networking problem Vista & XP

[Robert de Ridder]

I bought a new notebook with Vista Home Premium on it.
I changed the workgroup name to be the same as on my home network.
When trying to connect to a XP Pro system I can't see that computer or its
shared folders in the network group, only as a windows media player device.
Anyone know of a solution for this.

Thanks in advance,
Robert

 

[JP]

Try disabling the Windows Firewall and then see if you can connect.
You might have to explicitly allow file and print sharing in the Windows Firewall.

 

[JP]

Try disabling the Windows Firewall and then see if you can connect.
You might have to explicitly allow file and print sharing in the Windows Firewall.

 

[Guest]

I shut down the firewall and I am still not able to see the other computers

 

[Guest]

I'm having similar issues with my new Vista loaded laptop. My other computers
all have XP and I can see the new laptop from them, but, Vista can't seem to
find anything else in the workgroup. I have spent several hours trying
everything to get this system to find the other workgroup computers and
printers, to no avail.

Thus far, I'm not overly impressed with Microsofts latest offering. It's not
overly user friendly nor compatible with anything XP or previous. I'm not
going to upgrade any of my other hardware until they get these connectivity
issues fixed.

 

[Guest]

I'm having similar issues with my new Vista loaded laptop. My other computers
all have XP and I can see the new laptop from them, but, Vista can't seem to
find anything else in the workgroup. I have spent several hours trying
everything to get this system to find the other workgroup computers and
printers, to no avail.

Thus far, I'm not overly impressed with Microsofts latest offering. It's not
overly user friendly nor compatible with anything XP or previous. I'm not
going to upgrade any of my other hardware until they get these connectivity
issues fixed.

 

[Guest]

I found this elsewhere on the forums, but it's worth posting everywhere - it
worked great for me. I've also modified it a bit to match my Home Premium
version of Vista. It is from Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing
(http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders):

You may need to enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP for TCP/IP V4 in the Network
Connection's properties:

1. Click on Start in the lower left corner, then select Network
2. click Network and Sharing Center
3. Look at Sharing and Discovery, below on the right
4. make sure that Network Discovery is On (note - in a Windows Domain, this
may need to be enabled by an administrator using a GPO)
5. make sure that File Sharing is On
6. make sure that Public folder sharing is Off
7. if you have a printer locally installed that you want other computers to
use, make sure Printer Sharing is On
8. click Manage network connections (left pane)
9. right click the Local Area Connection (or whatever network connection is
in use - e.g. a wireless connection)
10. select Properties
11. click Continue in the User Account Control prompt (or supply
Administrative username and password)
12. select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
13. click Properties
14. click Advanced...
14. select the WINS tab
15. select the Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP radio button
16. click OK; click OK; click Close - this change will take affect
immediately - no need to logoff or restart

Also, as stated in other posts in this thread and others - make sure you
don't have a third party firewall blocking the ports or programs needed.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Eric - but that didn't work for me.

I think I'm the same as others in this post, but just to check. From my
Visat laptop, in the network devices list I can see my Oki Printer and my
Home PC - but the PC is classed as a media device. Double clicking on it
opens media player (I can actually play the tracks from my PC library so I
know it's communicating). Right-clicking doesn't give anything else, choosing
properties just says it's a Microsoft Media Player.

When I first connected, the Deskptop PC popped up a window asking if it was
ok to share media files to which I said OK. I suspect the problem is that
once that device has been identified as a media device it can't be seen as
anything else.

Anyone know a was past this ?

 

[Guest]

Got it.

You need to install the LLTD Responder update for XP, downloadable from MS
at ...

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=70582

It is mentioned in the Vista networking help, though it's slightly obscure
and given that EVERYONE is having this problem it should be more prominent.
If you go to your Network and Sharing Center in Vista there is an option
top-right to "View Full Map". Click that and you will see that some devices
are missing from your diagram. There is a question on the left "Why are some
devices missing" which points to that link. Install the download on XP.
Restart the machine (though mine didn't prompt for it) and it all works just
fine.

 

[Guest]

Thanks a bunch for this Eric! It helped me at least get my VISTA computer to
see and talk with my XP ones. Now if I can only figure out how to get the
other side to work properly!!

Red Merchant

 

[Guest]

Posted this elsewhere - but this solved ALL my problems and without needing
the NETBIOS fix ...

