Lost access to shared folder

[Guest]

Just got a new computer (xp home on it) and a netgear wireless router.

I was tinkering with the "set up or change your home or small office
networking" wizard so that I could share files between my work PC and this
new computer (I've successfully gotten the wireless network working)

I was having trouble getting my notebook to acutally see any files on my new
computer (could see the computer but it wouldn't let me access anything on
it). So I backed out (unchecked client for microsoft networks & file and
printer sharing for microsoft networks) and removed the share which was
created for the shared folder.

Now the only way that I can access the shared folder if I recreate the
network share. It wasn't like this before. The folder didn't have the share
icon but I could still access the files. Now, without the share icon I can't
access it at all.

I have searched the KB and not found anthing that applies.

 

[Chuck]

Just got a new computer (xp home on it) and a netgear wireless router.

I was tinkering with the "set up or change your home or small office
networking" wizard so that I could share files between my work PC and this
new computer (I've successfully gotten the wireless network working)

I was having trouble getting my notebook to acutally see any files on my new
computer (could see the computer but it wouldn't let me access anything on
it). So I backed out (unchecked client for microsoft networks & file and
printer sharing for microsoft networks) and removed the share which was
created for the shared folder.

Now the only way that I can access the shared folder if I recreate the
network share. It wasn't like this before. The folder didn't have the share
icon but I could still access the files. Now, without the share icon I can't
access it at all.

I have searched the KB and not found anthing that applies.

Michael,

You need to start by enabling client for microsoft networks, and file and
printer sharing for microsoft networks, as necessary. These services are
required for file sharing.

Then activate the Guest account, and make sure it has a null password, on each
computer.

Left click on the Start button - select Run. Enter "net user guest /active:yes"
(less the ""), and hit Enter.

Left click on the Start button - select Run, again. Enter "control
userpasswords2" (again, less the ""), and hit Enter. Select Guest, click Reset
Password, click OK without entering a new password.

Is the work computer running XP Pro? This may make a difference.

On any XP Pro computer, check to see if Simple File Sharing (Control Panel -
Folder Options - View - Advanced settings) is enabled or disabled. With XP Pro,
you need to have SFS properly set on each computer.

On XP Pro with SFS disabled, check the Local Security Policies (Control Panel -
Administrative Tools). Under Local Policies - Security Options, look at
"Network access: Sharing and security model", and ensure it's set to "Classic -
local users authenticate as themselves".

On XP Pro with SFS disabled, if you set the above Local Security Policy to
"Guest only", enable the Guest account, using Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net
user guest /active:yes" in the command window. If "Classic", setup and use a
common non-Guest account on all computers. Whichever account is used, give it
an identical, non-blank password on all computers.

On XP Home, and on XP Pro with Simple File Sharing enabled, make sure that the
Guest account is enabled, on each computer. Enable Guest with Start - Run -
"cmd", then type "net user guest /active:yes" in the command window.

On XP Pro, if you're going to use Guest authentication, check your Local
Security Policy (Control Panel - Administrative Tools) - User Rights Assignment,
on the XP Pro computer, and look at "Deny access to this computer from the
network". Make sure Guest is not in the list. Look at "Access this computer
from the network", and make sure that Everyone is in this list.

Do any of the computers have a software firewall (ICF / WF, or third party)? If
so, you need to configure them for file sharing. Firewall configurations are a
very common cause of (network) browser, and file sharing, problems.

Make sure the browser (I'm not talking about Internet Explorer here) service is
running on one of the computers, at least. Control Panel - Administrative Tools
- Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper,
services both show with Status = Started.

After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power both computers off to
reset the browser settings on each. Then power both on.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers you have in your
domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>
<http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status". Make sure all computers give the same result.

For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>

 

[Guest]

Hi Chuck. Thanks for the reply. That's a lot of information. I worked my
way thorugh it but it wasn't what I was after.

At this point all I want to do is retrurn to my pre-tinkering state where
the shared folder in
"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users" is accessible to all users on my new
computer without having to create a network share. Right now it is only
accessable if I create a network share. I'm pretty sure it wasn't that way
when I first started the computer.

I have WinXP home on the new computer and Win2000 on the work notebook.

I'll sort out the networking thing later. I'm rather paranoid about opening
up my computer to unauthorized access so I'm going a little bit at a time and
learning as I go. I've got the wireless netowrk thing going so I can be
anyware in my house and access the internet. That's a good start. Once I'm
certain that that's secure I'll go on to file and printer sharing.

 

[Guest]

"...accessible to all users on my new computer without having to create a
network share..."

people (my family) who are actually using the computer (no netowrking).

