Problem with my XP computer on Home Network

[Derek Upson]

I have two computers in my house. Both are hard wired into a router/switch.
one is Windows2000 and the other is XP-Pro SP2. both computers can access
the internet. both computers can ping each other. I have a printer server
also. The Win2K computer can see the XP CPU and also print to the print
server. However, the 2K CPU can not get into the XP computer.

The XP computer can not see the 2K CPU and can't open up the properties for
the printer from the printserver.

I checked the Workgroup name and it is the same on both computers. Printer
and file sharing is turned on for both computers. i do not have the XP
firewall turned on because I have the router/firewall.

What could be the problem?

 

[Chuck]

I have two computers in my house. Both are hard wired into a router/switch.
one is Windows2000 and the other is XP-Pro SP2. both computers can access
the internet. both computers can ping each other. I have a printer server
also. The Win2K computer can see the XP CPU and also print to the print
server. However, the 2K CPU can not get into the XP computer.

The XP computer can not see the 2K CPU and can't open up the properties for
the printer from the printserver.

I checked the Workgroup name and it is the same on both computers. Printer
and file sharing is turned on for both computers. i do not have the XP
firewall turned on because I have the router/firewall.

What could be the problem?

Derek,

On any XP Pro computer, check to see if Simple File Sharing (Control Panel -
Folder Options - View - Advanced settings) is enabled or disabled. With XP Pro,
you need to have SFS properly set on each computer.

On XP Pro with SFS disabled, check the Local Security Policies (Control Panel -
Administrative Tools). Under Local Policies - Security Options, look at
"Network access: Sharing and security model", and ensure it's set to "Classic -
local users authenticate as themselves".

On XP Pro with SFS disabled, if you set the above Local Security Policy to
"Guest only", enable the Guest account, using Start - Run - "cmd" - type "net
user guest /active:yes" in the command window. If "Classic", setup and use a
common non-Guest account on all computers. Whichever account is used, give it
an identical, non-blank password on all computers.

On XP Pro with Simple File Sharing 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.

On XP Pro, if you're going to use Guest authentication, check your Local
Security Policy (Control Panel - Administrative Tools) - User Rights Assignment,
on the XP Pro 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.

More about file sharing, between all different versions of Windows:
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...db-aef8-4bef-925e-7ac9be791028&DisplayLang=en>

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.

 

[Derek Upson]

Chuck, thank you so much for the info. I was not aware of these settings.
The first problem was that I did not have the guest account enabled.

I did check to see if simple sharing was enabled and it was. I then went
into system policies and i noticed the following:

under DENY....it only showed one entry which was "SUPPORT_288945a". i have
no idea what this means.

under ACCESS...it shows Everyone along with a bunch of other names
(administrators, users, power users, etc).

After doing all of this....the same thing happens. i even reset my XP
computer after making these changes.

any other ideas?

 

[Derek Upson]

Chuck, thank you so much for the info. I was not aware of these settings.

 

[Chuck]

Derek,

The "SUPPORT_288945a" account:
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/windowsserver2003/secmod120.mspx>

If you've checked all your authentication / authorisation, and you're sure you
have no firewall interfering (what AntiVirus product do you use?), let's look at
ipconfig information for each computer.
Start - Run - "cmd" - Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command
window. Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!, open
file c:\ipconfig.txt, copy and paste entire contents into your next post.
Identify operating system (by name, version, and SP level) with each ipconfig
listing.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.