Cannot Share Files and Printers with Vista Machine

[Guest]

I installed Vista Ultimate (RTM) on a workstation and added it to a workgroup
containing 3 other machines running XP SP2. I need to share files and
printers on all machines to all machines. I cannot do it.

I have a printer attached to the Vista machine that I have shared and two
hard drives I have shared. I have turned Network Discovery on and the
firewall off. I can see the Vista machine from the XP machines but not any
shared drives or the shared printer (access is denied).

I cannot see any of the other machines from the Vista machine at this point.
However, at one time I could the machines and the shares and could copy
files from the XP machine to the Vista machine while on the Vista machine.

I would appreciate any guidance on how to effect resource sharing involving
Vista and XP machines in a workgroup. A good comprehensive references would
be very helpful that provide (1) straightforward how-to just get it done and
(2) a good conceptual discussion of what is going on in Vista in this regard.

I have spent considerable time setting up exceptions in the Vista firewall
and turning various things on and off without being able to simply share
files and printers in the workgroup. The machines in the workgroup all are
in a trusted physical environment setting behind a router that connects to
the Internet.

Any help would be appreciated. I am past desperation.

Thanks,
Eagle

 

[Guest]

You need to install special Network Driver files on the XP computers. It is
listed in the help file and on MSDN the files necessary, but the location it
list is no longer available. It suggests going to MSDN at the Vista Beta
Site which is no longer avialable. I am having the same problems because I
can't get the Network driver files.

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

Check that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all the computers:
(for Vista) Start, Control Panel, Network and Sharing Center
click Manage network connections
right click the Local Area Connection, select Properties
select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4); click Properties
click Advanced
select the WINS tab
select Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP; click OK, OK, Close

This setting for XP is in the same place, just the route to get to the Local
Area Connection's Properties is slightly different (Start, Control Panel,
Network Connections).

If you have "turned on" File Sharing and Printer Sharing in the Network and
Sharing Center on the Vista computer, it should not be necessary to make any
adjustments to the Firewall settings for file and printer sharing to work.

With respect to the Access Denied connecting to a network printer, neither
XP nor Vista have a way to prompt for credentials when connecting to shared
printers (regardless of the Windows version running on the target computer),
but it does for folder shares. Try accessing a folder share on the target
computer - you should get a prompt for credentials; key username and
password for a user account known on the Vista computer that has permission
to access the content of the folder shared on the Vista computer. Then,
assuming the user account you used has permission, you should be able to
connect to the printer shared from the Vista computer.

Also, keep in mind that by default, XP and Vista do not allow connection to
shares using user accounts that do not have passwords set for them. So,
whatever user accounts you are using must require passwords.

I just installed XP SP2 on a computer, turned on NetBIOS over TCP/IP and all
the computers (XP, Server 2003 and Vista) on the LAN appear under My Network
Places, Entire Network, Microsoft Windows Network under their Workgroup
name. When I click on any of the computers (XP, 2003 or Vista), I get a
prompt for credentials; after keying appropriate credentials, the folder and
printer shares appear in the right pane of Windows Explorer (provided that
the target computer actually has published at least one share).

Just because a computer does not appear in a list, does not mean it is not
accessible remotely

If a computer does not appear in the list of computers, click Start, Run,
then key \\ followed by the Computer Name of whatever computer you want to
connect to and press Enter (e.g. \\VistaComputerName). You may get a prompt
for credentials - key the username and password for a user account on the
target computer. You should get a Windows Explorer window with a list of
the shares (both folders and printers) on the target computer.

--
Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.



"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Guest]

I had the same problem but dicovered that OneCare was blocking everything. If
you have OneCare then check the Firewall settings using the "Firewall
Connection Tool".

Good luck.

 

[Robert L [MVP - Networking]]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. These are some cases:

Cases: Can't share between Vista and XP
http://chicagotech.net/netforums/viewtopic.php?t=242

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
I had the same problem but dicovered that OneCare was blocking everything. If
you have OneCare then check the Firewall settings using the "Firewall
Connection Tool".

Good luck.