Vista network discovery and file sharing

[Kerry Hoskin]

By default in a domain both network discovery and file sharing seems to be
turned off, now I have a few bits of software that won't work unless both
these settings are turned on (can't deploy the software as the vista PC's
can't be seen)

Now how do I turn these settings on????? I've looked through the various GPO
settings but I can't find any settings to achieve what I want. I've even
tried setting the PC location in an unattended file when auto deploying via
WDS but the settings are over ridden when the PC is joined to a domain,
grrrrrrrrrrrr VERY annoying.

cheers

Kerry

 

[Kerry Brown]

It's not much help but I don't see this behaviour. I'm joined to a domain
and both are turned on. Do you have any 3rd party security software
AV/firewall installed?

 

[Kerry Hoskin]

nope, I see the behaviour out of the box, well after deployment by WDS
actually. I can turn them on, but they seem to be off by default

Cheers

Kerry

 

[Kerry Hoskin]

This is the behaviour I'm seeing

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0906.mspx#ENB

Behaviour for the Domain Location Type
When a computer running Windows Vista joins an Active Directory domain, it
automatically configures the existing network for the Domain location type.
After joining the domain, the computer determines that it is on a network of
the Domain location type because it can perform a computer-level
authentication with a domain controller as part of normal Active Directory
operations.

The following settings are automatically configured for networks of the
Domain network location type:

. Windows Firewall is turned on by default and configured by Group
Policy settings downloaded from the Active Directory domain

. Network discovery is turned off

. All forms of file and printer sharing are turned off, including file
sharing, printer sharing, public folder sharing, and media sharing