You need to install the LLTD Responder update for XP, downloadable from MS
at ...

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=70582

It is mentioned in the Vista networking help, though it's slightly obscure
and given that EVERYONE is having this problem it should be more prominent.
If you go to your Network and Sharing Center in Vista there is an option
top-right to "View Full Map". Click that and you will see that some devices
are missing from your diagram. There is a question on the left "Why are some
devices missing" which points to that link. Install the download on XP.
Restart the machine (though mine didn't prompt for it) and it all works just
fine.

 

[Guest]

it still hasn't helped me. It does allow me to "see" the XP machines in the
"view full map", but other than seeing them in the map, nothing. I can map a
drive to the XP machines share using IP addr, but not name.

Even from the DOS prompt I can't see the XP share via name, only via IP.

I've enabled NetBIOS even. I've also gone in and explicitly enabed all the
correct ports.

Nothing yet...

 

[Guest]

Like Mark, I have performed the steps listed in this thread. And I, too, have
a great topology map. Except for a brief period when we first booted the
Vista computer, I have had no luck listing the netword shares, which are all
XP Pro machines. Has anyone else found out any more information that could
help?

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Search for a slightly more recent post on this by me(Mark). It would be maybe
a week newer than the last one I posted on here. It's been awhile, but I did
solve the problem. I don't remember all the details, but it was the firewall.

My machine came with Norton pre-installed. I had set all the settings to
"off" with no luck. I had also checked the Windows firewall settings and they
were all set to off. I even went so far as to go to the specific details to
make sure it was very much off.

I uninstalled Norton and it all sprang to life. Even with everything set to
"off" something was still "on". I still have Windows firwall off and as time
goes on I'll be re-integrating it back in.

Norton security programs and Vista do not mix. Look back on my writeup on
this just to make sure I didn't leave something out in this one.

Good luck,
Mark

 

[Guest]

Thanks Mark. Yes, Norton is pre-installed. I think I will download the clean
uninstaller from Norton to make sure it is ALL gone. Wish me luck.

 

[Guest]

Hey Guys..


I have tried the LLD update, my xp puter is now shown in the network map. I
also setup a basic network from xp and to my wonder it was successful, i
could browse files from xp and vice-versa.

But after i restarted my laptop i noticed that i can see my xp pc ico is
seen in the network map but it cannot be clicked..

also when i go to network from startmenu i cannot view my xp puters icon
there but just my local vista laptops ico.

though i can browse the files from xp seamlessly, also //devicename from run
can get me to view and browse files of xp.

This is not a big problm for me as i can browse files etc, but how can i
make the icon appear in the network in vista?

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

It wont be long before I downgrade my new computer back to XP Pro.. Im an
mcsa and cant even get vista to change my internal network name from
unidentified network. This os is a severe pile of....

 

[NotMe]

There's nothing wrong with Vista that getting rid of the AOL design
engineers & putting real geeks back in charge won't fix.
But it doesn't look like that is going to happen; so enjoy the new
Fisher-Price front end and AOL back end.
AOL took over the world by making their software for beginners (and
protecting them from themselves) and ignoring power users... they are the #1
internet provider and software company now...aren't they?

 

[Guest]

WARNING: Long post!
This is a transcript of a "chat" with HP.
Hi. Listen very carefully. I'm frustrated. I don't want to take it out on
you. To avoid repeating vast amounts of information, I'm going to start with
basic facts and continue to the more complex observations and THEN ask my
questions. You are about to read a lot of information. Please be patient.
I've pre-written most of this, and when we get to a point where I haven't, I
type slowly. I know this isn't the way you're scripted to work but... thank
you for bearing with me.

I have a Compaq Presario F572US Notebook PC. The computer is running under
Windows Vista Home Premium. My network workgroup is MSHOME. My home network
is called Particles. I was sent a Recovery CD, so I deleted my D: drive and
now my C:\ shows 66.5GB used space and 7.95GB free space. I have a WRT54G
S/N:xxxxxxxxxxx; ver. 6; MAC: xxxxxxxxxA. Feel free to refer back to these
primary notes.

Do you understand everything I've typed so far? Note: I am not asking for
solutions yet, just confirmation of understanding.

