Home net computer sharing problem.

[Phil Cross]

I have a desktop (computer name Desk_Name) and a laptop (computer name
Lap_Name) connected on a home wireless network with an ADSL router.
Both use Windows XP SP2 Home Edition. Both are in workgroup MSHOME,
The network seems to work fine - both PCs have access to the internet
- but I have a problem connecting to the laptop from the desktop.

When I use My Network Places/View Workgroup Computers from the laptop,
I see both PCs, and clicking on Desk_Name, up come the shared folders
on Desk_Name, which I can then open and fanny around with.

HOWEVER - when I use My Network Places/View Workgroup Computers from
the desktop, I see both PCs, but when I click on Lap_Name I get a box
requiring me to enter a password, thus:


| Connecting to Desk_Name (the box header)
|------------------------------------------
| Connecting to Laptop
|
| User name Desk_Name/Guest (this is greyed out)
|
| Password (available for entry of password)
|
| OK Cancel

I just can't understand this. Why is the box header "Connect to
Desk_Name" when I am trying to connect to Lap_Name?

Why is the user name "Desk_Name/Guest" when I am trying to connect to
the laptop? Why is it greyed out when I want to change it?

I have farted about with user accounts, but I don't have passwords for
guest account on either machine - and both are turned off actually.

Please could anyone advise me on where to go from here?

Regards, Phil.

 

[Bernie Kilshaw]

Phil,

having torn my hair out in various situations trying to get two XP boxes to
talk to each other I usually find that the one that's causing the problem is
configured to use "Simple File Sharing" - if ever there was a misnomer
that's the winner.

In Explorer select Tools --> Folder Options --> View then at the bottom of
the list make sure Simple File Sharing is NOT selected.

Bernie

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

I have a desktop (computer name Desk_Name) and a laptop
(computer name Lap_Name) connected on a home wireless
network with an ADSL router. Both use Windows XP SP2 Home
Edition. Both are in workgroup MSHOME, The network seems to
work fine - both PCs have access to the internet - but I
have a problem connecting to the laptop from the desktop.

When I use My Network Places/View Workgroup Computers from
the laptop, I see both PCs, and clicking on Desk_Name, up
come the shared folders on Desk_Name, which I can then open
and fanny around with.

HOWEVER - when I use My Network Places/View Workgroup
Computers from the desktop, I see both PCs, but when I
click on Lap_Name I get a box requiring me to enter a
password, thus:



I just can't understand this. Why is the box header "Connect
to Desk_Name" when I am trying to connect to Lap_Name?

Why is the user name "Desk_Name/Guest" when I am trying to
connect to the laptop? Why is it greyed out when I want to
change it?

I have farted about with user accounts, but I don't have
passwords for guest account on either machine - and both are
turned off actually.

Please could anyone advise me on where to go from here?

Regards, Phil.

Starting with the laptop, do the following,

Go to Start -> Run and enter cmd.exe in the Open box.
At the command prompt, enter the following command,

net user guest

Look at the "Account Active" line. It should say Yes. If it
says No, enter the following,

net user guest /active:Yes

Go back to the desktop PC, and do the following,

Go to Start -> Run and enter \\NameofLaptop in the Open box
substituting the correct name after \\.

For more info, take a look at the "Troubleshooting file and
printer sharing" section of this article.

How to troubleshoot home networking in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308007

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Phil Cross]

Phil,

having torn my hair out in various situations trying to get two XP boxes to
talk to each other I usually find that the one that's causing the problem is
configured to use "Simple File Sharing" - if ever there was a misnomer
that's the winner.

In Explorer select Tools --> Folder Options --> View then at the bottom of
the list make sure Simple File Sharing is NOT selected.

Bernie

Thanks for that, Bernie.

However, when I looked for the "Simple File Sharing" option, I didn't
seem to have it.

Regards, Phil.

 

[Phil Cross]

Starting with the laptop, do the following,

Go to Start -> Run and enter cmd.exe in the Open box.
At the command prompt, enter the following command,

net user guest

Look at the "Account Active" line. It should say Yes. If it
says No, enter the following,

net user guest /active:Yes

Go back to the desktop PC, and do the following,

Go to Start -> Run and enter \\NameofLaptop in the Open box
substituting the correct name after \\.

For more info, take a look at the "Troubleshooting file and
printer sharing" section of this article.

How to troubleshoot home networking in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308007

Thank you for the help, Nepatsfan.

I discovered that on my laptop, the guest user account was already
active.

However, after Start-->Run-->\\LaptopName on the desktop, suddenly I
could connect to the Laptop. Magic. I don't know what this did, but it
achieved the object.

Thanks a lot,
Phil.

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

Thank you for the help, Nepatsfan.

I discovered that on my laptop, the guest user account was
already active.

However, after Start-->Run-->\\LaptopName on the desktop,
suddenly I could connect to the Laptop. Magic. I don't know
what this did, but it achieved the object.

Thanks a lot,
Phil.

You're welcome.

Nepatsfan