users accounts simple question

[Wendie]

Hi,
We have a peer to peer network connecting to the internet
via a router. The machine that we have designated as
our "file server" is running win2k pro. Everyone else in
the workgroup is running XP. We store all files on
the "server", including those which have pst files.
Everyone who is in the workgroup has a user account set
up on the file server with administrator rights and
password never expires. My question is this. Some of
the users seem to be able to access the file server first
time without any additional configurations while others
have to go thru a log on procedure. I have looked at all
the settings, and I don't know why this is. It creates a
problem because some people have their mail delivered to
a pst file on the server and you need to be logged on to
have it delivered. Having to log on everytime is a pain
as we tend to work from whatever computer is free. We
can access each others computers without all this hassle.

What do I need to change or check on the win2k machine to
make it accessible for whoever wants to log on to it? I
went under security and checked that noone needs to use a
passwork but that doesn't seem to have worked. Why is
this computer being so difficult, any idea where to check?

Thanks for your help. The office is pulling hair out at
the moment.....

 

[rob]

You have to go thru all the computers and make sure all
users are entered as users EXACTLY, including passwords
the same on the 2Kpro file 'server' and the XP machines.
Remember.. this is peer to peer networking.. so you have
no central server regulating who can access what. The way
you do that with peer to peer is.. match up usernames and
passwords accross the workgroup. The W2Kpro machine is
asking for logon because it's not finding that name as a
user in it's own user list(or the password doesnt match).
Also.. a tip.. by default your machines will probably set
a default expiration date for the users password. If it
expires on the file 'server' before the workstation, same
thing.. the user will not be able to access the files. I
recommend if you set the passwords to never expire, to
avoid headaches.
Please, reply with feedback if this doesn't help... I am
decidedly unbusy today.

 

[wendie]

-----Original Message-----
You have to go thru all the computers and make sure all
users are entered as users EXACTLY, including passwords
the same on the 2Kpro file 'server' and the XP machines.
Remember.. this is peer to peer networking.. so you have
no central server regulating who can access what. The way
you do that with peer to peer is.. match up usernames and
passwords accross the workgroup. The W2Kpro machine is
asking for logon because it's not finding that name as a
user in it's own user list(or the password doesnt match).
Also.. a tip.. by default your machines will probably set
a default expiration date for the users password. If it
expires on the file 'server' before the workstation, same
thing.. the user will not be able to access the files. I
recommend if you set the passwords to never expire, to
avoid headaches.
Please, reply with feedback if this doesn't help... I am
decidedly unbusy today.
.

 

[Wendie]

Whoops! Thought I had sent something in the other
message, don't know where it went. Thank you for your
reply, I did do what you said and the names of users on
the accounts on the win2k machine do match up with the
names of users on the XP machine. I even tried making it
so there is no password for one of the people and that
doesn't work. Is this an XP to win2k problem? Some of
the XP workstations have several peoples accounts on them
but the names are the same on the server. I had set all
the passwords never to expire. I ticked the option that
users don't need to use passwords too. should I delete
everyone and then redo them all? Is there something else
in security settings? All the folders are marked to
share so that can't be it. I am stumped. We can access
each others workstations that have XP without a user
account set up on them. Any other idea why is Win2k
being difficult?
Thanks

thanks

 

[Bret]

Windows 2000 Pro has a 10 user access limit. If you have more than 10 users
trying to access the "server" at one time that might be your problem. this
is designed into W2K as Microsoft wants you to buy the server edition. If
you have more than 10 users accessing the server you might want to move the
..pst files to the local machine. I assume you hve the pst files on one
machine for backup purposes. You can still do this with a batch file set
to run on the server to copy the pst file before the backup is scheduled to
run.

If it is no the 10 user limitation and they can connect at one time and not
at another I do not think that it is a user access problem. It appears as
more of an access problem such as network access. When a user is unable to
log into the server can they ping the server? you might want to look at the
network.