I have 3 computers running XP Pro. 2 cabled to the router, one wireless. Is
it possible to back these computers up to each other through the network? I
posted this earlier asked in a different way, but the response I received
didn't work. Thank you for your help in advance!
Meg,
To answer your question, yes, you can, if properly setup, backup to computers
thru network.
Looking at your earlier problem report, I see you reported the error "Access is
denied" when trying to backup. There are several common causes of this problem.
On each 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 consistently 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 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. Ensure that the password
for Guest is blank, with Start - Run - "control userpasswords2"; select Guest,
click Reset Password, click OK without entering a new password.
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.
Next, check for a browser conflict between the computers. I"m not talking about
Internet Explorer here. The browser is the program that allows any computer to
see any other computer on the LAN. On a LAN with 3 computers, you should have
the browser running on only 2 computers.
Make sure the browser service is running on 2 of the computers. Control Panel -
Administrative Tools - Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, services both show with Status = Started. Disable the
browser service on the third (probably the wireless one).
After checking / disabling / enabling as above, power all computers off to reset
the browser settings on each. Then power each back on.
The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) 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 list the same master
browser.
For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
<
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>
If no help yet, provide ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is
NOT checked!, copy and paste entire contents into your next post. Identify
operating system (by SP level) with each ipconfig listing.
--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.
. Doing this makes me feel like a detective again. 