net view - System error 5 Access is denied

[david]

Two computers (ComputerA and ComputerB) both running
Windows XP with wireless network cards and Linksys
Wireless-G router and both members of the same workgroup.

Until a week ago both computers could access each other.

Now ComputerB cannot access ComputerA
1) Windows Explorer prompts for a password and to connect
as guest
2) net view \\ComputerA -> System error 5 has occurred
Access is denied


Details:
ComputerA ComputerB

ComputerA can access ComputerB
ComputerB cannot access ComputerA -> prompts for password
dialog
username greyed out: ComputerA/guest
password:

ComputerA
- Desktop
- Windows XP
- Can access ComputerB's shared directories using Windows
Explorer
- Can ping ComputerB by name and IP address
- Can net view -> shows both computers
- Can net view \\ComputerB -> shows list of shared
directories
- No known or intentional firewalls installed
- MCAfee VirusScan installed, but not firewall and in
fact removed McAfee VirusScan and same results
- Use simple file sharing is checked on

ComputerB
- Notebook
- WindowsXP
- Cannot access ComputerA's shared directores using
Windows Explorer
prompts for password dialog
- Can ping ComputerA by name and IP address
- Can net view -> shows both computers
- Cannot net view \\ComputerA -> System error 5 has
occurred Access is denied
- Did have ZoneAlarm plus installed but removed it
- Norton AntiVirus installed
- Use simple file sharing is checked on

 

[Ron Lowe]

Two computers (ComputerA and ComputerB) both running

Windows XP

Until a week ago both computers could access each other.

ComputerA can access ComputerB

Now ComputerB cannot access ComputerA

ComputerB
- Cannot net view \\ComputerA -> System error 5 has
occurred Access is denied

prompts for password dialog
username greyed out: ComputerA/guest
password:


ComputerA
- Use simple file sharing is checked on

Hi, David /James

I've snipped your original post to clarify the relevant parts.
Machine A has a problem with the Guest account.

Here's a brief explanation of the issue...


When you attempt to connect to an XP machine,
and are met with this dialog:

Connecting to XP-BOX
Username: XP-BOX\Guest ( greyed out )
Password:

This means the machine you are attempting to *connect to* is configured
in a non self-consistent way.

This occours when:

The target machine has 'Simple File Sharing' enabled;
(Which sets the Forceguest registry entry to 1 )
( This FORCES all incoming connections to authenticate as 'Guest' )
( That's why the only username you can specify is Guest )

But has the Guest Account Disabled, or passworded.

Simple File Sharing *requires* the guest account to be enabled.
Someone must have gone in and disabled the Guest Account.
( If it is enabled, but passworded, then just supply the password to
connect! )

Fix: You must either:

1) Re-enable the Guest Account:
Start | Run | lusrmgr.msc;
Users;
Dbl-Click 'Guest';
Clear 'Account is Disabled'.

-or-

2) Disable Simple File Sharing, ( hence setting forceguest = 0 )
and then use conventional user accounts and ACLs and all the other
security stuff.

Reboot the target machine, and try to connect again.





--
Best Regards,
Ron Lowe
MS-MVP Windows Networking

 

[davidjames]

Ron

Thanks for the response. The double post was due to not
getting a response to an earlier post and trying to
change subject titles to see if that helped. Normally
don't do that.

Two questions:
1) Yes I disabled the guest account briefly on ComputerA
but then re-enabled it.
So it is enabled. I don't know the password. What does
the Windows XP install set it to?
* There is a big warning message about changing
passwords - is changing passwords a big issue?

2) Where is this registry entry: forceguest

3) How does this help with net view - I don't see an
option for supplying the password with net view

This is a home network so I don't need alot of security -
just need to file share and share internet connection.

Thanks

 

[david james]

Ron

Also I just checked computerA and computerB and they seem
to be configured the same.

I've seen a few posts about a Windows XP firewall. Do you
know anything about this and where the settings are
located.

ComputerA
- Computer Management
Local Users and Groups
Users
Guest account - Account is disabled - is not checked

- From control panel: User Accounts
Guest Account is off

ComputerB
- Computer Management
Local Users and Groups
Users
Guest account - Account is disabled - is not checked

- From control panel: User Accounts
Guest Account is off

 

[david james]

Ron

Ok removed guest password and changed guest account back
to off using:
Control Panel
User Accounts

Can access both computers

Thanks for the help. I have seen alot of similar posts to
mine. I believe I must have given the guest account a
password when I was messing around with it and disabling
it. I was going to set up better security.

 

[hwaarl]

First do a "net use \\IPAdressOfRemoteHost /user:YourDomain\YourUser"