adres. . . . . . . . . . . : ---
DHCP ingeschakeld:. . . . . . . . : nee
IP-adres. . . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.3
Subnetmasker. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Standaardgateway. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DNS-servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1


****************
** Other Info **
****************

Computer B is using Windows Firewall since the installation of SP2. Before
it was using McAfee Firewall. That last program has been uninstalled
successfully.

Regards,
Frederik

 

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck,

Here it is (for safety reasons I replaced a few things with "---"):

Computer B is using Windows Firewall since the installation of SP2. Before
it was using McAfee Firewall. That last program has been uninstalled
successfully.

Regards,
Frederik

Frederik,

Well, to start, when you need help here, it's not helpful to conceal details
like computer name. It's a lot easier for me to list things to examine, if I
have the computer name to reference. And you're behind a router, so computer
name is not a detail that will expose you in any way.

But, let's work around that for the time being.

Node types "unknown" and "mixed" are compatible. No problem there.

From each computer, test shares visibility. Enter in a command window:
"net view 192.168.2.2"
"net view 192.168.2.3"

Report what result (exact error message) you get from each of the 4 net views.

If McAfee Personal Firewall was previously on Computer B, and Computer B is
having unexplained problems sharing files, you may have to consider that MPF was
NOT successfully un installed. Many personal firewalls cannot be disabled, and
some do cause problems when un installed. So many like you have spent days
asking why their file sharing won't work, and we go thru the same questions
uselessly, and at the end, the problem turned out to be another personal
firewall. I'm not guaranteeing that's your problem, but I'm betting even money
right now that it is.

And Frederik, if you're concerned about computer security (not in itself a bad
thing), please don't contribute to the spread and success of email address
mining viruses. Posting your email address openly will get you more unwanted
email, than wanted email. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep
yourself a bit safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest
of the internet - read this article.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Frederik]

And you're behind a router, so computer name is

not a detail that will expose you in any way.

You have a point Computer A is "frenew" and computer B is "supermachien"
So here's the information

********************
From Computer frenew
********************

* "net view 192.168.2.2"
System error 1231 has occurred.
The network location cannot be reached. For information about network
troubleshooting, see Windows Help.

* "net view 192.168.2.3"
System error 1 has occurred.
Incorrect function.

* "net view frenew"
Shared resources at frenew
FRE
Share name Type Used as Comment
-----------------------------------------------------
HP PSC 2175 (Fre) Print hp psc 2170 series
PDF Printer Print Creates Adobe PDF
SharedDocs Disk
VS Projects Disk
The command completed successfully.

* "net view supermachien"
System error 1 has occurred.
Incorrect function.


**************************
From Computer supermahcien
**************************

* "net view frenew"
Gedeelde bronnen op frenew
FRE
Sharenaam Type Gebruikt als Opmerking
------------------------------------------------------------
HP PSC 2175 (Fre) Printer hp psc 2170 series
PDF Printer Printer Creates Adobe PDF
SharedDocs Schijf
VS Projects Schijf
De opdracht is voltooid.

* "net view 192.168.2.2" returns the same as "net view frenew"

* "net view 192.168.2.3"
Gedeelde bronnen op 192.168.2.3
Een Super Machien
Sharenaam Type Gebruikt als Opmerking
-------------------------------------------
MP3 Schijf
SharedDocs Schijf
De opdracht is voltooid.

* "net view supermachien" returns the same as "net view 192.168.2.3"

Posting your email address openly will get you more
unwanted email, than wanted email.

This email address is fine. It uses a hotmail filter so
only email addresses from my contacts list will be able
to send me email. Other mails will be deleted immediately.
It is not my common email address

Regards and thanks for your time,
Frederik

 

[Chuck]

You have a point Computer A is "frenew" and computer B is "supermachien"
So here's the information

********************
From Computer frenew
********************

* "net view 192.168.2.2"
System error 1231 has occurred.
The network location cannot be reached. For information about network
troubleshooting, see Windows Help.

* "net view 192.168.2.3"
System error 1 has occurred.
Incorrect function.

* "net view frenew"
Shared resources at frenew
FRE
Share name Type Used as Comment
-----------------------------------------------------
HP PSC 2175 (Fre) Print hp psc 2170 series
PDF Printer Print Creates Adobe PDF
SharedDocs Disk
VS Projects Disk
The command completed successfully.

* "net view supermachien"
System error 1 has occurred.
Incorrect function.


**************************
From Computer supermahcien
**************************

* "net view frenew"
Gedeelde bronnen op frenew
FRE
Sharenaam Type Gebruikt als Opmerking
------------------------------------------------------------
HP PSC 2175 (Fre) Printer hp psc 2170 series
PDF Printer Printer Creates Adobe PDF
SharedDocs Schijf
VS Projects Schijf
De opdracht is voltooid.

* "net view 192.168.2.2" returns the same as "net view frenew"

* "net view 192.168.2.3"
Gedeelde bronnen op 192.168.2.3
Een Super Machien
Sharenaam Type Gebruikt als Opmerking
-------------------------------------------
MP3 Schijf
SharedDocs Schijf
De opdracht is voltooid.

* "net view supermachien" returns the same as "net view 192.168.2.3"



This email address is fine. It uses a hotmail filter so
only email addresses from my contacts list will be able
to send me email. Other mails will be deleted immediately.
It is not my common email address

Regards and thanks for your time,
Frederik

Frederik,

Let's first check for Winsock corruption.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=318584
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=811259

With XP SP2, Start - Run - "cmd". Type "netsh winsock reset catalog" into the
command window.

Give LSP-Fix and WinsockXPFix <http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>, or WinsockFix
<http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257> a shot.

If no help yet, reset TCP/IP.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=299357

Start - Run - "cmd". Type "netsh int ip reset c:\netsh.txt" into the command
window.

Then look at the static route tables for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "route print >c:\route.txt" into the command window -
Open c:\route.txt in Notepad, copy and paste into your next post.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Frederik]

Hello Chuck,

My problem has been solved after the 'winsock trick' )
Thanks a lot and have a nice day.

Frederik

 

[Chuck]

Hello Chuck,

My problem has been solved after the 'winsock trick' )
Thanks a lot and have a nice day.

Frederik

Frederik,

That's excellent news. Thanks for the update.

Cheers,
Chuck