Connecting to a network

  • Thread starter Thread starter et
  • Start date Start date
E

et

Why is Windows XP so hard to connect to a workgroup? All my windows 2000
boxes connect just fine, and I have 2 XP machines that are now connecting
after days and days and days, and all of a sudden it was seeing the other
machines, I have no idea why, I had given up.

I now have a new pc, Windows XP sp 2 of course, and again I cannot see the
other pc's on the network. I have checked all settings, turned off the
firewall even. I have to transfer files to this new pc because it is
replacing an old one. I've booted, shut down, turned off all security
settings, checked the windows client, tcpip settings, everything I can think
of. It has joined the workgroup but errors that it is not available when
attempting to view it in network places. Any ideas of what I can do?

Thanks for any help.
 
Lot's of different things to try:
1) Ensure that file and printer sharing is enabled
2) Ensure that it's protocol is loaded under the appropriate network
connection
3) Ensure that all of the machines have at least one account name and
password in common
4) Ensure that you have all the Windows Updates
5) Ensure that you have shared the appropriate files/folders correctly.

Here's some links to Access Denied errors that may help you out:

Here's some articles on how to do it: These documents all deal with
permissions, ownership, and access denied errors.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.ht
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q304040&ID=KB;EN-US;q304040
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281248
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308418
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

Again, please be aware that the changing of these settings is a bit flakey -
and
may reuire repeated attempts on the folder and sub-folders to get it to work.

Good luck - this can be frustrating!

- John
 
First, make sure your new system has the same IP address schema that your
existing systems do. Subnet mask as well.

Can you ping the existing machines? If so, you can browse them by using the
IP address (use the computer search and enter the IP address). You will also
need to make sure you have an account on the existing machines for the new
one to authenticate to (I've found it works better with actual passwords than
with blank).
 
 
Why is Windows XP so hard to connect to a workgroup?
Click to expand...

Well /I've/ never found it hard. have you actually used the New Network
Wizard? I find that using that usually does the trick first time.
 
Back
Top