Shares inaccessible

[RipperT]

I have 1 XP Pro laptop wireless, 1 Vista laptop wireless , 1 XP Pro desktop
wireless and 1 XP Pro desktop wired all networked together via router. All
have Zone Alarm (free), all working perfectly one day; not the next. All can
access internet, all can see (ping)each other, all shares can be accessed
except the shares of the wired machine (it can't even access it's own shares
via My Network Places!). Preceeding this behavior: I uninstalled ZA on the
wired machine and downloaded a fresh copy and installed it. Set it up to
accept the range of IP addresses that contain my network. Shares cannot be
accessed on wired machine from any others. Shut down ZA on wired machine, no
joy. Investigated & found that the wired machine's workgroup was WORKGROUP
instead of MSHOME as are the rest of the machines. Changed it to MSHOME,
rebooted, no joy. Found wired machine's Windows firewall to be enabled, shut
it down, rebooted, no joy. Please advise on what else to check. I'm stumped.

Many thanks,
Ripper

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have 1 XP Pro laptop wireless, 1 Vista laptop wireless , 1 XP Pro desktop
wireless and 1 XP Pro desktop wired all networked together via router. All
have Zone Alarm (free), all working perfectly one day; not the next. All can
access internet, all can see (ping)each other, all shares can be accessed
except the shares of the wired machine (it can't even access it's own shares
via My Network Places!). Preceeding this behavior: I uninstalled ZA on the
wired machine and downloaded a fresh copy and installed it. Set it up to
accept the range of IP addresses that contain my network. Shares cannot be
accessed on wired machine from any others. Shut down ZA on wired machine, no
joy. Investigated & found that the wired machine's workgroup was WORKGROUP
instead of MSHOME as are the rest of the machines. Changed it to MSHOME,
rebooted, no joy. Found wired machine's Windows firewall to be enabled, shut
it down, rebooted, no joy. Please advise on what else to check. I'm stumped.

Many thanks,
Ripper

ZoneAlarm is notorious for leaving bits of itself behind when you
un-install it. On the wired machine, un-install ZoneAlarm again, then
go to Start > Run > msconfig. Look for and disable any remnants of
ZoneAlarm in the Startup and Services tabs.

Then enable the Windows Firewall, reboot, and try network access. If
it works, ZoneAlarm was causing the problem.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[RipperT]

Thank you, Steve. As always, you nailed it. I've tried every concievable
configuration with ZA, and this machine simply isn't going be accessed with
this version of it installed.
Many thanks,
Ripper

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Thank you, Steve. As always, you nailed it. I've tried every concievable
configuration with ZA, and this machine simply isn't going be accessed with
this version of it installed.
Many thanks,
Ripper

You're welcome, Ripper. I'm glad that my suggestion helped you solve
the problem.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com