New Vista laptop can "see" XP desktop, cannot access it

[Kemps]

Just added a laptop to our home network - the Vista Home laptop is
wireless and the two desktops (one Vista Ariel, the other XP Home) are
connected by cable through the wireless router. The laptop can be
used to access shared files on the Vista machine, but although the XP
PC appears on the full network map, shared files there cannot be
accessed. (The two desktops have no problem sharing files, just the
laptop.)

I've already made sure that LLTD is turned on, and that network
discovery is enabled. No luck . . . now what?

Thanks -

 

[Chuck]

Just added a laptop to our home network - the Vista Home laptop is
wireless and the two desktops (one Vista Ariel, the other XP Home) are
connected by cable through the wireless router. The laptop can be
used to access shared files on the Vista machine, but although the XP
PC appears on the full network map, shared files there cannot be
accessed. (The two desktops have no problem sharing files, just the
laptop.)

I've already made sure that LLTD is turned on, and that network
discovery is enabled. No luck . . . now what?

Thanks -

I'd start by checking personal firewalls and the NetBT setting, on each
computer.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-using.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-using.html

If you have a WiFi computer with a problem like this, look for a master browser
conflict, caused by the wireless connection. Look at "browstat status" and
"ipconfig /all", from each computer, and diagnose the problem. Read this
article, and linked articles, and follow instructions precisely (download
browstat!):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp

 

[mister.jones]

I was able to resolve similar problems by going to the command prompt (type
cmd.exe in the Start-Search-Box) and then using the following command on the
computer that wants to connect to the other:
net use \\computername /user:username
(Replace "computername" by the name of that other computer and "username" by
the name of a user from that other machine who is allowed to connect over
the network.)
This should ask you for the password of the user "username" on the other
machine (XP).
Now try to connect again in Windows Explorer.
This might help. The problem for me seems to be that Vista sometimes -
although it has no logon credentials - simply forgets to ask you for them.
Best regards
mister.jones

 

[Kemps]

Sorry for the long delay. Other matters intruded.

I was able to resolve similar problems by going to the command prompt (type
cmd.exe in the Start-Search-Box) and then using the following command on the
computer that wants to connect to the other:
net use \\computername /user:username
(Replace "computername" by the name of that other computer and "username" by
the name of a user from that other machine who is allowed to connect over
the network.)
This should ask you for the password of the user "username" on the other
machine (XP).
Now try to connect again in Windows Explorer.
This might help.

No such luck. This sounded good but unfortunately didn't work.

and earlier Chuck wrote:

I'd start by checking personal firewalls and the NetBT setting, on each
computer.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-usi...>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/07/advanced-windows-networking-usi...

If you have a WiFi computer with a problem like this, look for a master browser
conflict, caused by the wireless connection. Look at "browstat status" and
"ipconfig /all", from each computer, and diagnose the problem. Read this
article, and linked articles, and follow instructions precisely (download
browstat!):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighbo...>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighbo...

My thanks for these links . . . and I was able to determine that the
master browser for the XP Home desktop is the Vista desktop, and that
the master browser for the new Vista laptop is . . . the new Vista
laptop. Presumably this needs to be changed for the network to
function, but I'm not yet certain how.

I'd post ipconfig / browstat / netconfig data from all three, but I
can only get file output from the XP system. (I get "Access Denied"
responses on the Vista machines.) If it's necessary to have these so
that you can help me, I'm currently at a loss.

Thanks -

 

[Kemps]

For some reason, this latest post didn't appear to get through
properly . . . my apologies if this looks like I'm nagging.

Thanks for any help -

 

[Chuck]

Sorry for the long delay. Other matters intruded.


My thanks for these links . . . and I was able to determine that the
master browser for the XP Home desktop is the Vista desktop, and that
the master browser for the new Vista laptop is . . . the new Vista
laptop. Presumably this needs to be changed for the network to
function, but I'm not yet certain how.

I'd post ipconfig / browstat / netconfig data from all three, but I
can only get file output from the XP system. (I get "Access Denied"
responses on the Vista machines.) If it's necessary to have these so
that you can help me, I'm currently at a loss.

OK, so you can run browstat on the Vista computers? I'd start by disabling the
browser on the Vista laptop, and restarting all 3 computers.

Which diagnostics return "access denied"? Make sure that you open the command
window as Administrator.

And is NetBT consistently Enabled?

 

[Kemps]

OK, so you can run browstat on the Vista computers? I'd start by disabling the
browser on the Vista laptop, and restarting all 3 computers.

I cannot run browstat on the Vista computers. ("access denied") And,
if I disable the browser on the Vista laptop, what effect will this
have when the laptop's owner goes off to college this fall?

Which diagnostics return "access denied"? Make sure that you open the command
window as Administrator.

"Ipconfig", "net config", and "browstat" all return "Access is denied"
messages on the Vista machines. (No problem on the XP Home
computer.) In both cases, there's only one user profile, and as far
as I know both have full administrator rights. Is this insufficient
in the Vista world?

And is NetBT consistently Enabled?

All three are now (there's a fourth, an XP laptop, but I left that
alone since it's working fine). They started off "Default", although
making the change to "Enabled" doesn't seem to have made a difference.

Thanks for your help -

 

[Gunrunnerjohn]

On the XP machine:

Create a file in notepad named FIXANON.REG with the following contents:

------------------- Use text after this line -------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"restrictanonymous"=dword:00000000
------------------- Use text before this line -----------------

Double click on the file and say Yes to the merge into registry question.