Networking

[Guest]

I have two pc's, the first is XP home edition with two users with passwords
the second which I would like to connect to is MCE 2005 single user no
password, the reason for this is I don't want to have to use a keyboard or
mouse and it is a pure media centre i.e. nothing of any importance stored on
this PC. I have the two PC's connected thro' a router but when I try to
connect from the home edition to the MCE, I get a message that I don't have
permissions to connect. The shared folders are set to be accesible from the
net work although its only the folder with the recorded TV I wish to access
for editing on the other PC.

 

[Chuck]

I have two pc's, the first is XP home edition with two users with passwords
the second which I would like to connect to is MCE 2005 single user no
password, the reason for this is I don't want to have to use a keyboard or
mouse and it is a pure media centre i.e. nothing of any importance stored on
this PC. I have the two PC's connected thro' a router but when I try to
connect from the home edition to the MCE, I get a message that I don't have
permissions to connect. The shared folders are set to be accesible from the
net work although its only the folder with the recorded TV I wish to access
for editing on the other PC.

Adrian,

If you'll only want to share data files (nothing in "C:\Program Files" or
"C:\Windows"), you can use Simple File Sharing on the MCE computer.

On the MCE computer, check to see if Simple File Sharing (Control Panel - Folder
Options - View - Advanced settings) is enabled or disabled. With MCE, you need
to have SFS 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.

Check your Local Security Policy (Control Panel - Administrative Tools) - User
Rights Assignment, on the MCE 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.