Networking

  • Thread starter Thread starter Menno Hershberger
  • Start date Start date
M

Menno Hershberger

I have always run my XP computers in a network with full file and printer
sharing without any problems. For what it's worth, all my XP installations
are Fat32.
Now with my Vista installation, none of my XP computers can access the
Vista machine. The name of the machine appears in the workgroup list, but
no folders. The XP machines can't see the printer on the Vista machine
either.
If I click on the Vista machine name in Explorer, it asks for a login name
and password. I never have used passwords, but just to make it happy I
created identical passwords on one of the XP machines and the Vista
machine. But when I type it in on the XP machine, it just spins (hourglass)
and never connects. On one of the other XP machines I just get "Network
path not found".
But on the Vista machine I can see all the other computers and can transfer
files back and forth with no problems whatsover. Vista doesn't ask for a
password either.
I've set full permissions on everything.
I need to get this working so my middle of the night scheduled
synchronization with Laplink can work.
I have NO use for all that %$@&! security and I wish there was some way I
could just turn it off!
What do I need to do?
 
On the Vista machine, in Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center, did you
enable File Sharing and/or Printer Sharing, and then go to Windows Explorer,
right click a drive or the folders you want to share, and choose to share
them?

Now, about that Fat32......any reason for that? (it has no bearing on
networking, however)
 
In Vista Networking you will see, in file sharing and printer sharing, that
password protection is turned on. Turn it off and everything works. I had the
same thing as you, supply a password in XP to access the Vista computer, and
I thought "what password, I never set one up in Vista when I installed it!" I
have my printer set up in XP, and added a Network device in Vista; it works.
 
On the Vista machine, in Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center, did
you enable File Sharing and/or Printer Sharing, and then go to Windows
Explorer, right click a drive or the folders you want to share, and
choose to share them?
Click to expand...

Yes to all that.
Now, about that Fat32......any reason for that? (it has no bearing on
networking, however)
Click to expand...

Oh yes it does! It makes it about 10 times easier to share. One of my XP
machines was NTFS to start with. It was a pain. I reformatted the drive and
reinstalled it in Fat32 and the sharing problems were over.

As I've pointed out before, it's just me, myself, and I. I don't need no
stinkin' security in my network!
 
OK, I saw that, but I didn't see the option to turn it off. I'll go
reboot it back into Vista and look at it again. I really DO want to make
this thing work. I've got all day today to dink with it so maybe I can
get it going.
 
OK, turning off password protection worked and now I can get into it from
my other computers. I can share quite a few folders and the printer as
well. So far I haven't figured out how to share Documents and Settings.
http://mewnlite.com/share.jpg
What I'd really like to do is change my documents folder to C:\My Documents
like I have on my XP machines. The reason for that is that two of my XP
machines dual boot Windows 98 and that gives me a common documents folder.
I'd like to do the same with the Vista machine which dual boots XP. In
other words, I'd like to be able to work with the same documents no matter
what operating system I'm using.
So far I haven't seen a place in Vista to set a default location for my
document folder.
I appreciate your help. You have gotten me through the biggest barrier!

In Vista Networking you will see, in file sharing and printer sharing,
that password protection is turned on. Turn it off and everything
works. I had the same thing as you, supply a password in XP to access
the Vista computer, and I thought "what password, I never set one up
in Vista when I installed it!" I have my printer set up in XP, and
added a Network device in Vista; it works.
Click to expand...
 
Don't know whether this is what you are looking for! In Windors Explorer in
Vista, I copied all the folders in "Documents" into the "Public" folder. I
can access them from my XP comp, and alter them and save them from the XP.
So, I can do my work on either computer. I get into it in XP by clicking
Start, then Network Places, where you have "Shared folders" with nothing in
it, BUT "PUBLIC" with everything in it.
Mick in Australia

Menno Hershberger said:
OK, turning off password protection worked and now I can get into it from
my other computers. I can share quite a few folders and the printer as
well. So far I haven't figured out how to share Documents and Settings.
http://mewnlite.com/share.jpg
What I'd really like to do is change my documents folder to C:\My Documents
like I have on my XP machines. The reason for that is that two of my XP
machines dual boot Windows 98 and that gives me a common documents folder.
I'd like to do the same with the Vista machine which dual boots XP. In
other words, I'd like to be able to work with the same documents no matter
what operating system I'm using.
So far I haven't seen a place in Vista to set a default location for my
document folder.
I appreciate your help. You have gotten me through the biggest barrier!
Click to expand...
 
Menno, I have left all security as the default settings in Vista, except for
the password protection thing. Security is not the big thing that a lot of
people are making it out to be; just finding where to go is! XP was easier,
now we have to remember both ways. The only reason I've got Vista is because
I repair computers, and someone is bound to ring me up with a problem! Touch
wood, no-one has so far.
Mick Murphy
 
One thing I forgot, sorry! Make sure that the "Public Folder Sharing" is
turned "On" in Vista Networking
Mick
 
I was in XP when I wrote the other posts. Just went into Vista Networking.
Make sure Network Discovery, File Sharing and Public Folder Sharing are all
turned on.
Have a good day
Mick
 
That's *exactly* why I have it! So I can start learning. I've had two of
them brought to me already for stuff I had to figure out. One of them
brought me a brand new one and his old one to transfer files. I never did
figure out the Files and Transfer Wizard... I ran into that password
problem again. I finally copied all his files to one of my own computers,
burnt them on a DVD, and then put them in the new one.
The other guy also brought a new one and wanted Norton Internet Security
removed. Ah yes, another learning experience. Add/Remove Programs is
missing! So now I have learned where they moved THAT to! :-)
 
In the add and remove part, they don't want you to get rid of anything to do
with Windows! At least it is simple to get rid of what we put on.
Removing norton can sometimes be a learning curve in itself. It is like the
pickpocket who has a hand in your wallet and doesn't want to let go, even
after you have sprung him as being up to no good.
 
Thanks for all your help. I've got everything working fairly decent now. I
was able to move the documents folder to a folder common to all my machines
and everything is pretty much wide open now. At least I know that when and
if I decide to leave Vista running full time on that machine, my backup
will work. For the time being, I run it in XP when I'm not around.


http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/evaluate/vista_fp.mspx
This link will tell you all about file and printer sharing in Vista

Regards
Mick
Click to expand...
 
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