Sharing across xp network

[Guest]

On computer 2 I want to see computer 1's drive C and all its subdirectories,
or at least my documents and subdirectories without moving them into the
shared folder.
I set the C drive to sharing. On cpomputer 2 I see computer 1's C drive, can
get into Documents and Settings and can get into All Users directory, but not
into the other directories under Documents and Settings. I set the sharing to
allow changes from anyone on the network. Why can't I see all directories and
subdirectories. I followed all instructions people gave to create a shared
device. I know I can stuff my documents and settings into the shared drive
but I'd rather not.
Another reason for needing this is I'm putting a local external drive on
computer 2 and want to back up all of computer 2 and all documents I have on
computer 1 - almost all in computer 1's documents and settings.
Hope I'm making some sense
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Chuck]

On computer 2 I want to see computer 1's drive C and all its subdirectories,
or at least my documents and subdirectories without moving them into the
shared folder.
I set the C drive to sharing. On cpomputer 2 I see computer 1's C drive, can
get into Documents and Settings and can get into All Users directory, but not
into the other directories under Documents and Settings. I set the sharing to
allow changes from anyone on the network. Why can't I see all directories and
subdirectories. I followed all instructions people gave to create a shared
device. I know I can stuff my documents and settings into the shared drive
but I'd rather not.
Another reason for needing this is I'm putting a local external drive on
computer 2 and want to back up all of computer 2 and all documents I have on
computer 1 - almost all in computer 1's documents and settings.
Hope I'm making some sense
Thanks,
Mike

Mike,

You are making sense, but you are still _very_ light on details. I presume that
we are talking about Windows XP, but which XP on each computer?
1) XP Home?
2) XP Pro with Simple File Sharing?
3) XP Pro with Advanced File Sharing?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html

Do you only have 2 computers? Did you just recently add one computer? Do you
only have 2 computers total?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/background-information-useful-in.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/background-information-useful-in.html

 

[Guest]

Computer 1 is a laptop connected wirelessly to my home network. Computer one
has the external drive and is connected to the wireless router. When my son
is home from college his laptop also connects wirelessly.
We all run XP Professional and simple file sharing is set.

 

[Chuck]

Computer 1 is a laptop connected wirelessly to my home network. Computer one
has the external drive and is connected to the wireless router. When my son
is home from college his laptop also connects wirelessly.
We all run XP Professional and simple file sharing is set.

OK, Simple File Sharing, and Guest only access, is the first issue here.

Guest won't give access to "C:\Documents and Settings" as a whole, because most
of that is personal. Only the owner, and the administrator, have access to
those, and only Guest is used for network access.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Guest>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Guest

 

[Guest]

So I guess I'm stuck into putting my documents from my documents folder into
the share folder. Then I can see and edit all those files. Correct? So my
normal My Documents is useless to me if I want to share it with the other
machine.
Mike

 

[Gordon]

So I guess I'm stuck into putting my documents from my documents folder
into
the share folder. Then I can see and edit all those files. Correct? So my
normal My Documents is useless to me if I want to share it with the other
machine.

Not at all. Uncheck "simple File sharing" then when you right-click on the
My Documents Icon you can then share it in it's original location. You need
then to ensure that the SAME user is set up on all the other machines that
you wish to be able to share the folder with.

 

[Guest]

What I was actually trying to do was set the C: drive as shared (which it did
but can't access all folders as I said before). Are you saying if I uncheck
simple file sharing I can then see everything on my other machines C: drive?
Also, as far as users, do you mean as long as I have the same user names in
the username file on each machine I should be okay? Do I have to log into the
same name on each machine? That would be a hassle for me. Thanks for the
quick comeback.
Mike

 

[Gordon]

What I was actually trying to do was set the C: drive as shared (which it
did
but can't access all folders as I said before). Are you saying if I
uncheck
simple file sharing I can then see everything on my other machines C:
drive?

I think you might actually have to share the top-level folders. (Why would
you want to share the Programs or the Windows folders anyway?)

Also, as far as users, do you mean as long as I have the same user names
in
the username file on each machine I should be okay?

Yes, but remember that as Simple File Sharing has been disabled, you need to
add a password to the User Accounts, otherwise you will get a password
prompt when you try to access the shared folders.

Do I have to log into the
same name on each machine? That would be a hassle for me.

Shouldn't have to, as long as the lohhed-in user has the same access rights
as the "sharing" user... (AFAIK...)



Thanks for the

 

[Chuck]

What I was actually trying to do was set the C: drive as shared (which it did
but can't access all folders as I said before). Are you saying if I uncheck
simple file sharing I can then see everything on my other machines C: drive?
Also, as far as users, do you mean as long as I have the same user names in
the username file on each machine I should be okay? Do I have to log into the
same name on each machine? That would be a hassle for me. Thanks for the
quick comeback.
Mike

Mike,

Disable Simple File Sharing, and setup a common account on each computer, with
identical non-blank password.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Synchronise>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Synchronise

And enable the common account for network access.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Activate>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html#Activate

You won't have to login using the same name, on any computer. You just have to
have a common account, setup on any computer, the same as what's being used from
another computer. And if you make your common account administrator, you'll be
able to access all of "C:\Documents and Settings", etc using that account.

 

[Guest]

I'm trying to share the C: drive and it still is giving me a problem. I
created the same user name and even logged into the same user name and when I
get to its directory in documents and settings it says the folder is empty. I
unchecked the simple sharing thing. Doesn't seem to work.
Mike

 

[Chuck]

I'm trying to share the C: drive and it still is giving me a problem. I
created the same user name and even logged into the same user name and when I
get to its directory in documents and settings it says the folder is empty. I
unchecked the simple sharing thing. Doesn't seem to work.
Mike

Mike,

When you login to the server (where the folder is) using that same user name and
password, and look in the same folder, is it not empty then? What is "its
directory" anyway? Is it just one directory, or many directories, that are
giving you this problem?

Did you uncheck the simple sharing thing before, or after you created the
non-Guest account on the server (where the directory is located)? Before, or
after you started using that same account from the client (the computer that
you're trying to use to access the directory)?

Please try and think how you would describe your problem, and what you're doing,
if we were _not_ looking over your shoulder (because we aren't looking over your
shoulder). And think what order you do things in, and try not to be so casual
about describing each task.

We're on your side. Work with us.

 

[Guest]

It's not working or I'm doing something wrong. I unchecked the simple file
sharing and tried to share the C: drive. The hand ends up underneath it but
when I go to the other computer, again it only let'sd me get into all users
under documents and settings. I set up an identical user name but it gave me
an empty folder. Plus, I don't want the same user login on both machines. Any
ideas?

 

[Gordon]

It's not working or I'm doing something wrong. I unchecked the simple file
sharing and tried to share the C: drive. The hand ends up underneath it
but
when I go to the other computer, again it only let'sd me get into all
users
under documents and settings. I set up an identical user name but it gave
me
an empty folder. Plus, I don't want the same user login on both machines.
Any
ideas?

Did you try running the New network Wizard on both machines? (Unfortunately
you WILL have to have the same users set up on each machine - in a
peer-to-peer network, each machine needs to know who is allowed to access
it, and that means holding the access information on each machine).