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[Ken Knecht]

Ken,

Network work can be frustrating. You gotta take it a layer at a time,
though, with the proper diagnostics.

This is normal, with XP Home

This is not

Since you say above that NetBT is explicitly Enabled on both
computers, that leaves us with a personal firewall as the primary
problem

I have another firewall coming. A friend put a copy of Sygate Personal
Firewall on CD in the mail for me today. My dial-up connection is too
slow and unreliable for a 9M DL.

(or maybe LSP / Winsock corruption).
1) Check your LSP / Winsock. Be persistent here.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/problems-with-lsp-winsock-layer-
in.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/problems-with-lsp-winsock-layer-i
n.html

I'll read it again but it looks _very_ difficult. I may have to settle
for Kenneth's C folder contents being unavailable from Bernard. I'm not
sure they were before I crashed Kenneth and lost the network. Once I
replace the firewall I hope everything else continues to work.

2) Check the Tiny documentation carefully, for antiworm
protection. This is a trendy feature in firewalls now, and you have
to look carefully.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/your-personal-firewall-can-eithe
r-help.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/your-personal-firewall-can-either
-help.html 3) Un install TPF carefully, following instructions from
the vendor. Be very diligent here. Then repeat step 1.

But you have a major problem. With XP SP0 on one computer, and SP1 on
the other, you are a security problem in the making. And without SP2,
you have 2 major disadvantages:
1) You cannot get Windows Firewall.
2) You cannot apply security updates.

Sooner or later, your inability to apply security updates will become
a major problem. I urge you to find a solution NOW, before that
happens. Take the computers to a professional shop, if necessary.

I got a CD copy of SP2 from MS, but upon researching its installation I
read that I must bring all patches up to date before installing it. As I
mentioned above, my slow erratic dial-up precludes doing this. So I have
not bothered to buy a copy of SP1 (if it's available) from MS for the
other machine.

So lack of security patches is nothing new. I have not DLed any. So far,
so good. I use IE as seldom as possible, only when Firefox won't do what
I need and stay away from MS email and news aps. And all other MS
software possible. With a firewall and running Ad-Aware every few days,
and holding my breath, I hope for the best. One can only do what is
possible. If worse comes to worse I'll get a Mac for on-line usage.

Ken

 

[Chuck]

I have another firewall coming. A friend put a copy of Sygate Personal
Firewall on CD in the mail for me today. My dial-up connection is too
slow and unreliable for a 9M DL.


I'll read it again but it looks _very_ difficult. I may have to settle
for Kenneth's C folder contents being unavailable from Bernard. I'm not
sure they were before I crashed Kenneth and lost the network. Once I
replace the firewall I hope everything else continues to work.

I got a CD copy of SP2 from MS, but upon researching its installation I
read that I must bring all patches up to date before installing it. As I
mentioned above, my slow erratic dial-up precludes doing this. So I have
not bothered to buy a copy of SP1 (if it's available) from MS for the
other machine.

So lack of security patches is nothing new. I have not DLed any. So far,
so good. I use IE as seldom as possible, only when Firefox won't do what
I need and stay away from MS email and news aps. And all other MS
software possible. With a firewall and running Ad-Aware every few days,
and holding my breath, I hope for the best. One can only do what is
possible. If worse comes to worse I'll get a Mac for on-line usage.

Most firewalls install components into the LSP / Winsock stack. Lots of malware
does the same. If you have a problem with either, the stack gets corrupted, and
you lose network functionality.

Installing another firewall may or may not help. If it does, fine. We'll try
to help you, but you have to help us to help you. Take the instructions one
step at a time.

If you have an installable copy of XP SP2, it should install fine as is. I
don't know why you should have instructions about bringing all patches up to
date before installing. You will, however, have a few to install afterwards, as
SP2 has been out for a while.

And contrary to a lot of advertising, Macs have security problems too. To say
nothing of the challenge of running them on a LAN with Windows. But if you see
that as a solution, then go for it.

 

[Ken Knecht]

Most firewalls install components into the LSP / Winsock stack. Lots
of malware does the same. If you have a problem with either, the
stack gets corrupted, and you lose network functionality.

Could this be causing the lack of visibility of the folder contents on
Kenneth's drive C. I read

http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.h tm
l

and will look at it again this evening.

Installing another firewall may or may not help. If it does, fine.
We'll try to help you, but you have to help us to help you. Take the
instructions one step at a time.

I'll find out later this week.

If you have an installable copy of XP SP2, it should install fine as
is. I don't know why you should have instructions about bringing all
patches up to date before installing. You will, however, have a few
to install afterwards, as SP2 has been out for a while.

Upon Googling, I found that SP1 is no longer available (on CD?) as of
10/10 so I will not be able to update Bernard. I also found information
that SP2 does not agree with eMachines - Kenneth is an eMachine.

And contrary to a lot of advertising, Macs have security problems too.
To say nothing of the challenge of running them on a LAN with
Windows. But if you see that as a solution, then go for it.

Any other suggestions besides the Winsock work in your

http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/problems-with-lsp-winsock-layer -i
n.html

for finding my Kenneth drice C folder visibility? I hesitate to mess
with the registry and the other stuff that checking this requires. I'd
prefer to try other things first. That seems to be my main LAN problem
right now, and if necessary I can easily work around it by networking
from Kenneth rather than Bernard.

Thanks again. Please be patient with my stupidity and hesitation to mess
with a mostly working-fine system.

Ken

 

[Chuck]

Could this be causing the lack of visibility of the folder contents on
Kenneth's drive C. I read

http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.h tm
l

and will look at it again this evening.


I'll find out later this week.

Upon Googling, I found that SP1 is no longer available (on CD?) as of
10/10 so I will not be able to update Bernard. I also found information
that SP2 does not agree with eMachines - Kenneth is an eMachine.

Any other suggestions besides the Winsock work in your

http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/problems-with-lsp-winsock-layer -i
n.html

for finding my Kenneth drice C folder visibility? I hesitate to mess
with the registry and the other stuff that checking this requires. I'd
prefer to try other things first. That seems to be my main LAN problem
right now, and if necessary I can easily work around it by networking
from Kenneth rather than Bernard.

Thanks again. Please be patient with my stupidity and hesitation to mess
with a mostly working-fine system.

OK, Ken. I'll work with you, as long as you want.

The thing about the LSP / Winsock stack is that all network activity passes thru
it. Incoming / outgoing, IP / IPX / NetBEUI, TCP / UDP / ICMP. Even though all
traffic passes thru it, each different bit of traffic passes differently. So a
break in any one chain may leave just one small symptom, or a bunch of seemingly
unrelated symptoms.

LSP / Winsock is largely a bunch of filters or switches. It's a great place for
malware to hide, and a reason why the network stack in Vista was redesigned to
eliminate this.

So any time that you install or un install network software, like a firewall, or
any time that you remove malware, LSP chains may have to be repaired. That's
the reason for the different LSP / Winsock repair products.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layered_Service_Provider>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layered_Service_Provider

And yes, it's possible that the lack of visibility of the folder contents on
Kenneth's drive C is caused by an LSP / Winsock problem. And un fortunately, if
the problem is a broken LSP chain, the only remedy will be running the repair
tools. And sometimes, that will be 1 specific repair tool out of the 7
specified.

Now, you do not need SP1, if you're prepared to apply SP2. SP2 was a cumulative
update, and it was stated to eliminate SP1 for those who started from SP0 (no
SP). But for OEM copies of Windows, you do need to get SP installs from the
vendors, so I'm not sure what you can do with an eMachine.