Cannot file share: Access denied

[james]

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



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

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.