Visa File/Print Sharing Requires Username - Don't Want That

[Vistacuffs]

This is regarding a desktop using Vista Home Premium and a laptop using Vista
Home Premium. A shared printer is attached to the desktop.

I've spent more than a few hours of researching on the internet, including
the technet information for Vista file/print sharing.

I have enabled file and print sharing without using a password on a private
network. I have Xp machines on my home network. I am able to access them
with no issues.

My issue is that when I access my Vista Home Premium desktop from the Vista
Home Premium laptop (or vice versa), I have to enter a username. Any letter
of the alphabet works, a password is not required.

My desktop is a dual boot system. The other OS is XP Home. It does not
require a username for file/print sharing.

This is especially frustrating, because I have to enter a username to print
from the laptop (printer attached to desktop), although I get no popup
username window, it simply doesn't print. Once I access the desktop from the
network folder (double click, explore, etc.), I get the window to enter the
username/password. After I enter a username, the printing starts.

I want to be able file/print share between the laptop and desktop without
entering a username.

Other considerations are that my wife and kids have laptops with Vista. I
don't want them to be required to enter a username to file/print share with
my desktop. My desktop shares it's printer with them. I also have a music
folder that I share. They all need to be able to file/print share with my
desktop as needed. I'm the nerd of the house, so the more trouble they
have....the more trouble I have.

My first priority is to set up file/print sharing between the laptop and
desktop without requiring a username. I think once I do that, I'll have the
information necessary to make sure the rest of the pc's are set up that way.

When using my Vista Home Premium desktop to access my son's Vista Home Basic
laptop, I don't have to enter a username, same with XP desktops. It's only
when my Vista Home Premium machine accesses my other Vista Home Premium
machine...in either direction.

One thing I still have to do is use one of my Vista Home Basic laptops to
access my Vista Home Premium desktop.

Any help is appreciated. I'm fairly experienced with pc's, but I'm pretty
new when it comes to working with Vista. It's not difficult to set up and
use so far...just different.

 

[Vistacuffs]

Well, I understand that's one way, and the most secure, but I have 3 other
desktops and 4 other laptops in the house that may use the printer and access
the music. That would be a logistics nightmare for me. Also, I need to keep
it simple for the wife and kids.

I'm sure it's possible to do what I want to do because I think other people
have done it, otherwise Vista Home wouldn't be so..."Homely".

I wonder if maybe there's a "stuck" registry entry or perhaps the sequence I
used to set up the network sharing was not optimum.

 

[Gordon]

Well, I understand that's one way, and the most secure, but I have 3 other
desktops and 4 other laptops in the house that may use the printer and
access
the music. That would be a logistics nightmare for me. Also, I need to
keep
it simple for the wife and kids.

You don't have to use the log-in name and password - the same one just has
to exist on each machine. Can't see that being a "logistical" nightmare...

 

[Vistacuffs]

Thanks for reading and replying.

A couple of the laptops and one of the desktops are set up with multiple
users. I can't set up every user to have the same username and password.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks for reading and replying.

A couple of the laptops and one of the desktops are set up with multiple
users. I can't set up every user to have the same username and password.

I think there's a misconception here. yes you need to have the same user
account on each machine with the same password - BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE
THEM! The ordinary users can still use their own User accounts...

 

[Vistacuffs]

Here's what I think you are saying.

On the desktop with the shared printer and folder I would add a user account
for each other pc that needs to access the printer and folder. Since it's my
desktop, I would still use my own login/password. The additional accounts
would allow the other users to "invisibly" (to them) use the printer and
access the shared folder.

Is that correct?

The nightmare I was speaking of is that it would be 7 additional
users/passwords. That's just some typing...easy. My kids change their
passwords occasionally on their laptops, which is a good practice, but that's
where it would be a pain for me. However that's my problem and one I may
have to deal with.

Thanks for replying.

If that's the only option, then I'll do that. Maybe I'm trying fight the
operating system rather than use it. I have this "gut" feeling that it's
supposed to be easier than I'm making it, otherwise it would be as user
friendly as Microsoft would have us believe.

 

[Vistacuffs]

SOLVED!

After noodling on your comments I realized a potential problem, which turned
out correct.

My laptop and desktop had the same username login, but only the laptop had a
password. So I set up the identical password on my desktop and POOF problem
solved.

I also verified that all of the other pc's can access my desktop without
entering a username, and they all can. I didn't set up username/passwords on
my desktop for them. The only problem I had was the username mismatch
between my own laptop and own desktop.

Everything is working just the way I wanted to too.

 

[dlsayremn]

Sorry I didn't drop in sooner, but you found the correct solution. For a
Vista computer to share with another computer, the other computer must have
user name and password.