I am sitting in a room with a router connected (wired) to three (3) other
computers. One of them is runnung Windows Vista Ultimate. I am not concerned
about this computer yet. I will not refer to it in the future. The other two
desktop computers ("Blackbox" and "Tachyon") are wired, running under Windows
XP (SP2). "Tachyon" is directly connected to the router. I'm going to move
there now. They are also belong to the network "Particles" and share the
workgroup "MSHOME". Let's call them"Blackbox" and"Tachyon". Tachyon is
directly connected to the router.

Is everything I've typed so far clear? Do you have any questions? Note: I am
not asking for solutions yet, just confirmation of understanding.

History: I replaced an Ethernet cable to one of the computers yesterday. It
involved drilling and crawling under my house. It was not fun. I labled all
the wires as they came out of the floor and again as they went back in (or
out of the house in the case of the coax cables). When I was done all the
wired computers could connect to each other and to the Internet. I didn't
think to check the wireless connection as it's always worked. REPLETE: Up
until I messed with the router connections, My Vista laptop could see each XP
machines and visa versa.

Today I find that I can't connect.

Troubleshooting:
The router works. As I say, "Blackbox" can see "Tachyon" and "Tachyon" can
see "Blackbox". I've just spent a half hour on the phone with Linksys
verifying this. It's just that neither can see the VISTA laptop.

I went to Start>Network>Network and Sharing Center on the wireless Vista
laptop which showed that I was connected to Particles (my network) and the
Internet. The connection status states:

IPv4 Connectivity: Internet
IPv6 connectivity: Limited
Media state: Enabled
SSID: Particles
Duration 13:15:11
Speed: 54.Mbps
Signal quality: 4/5 bars (Very good)
Network Discovery is ON (firewall is on and configured. Turning it off
doesn't improve/change anything.)

The IP addresses of the boxes are:
Tachyon = 192.xxx.x.100
Blackbox = 192.xxx.1.2
Presario = 192.xxx.1.1

I mention this because from the laptop I can ping the desktops.

Even though I've done this before, I downloaded the Link Layer Topology
Discovery (LLTD) Responder (KB922120) and re-installed it on the XP machines.
I unplugged both the router and my cable modem and turned off each machine. I
went to the kitchen, got a refill on my coffee and came back. I then
connected the cable, cooled my coffee off with Irish Cream and connected the
router. When all the pretty lights were on, I booted the computer(s). After
waiting a lifetime (it's XP on a slow machine), I went to
START>Accessories>Windows Explorer>My Network Places> Entire
Network>Microsoft Windows Network to see what was showing. Answer: Just the
two XP machines.

Before going on, do you understand everything I've typed so far? Do you have
any questions? Note: I am not asking for solutions yet, just confirmation of
understanding. Of course I'll hold on while you read/re-read/look up/ask for
help/deal with another customer.

I then went to START>Control Panel>Network and Internet Connections>Network
Connections>Local Area Connection (Connected, Firewalled)>Status. There, I
found:
Status: Connected
Duration: 6:46
Speed: 100.0Mbps
In the Support tab, I found:
Address Type: Assigned by DHCP
IP Address: 192.xxx.x.xxx
Subnet 255.xxx.xxx.x
Default: 192.xxx.x.xxx
You probably don't even need to know this stuff.

HP stated that this is a "known issue" with Vista. they said to contact MS.
I responded that "However I might wish to talk to Microsoft about these
issues, this Vista is an OEM version and they won't talk to me. I HAVE to get
my answers from you." They assured me that MS would talk to me. Of course,
they won't.

Interesting note: On my laptop, if I go to START and type RUN in the search
bar, then type "\\ and then the IP address of the computer I want, it will
find and display the computer.

At the end of the chat, they said this would take care of it and then
stopped responding. After 5 minutes, I logged off. I then went to my web mail
to retrieve my transcript only to find a note thaT SAID THAT SINCE i HAD
LOGGED OFF, NO TRANSCRIPT WAS SAVED. This represented over two hours
"Talking" to them. I still don't have an answer. I tried the above thing with
NetBios over TP but it didn't work for me. Unlike many of you, my laptop
can't see the XP machines and the XP machines can't see the Vista laptop.

Needless to say, I'm getting a little pissed off. I just don't know who I
should be more pissed at.