cannot create a share

[Guest]

I just set up my home network. I have two computers both running XP home
edition SP2. I attempted to share my printers and C-drive, but I get error
messages. When I share my C drive (or any folder), I get a message "An error
occurred while trying to share <folder>. The server service is not started."
When I try and share my printer, I get the message "Printer settings could
not be saved. Operation could not be completed."

I only get this problem on my desktop computer. I have a brand new laptop
and I don't get the errors.

I can't seem to solve this problem. I checked, and the print spooler
service is running. I restarted it, and no difference.

Help!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

I hope that XP HE has the same wizard that Pro does because I think that will
solve your problems.

Go to Network Connections and you should find in there (under Network Tasks)
an Icon to Set up a Home or Small Network. The process is pretty simple and
straight-forward and should set up EVERYTHING you need configured on the PC
(BTW, you'll need to run the wizard on each PC, but answer the questions
carefully, as you will want to set one PC up as a "host" and the other as a
"guest").
Once each PC is rebooted after going thru the wizard, you shouldn't have any
troubles, just make sure then that you actually SHARE the resources on each
PC that you want visible to the other.
Its not likely that this will cause troubles, but you may want to un-share
anything you have shared before you run the wizards. May help clean things up
a bit furst.

Also, if after your Wizardry, rebooting, resharing and the like you still
have troubles, try adding the IPX/XPX protocol to the networking
configurations on the two PC's. This often clears things up in a completely
Windows LAN.

Good luck!

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

The Morons Guide to Windows Networking by Danor.

 

[Guest]

I already ran the network wizard TWICE. Something else is wrong or corrupt.
I had no problem on my new laptop, and I just hooked up a desktop running XP
(SP1) and had no problem, either.

I hope there is a way to resolve this without having to wipe my hard drive
clean and reinstall XP!

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't go reaching for a tall one to drink while reinstalling XP just
yet... there are several things that can be tried first.
Before doing any of the below, verify that you have the latest drivers
instaleld for your NIC (Network Interface Card aka Network Adapter) cards on
both PCs. Just because Windows XP *had* a suitable driver in its database
doesn't mean it will always be 100% correct one or latest for that NIC (or
any device, really). Best bet is to check the NIC manufacturers website and
get the latest ones.

On each PC:
} Turn File and printer sharing OFF
} Open Control Panel>System, click the Hardware tab on go into Device Manager.
} If the NIC came with its own CD/floppy and you had to insert originally
during your XP install, have it handy, or the above mentioned
freshly-downloaded ones are best
} Find the Networking Adapter being used for the LAN conn between the PCs and
Uninstall it
} Leave the Device Manager window Open and click on Action>Scan for new
devices
} If XP asks for the drivers, insert the CD/floppy mentioned above when asked
} If you downloaded a manufacturers driverset, then after XP completes its
device installation and the Networking Adapter component shows up again in
Device Manager, rt-click it and select Update driver and follow instructions.

Repeat the Network Setup wizardry
-----------
If this does not succeed, you should try it again but this time go into Safe
Mode to do the Uninstalling (to get into Safe Mode you need to press the F8
key at the time after the BIOS POST and Bootstrap but before the system tries
to find the MBR on the HDD; if you have your BIOS set so it will look at the
floppy drive in the boot sequence before the HDD its easy to listen for the
floppy-drive to buzz and tap the F8 key 2-3 times then - works for me every
time), and I would probably only do the device removals in Safe Mode. Not
only would I remove the NIC in question, but also all other Networking
devices that are using stock WinXP drivers or that I had updated drivers for,
then restart into Normal mode for Windows to rediscover and install the NIC
device(s) drivers'.
Of course, if you have newer driver versions from the website(s), you'll
have to Update the devices from the default XP drivers (go back to Device
Manager as above and rt-click each device to select Update driver instead of
Uninstall).

Cheers,

 

[Guest]

Hi Danor,

Thanks for all your help. I figured out what was wrong. There were two
problems. First, my server service wasn't running. Not sure how it got
turned off, but once I re-enabled it, the error messages went away.

The second problem was that I had software firewalls enabled on both
computers that were defaulted to block all unauthorized traffic. It did not
occur to me at first this was a problem since I could get on the internet and
get my email.

Once I allowed subnet 192.168 traffic, everything finally worked the way I
expected.

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[Guest]

I'm glad your PCs are talking and that you're seeing daylight again, in that
you solved your own problem (there's nothing like owning knowledge gained by
direct experience).
I also think, though, that you *may* just be "on the edge of the woods and
able to see daylight", but not actually out of the woods yet, and more
troubles down the road may plague you. Here's why:

You said you had already run the Network Setup Wizard *twice* before seeking
assistance (I'd wager dollars to donuts that BOTH times the Wizard finished
the message merely said that the Setup was completed; inferring no errors,
or, that ALL tasks to be done by the Wizard WERE *completed* SUCCESSFULLY)
Yet... Networking failed. Why? (At least...) because of the server service
not running (which you did mention in your 1st Post, and I purposefully chose
NOT to try and "surgically-techno-vise" you to repair just that and see what
happens; the why to that follows...)
Part of the Wizards job *IS* to configure and activate the server service.
It is a basic and obvious requirement. Yet, not only did it fail to do that,
it ALSO failed to tell you it didn't or couldn't. This, then, *trongly*
suggests that there was SOMETHING ELSE ALREADY wrong (or perhaps a better
viewpoint: not completely right) before you ever even RAN the Wizard, that
subtly interfered with its ability to properly do its job.
That takes you back a step (at least), to what I considered at the time the
most logical level that is dynamic and which all OS CDs are vulnerable to:
the software OS-interface to Hardware components directly envolved with the
faulty process, in this case the NIC drivers. That's why I suggested that you
start there, rather than going for the server service alone (inferring that
since the Wizard missed this the first two times, then you should refresh the
foundation that the Wizard works from _first_, then let it try again, because
it can configure ALL of the pieces properly in one swoop faster than we can
manually, provided all the RIGHT pieces are in place to start with).
Its like a Finishing Carpenter who builds the most beautiful kitchen
cabinetry in a house whose cement foundation is missing sand: eventually the
house will collapse over the faulty foundation and there goes the beautiful
cabinetry.
So, if the Wizard could "fail" at least once in this specific respect (yes,
it is a presumption that the failure is related to the driver, but certainly
a reasonable and likely one), what about others just as subtle? Without
researching and *knowing* the drivers' current-XP-compatibility, IMHO it is
foolish to presume otherwise. After all, a large quantity of drivers get
OS-dependant updates shortly after the OS (and therefore the cabfiles of CD
they came on) are released. Windows cabfile drivers are nice and convenient
for initial setup-and-go, but a REAL computer gets updated with newer ones as
they come out.

I also congratulate you for handling the firewall issue (something that is
commonly overlooked, admitedly I did so too in not mentioning it, not because
I don't know, just missed to remembering it). If you do decide to rebuild
your Network Stack and rerun the Wizard, then disabling the firewalls AND
disconnecting from your LAN (and the Internet) would be prudent while doing
so. Yes, the risk _is_ small, but why not ELIMINATE it? Unplugging a cable is
such a tiny task.

Granted, now your situation looks to be working as desired and may continue
to do so for an unknown period of time (after all it certainly is possible
that it *could* be completely corrected by now). But experience has clearly
demonstrated to me that "quick-fixes" rather than "correct-fixes" cause more
future headaches and downtime than it is worth to not do the job right in the
first place.

Best wishes and enjoyment in your new(ly-functional) LAN.