File Sharing problem

S

Simon Catchpole

I have 2 PC's both running Windows XP SP2. I have installed in each computer
a wireless network adaptor and installed a BT Voyager 2100 modem router.

Both machines can access the internet OK but can't file share.

I've used the network wizard but it didn't work

Any advice gratefully accepted
 
C

Chuck

I have 2 PC's both running Windows XP SP2. I have installed in each computer
a wireless network adaptor and installed a BT Voyager 2100 modem router.

Both machines can access the internet OK but can't file share.

I've used the network wizard but it didn't work

Any advice gratefully accepted

Simon,

When you used the wizard, what did you select on each computer? Was it "This
computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or
through a residential gateway."?

Are you running XP Home, XP Pro, or a combination? All of this makes a big
difference.

On any 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 properly 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 Home, and 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.

More about file sharing, between all different versions of Windows:
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...db-aef8-4bef-925e-7ac9be791028&DisplayLang=en>

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.
 
S

Simon Catchpole

Hi Chuck

Many thanks for your response, your DOS command tips did the trick and both
computers will now file share.

Incidentially both machines are running Windows XP Home.

However I've another problem connection up a laptop that is running on
Windows ME. On setting up the wireless card, the laptop can access the
Internet, but cannot 'see' the other two computers.

But the other two computers do see the laptop!!!

Any assistence gratefully received
Cheers
 
C

Chuck

Hi Chuck

Many thanks for your response, your DOS command tips did the trick and both
computers will now file share.

Incidentially both machines are running Windows XP Home.

However I've another problem connection up a laptop that is running on
Windows ME. On setting up the wireless card, the laptop can access the
Internet, but cannot 'see' the other two computers.

But the other two computers do see the laptop!!!

Any assistence gratefully received
Cheers

Simon,

Check for a browser conflict between the WinXP computers and the Windows ME
laptop. 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. The
browsers for WinXP (WinNT/2K/XP) and Win98 (Win95/98/ME) don't work well
together on the same LAN.

Disable the browser on the laptop:
http://cms.simons-rock.edu/faq_by_subtopic/node138.html
http://www.compudentsystems.com/documentation/win98.html

After disabling the browser, restart the laptop.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.
 

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