 

[Chuck]

"...accessible to all users on my new computer without having to create a
network share..."

people (my family) who are actually using the computer (no netowrking).

Michael,

If you're going to access any computer from another, you have to:
1) Enable the services (CMN and FPSMN).
2) Define one or more shares.
3) Enable an account (Guest or non-Guest).

You can't have file sharing (thru the network) without each of the three. You
have to enable CMN on any computer that's going to access any shared resource on
another. You have to enable FPSMN, define a share, and enable an account, on
any computer that's going to be accessed from another.

You can setup personal firewalls, and restrict access by defined accounts and
rights (for XP Pro), if you don't want everybody having access to everything.
But you have to do each of the first three tasks first.

With WinXP Home - and Simple File Sharing - you have to have an administrative
(full) access account, to access anything in the "C:\Documents and Settings"
structure except "C:\Documents and Settings\(my account)". Is it possible that
one of the accounts that you were accessing "C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users" with was a Full (Administrative) account, and another is a limited
account?

 

[Carey Holzman]

www.careyholzman.com/net1.htm

Carey

 

[Guest]

Thanks again Chuck.

When I get to the point of being confident of setting up a secure
netowrk,the information that you've provided will be extremely helpful. This
is an area of computing that I really don't understand very well.

However, even with my "superuser" account I can't access the "C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Documents" folder unless I set up a network share.

Unless I'm musunderstanding the implications of the way that things are
supposed to work (based on all of the online help, which says that you're
supposed to be able to drag a flile you want to share with other users on the
same computer to the shared folder) all users (with different user accounts)
should be able to access this "common" or "shared" file area by default and
only if you wanted to share this folder out to the network would you need to
create a network share. Is this correct? If that's so, it ain't happening
for me since I was tinkering with the networking wizard.

At this point, since I've only been running the computer for a few days and
I don't have much on it yet, I'm considering doing a system restore. I just
thought there might be a less heavy handed way.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks again Chuck.

When I get to the point of being confident of setting up a secure
netowrk,the information that you've provided will be extremely helpful. This
is an area of computing that I really don't understand very well.

However, even with my "superuser" account I can't access the "C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Documents" folder unless I set up a network share.

Unless I'm musunderstanding the implications of the way that things are
supposed to work (based on all of the online help, which says that you're
supposed to be able to drag a flile you want to share with other users on the
same computer to the shared folder) all users (with different user accounts)
should be able to access this "common" or "shared" file area by default and
only if you wanted to share this folder out to the network would you need to
create a network share. Is this correct? If that's so, it ain't happening
for me since I was tinkering with the networking wizard.

At this point, since I've only been running the computer for a few days and
I don't have much on it yet, I'm considering doing a system restore. I just
thought there might be a less heavy handed way.

Michael,

This is a new one for me too.

With Windows XP Home, you have files that either everyone can access, or no one
can access, thru the network. But you're right, though, about local access -
"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents" should be accessible to all
users.

I don't know what "superuser" is - is it a Full (Administrative) user? Exactly
what error do you get when trying to open the "C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Documents" folder? Or when trying to open a file in that folder? Be as
excruciatingly precise as possible - the clue may be in the details.

As an alternative to a system reload, a little more diagnosis of the problem
might be a good idea.

 

[Guest]

Sorry about the "superuser" thing. I'm messing with linux on another
computer as well....

I did mean the full administrative user to which you refer. It is my
account, the first one that I was asked to create during system set up.

Without a network share created for...

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents

the message I get is in a simple error dialog box titled "my computer" and
has the text message...

"
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents is not accessible

Access denied
"

There is an OK button and that's it.

Here is one other thing I've observed. It takes two tries to set a network
share. The first time I check the box which says "Share this folder on the
network" and click the Apply button I get an error message (same format as
above) which says ...

"An error occured while trying to share Documents. Access is denied

The shared resource was not created at this time."

When I dismiss the dialog box and check the "Share this folder on the
network" box again and click apply, it works.

Very unusual behavior. Any Ideas?

Thanks for sticking with this. It would be easy to give up.
-------------

 

[Guest]

I figured it out! It is the two tries to create a netowork share that does
it. The first time it says that access is denied, and the icon for the
folder doesn't change but it turns out that the access does change.

Here's another little detail. The write permissions are also controlled
based on the setting of the other check box "Allow network users to change my
files". Upon my initial discovery of the solution I was able to access the
folder but all of my files were readonly. I went thorough the two tries
thing again and checked the "Allow network users to change my files" option
and...

VOILA! It works!

Thanks again for sticking with me on this!