View workgroup computers NOT working

[leo]

Can someone tell me what's going on.

Before I left the laptop for a girl to take to college, networking,
filesharing is working perfectly.

The she brought back the computer after a week, the networking now not
working. I tried to use the Networking wizward but it's still not working.
What is going on?

Nobody has touched the computer and the only additional program installed at
school was AIM.

Would the school have the capability to disable file, printer sharing by
just connecting the their network? If so, why I can't bring back file,
printer sharing at home?

Error message: "Workgroup is not accessible. You might not have permission
to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to
find out if you have access permissions."

 

[Ross Durie]

The error message means what it says. The user that you logged on to the
laptop with must exist (with appropriate permissions) on the XP Pro/NT/2K
machine to which you are connecting.

P.S. The wizard does nothing of use so DO NOT use it.

 

[leo]

The error message means what it says. The user that you logged on to the
laptop with must exist (with appropriate permissions) on the XP Pro/NT/2K
machine to which you are connecting.

P.S. The wizard does nothing of use so DO NOT use it.

I do not understand a single thing you're talking about. The OS (Windows XP
Pro) of all the computers, including this laptop, were set up using default
setting with workgroup name, "WORKGROUP." no passwords

If you know how to fix it, I would be interested in a set by step solutions.

The laptop becomes not able to do file & printer sharing only after
returning from school and the girl doesn't know or would change anything
herself.

 

[MrB]

Leo,
Is it possible that the settings were changed in order for her to log into
the network at school. Maybe she had to join a domain. Have you checked the
settings to see that they are the same as when she left home? Maybe she was
given a different user name at school.

 

[leo]

Leo,
Is it possible that the settings were changed in order for her to log into
the network at school. Maybe she had to join a domain. Have you checked
the settings to see that they are the same as when she left home? Maybe
she was given a different user name at school.

I don't notice anything changes and I used networking wizard to setup the
network nevertheless to no avail. It's certain that the girl simply pluged
the cable to the jack at school and nothing else was done by herself.

It happened before. I didn't know what was going on so I wiped out the HD
and this same situation happens again, right after she brought the laptop
home, no more network browsing.

 

[SlowJet]

Well, I'm waiting for the real scoop because neither seems to be standard
windows network action.

1. If you have a networked workgroup and the laptop was one of the clients
it would have a standard network connection that says auto detect and dhcp.
The Network componets would have tcp/ip, Microsoftnetork, maybe Qos, and
then File and Print Sharing, all checked.
The laptop would have a User called X.

2. At the school she could not logon as User X because she would be on a
domain as User S. Also, the school would require a firewall.

Or

She was not on a domain but simple dialling into an ISP service which most
likly would have blocked the file and print shring, maybe unchecked it.

In either case the original network connection would not be used and a new
one would have been created somehow.

So someone or somebody did something to the network connection.

SJ

 

[Ross Durie]

Just joining all computers to the same workgroup doesn't create a usable
network. You can actually have each computer in a different workgroup and
networking will still work fine HENCE the useless nature of the wizard. Your
problem is with the user on the laptop. This user must exist on the other
machines, i.e., the username and password MUST be identical on any other
machine or you WILL NOT be able to access the other machine. THIS IS LOGICAL
ISN'T IT. See
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

Peer to peer networking using blank passwords is actually NOT allowed under
XP Pro by default unless you change a security policy setting, i.e.,
Start/run/gpedit.msc/Local Policies/Security Options/Accounts: Limit local
account use of blank passwords to console logon only - Disabled (enabled by
default). This isn't the problem though as you get a different error message
from memory.

 

[SlowJet]

Try this...

Delete all the network connections on the laptop and then create a new
one.open the connection properties and click on file and print sharing.
Make sure her User accouint is ok.

Turn on all the machines.
Run the network wizzard on all the machines
((If all the clients are connected to a router run NW in any order. If one
machine is the ISP host run it first.))

Make sure your FW's are allowing file and print sharing.

SJ

 

[SlowJet]

P. S. This does not address the authorised user vs. Guest account (domain
vs. workgroup default.) or the fact that all machines in the workgroup would
need all users accounts that are shraring (guest is disabled on PRO by
default, I think.)

SJ

 

[SlowJet]

Puff, Puff. Yep, I think you got it. I started at the wrong side of my
brain.

SJ

 

[leo]

Just joining all computers to the same workgroup doesn't create a usable
network. You can actually have each computer in a different workgroup and
networking will still work fine HENCE the useless nature of the wizard.
Your
problem is with the user on the laptop. This user must exist on the other
machines, i.e., the username and password MUST be identical on any other
machine or you WILL NOT be able to access the other machine. THIS IS
LOGICAL
ISN'T IT. See
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

Peer to peer networking using blank passwords is actually NOT allowed
under
XP Pro by default unless you change a security policy setting, i.e.,
Start/run/gpedit.msc/Local Policies/Security Options/Accounts: Limit local
account use of blank passwords to console logon only - Disabled (enabled
by
default). This isn't the problem though as you get a different error
message
from memory.

I am sorry that I still do not understand what this is about. I read the
webpages you listed but it looks to me that all I have to do is enable
simple file sharing which by deafult is enabled in XP Pro. This is exactly
why all the computers simply can share files effortless, including this
laptop when I first installed XP. I have also checked firewall (XP SP2 and
Norton AntiVirus 2005) settings but I don't see there're anything unusual
when comparing to my other desktops at home.

I don't know why I need to enter any computer info on each computer in order
to simply access the SHARED DOCUMENTS folder and printers. Unless I
misunderstand what you mean. And I don't know where do you enter the info.

The laptop was working perfectly before it had a trip to college. All the
girl doing at the dorm is simply connect the ethernet cable to the wall jack
and browse the Internet, not connecting to other machines. There's nothing
changed in the laptop _by her_.

However, the file, printer sharing broke when the laptop returns home. I can
never re-enable it. I think I might need to reinstall the OS again.

A simple solution is welcome. What you're telling me is beyond my simple
brain to digest.

 

[Andre Da Costa]

Ensure that the computer name on this workgroup is unique. It sounds like
you want to have user accounts replicated on the different machines on the
network, is it?

Andre Da Costa

 

[leo]

Ensure that the computer name on this workgroup is unique. It sounds like
you want to have user accounts replicated on the different machines on the
network, is it?

Andre Da Costa

The computer name is unique. In fact, file & printer sharing was once
working before it went to the college. I can accept some system files become
corrupted but it's coincident that the feature breaks after the laptop's
connecting to the dorm's ethernet connection.

 

[leo]

Ensure that the computer name on this workgroup is unique. It sounds like
you want to have user accounts replicated on the different machines on the
network, is it?

Andre Da Costa

Here is a slight improvment:

Before, when I clicked "view the network" on the laptop, I got the error,
"Workgroup is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. ..."

I disabled simple file sharing and re-enabled simple file sharing. I, then,
could see the networking computers.

I rebooted all the computers and router, now the laptop can share files with
ONE Windows desktop. There's still a problem of sharing with another desktop
(let's say A) but at least both can see each other. Desktop (A), however can
share with all other computers, except this laptop. It looks like Windows XP
file sharing is very unreliable. The laptop can access OS X however.

Can anyone shred some light?

 

[SlowJet]

run the Network wizzard again. Fisrt on the laptop, then on the A.

(It opens the FW ports)

SJ