Win95 and WinXP Workgroup - troubleshooting shares

[SeaMaid]

Single workgroup
No domain
No servers
Peer-to-Peer
All computers have current Windows Updates
A = WinXP Pro SP2, P4, higher security, custom services (guest acct
disabled)
B = WinXP Pro SP2, P4, default security, default services (guest acct
enabled)
C = Win95a, P1

A, B & C connect to Ethernet hub.
2Wire gateway (router & adsl modem) connects to Ethernet hub.
- ICS is not enabled.
- File & Printer Sharing is enabled.
- IP addresses are assigned automatically by NAT/DHCP.
A, B & C share DSL independently of each other through the 2Wire and can
each connect to the Internet.
A, B & C each have firewalls with permissions enabled for each other.
- A & B use ZoneAlarm Pro. Windows Firewall is disabled.
- C has an early version of ZoneAlarm free.
A & B have identical user names and passwords.
C has a different user name and password.
A & B (WinXP) have no network passwords (not available in XP).
C (Win95) has a network password.
A can connect to B & C through the network (read/write).
B can connect to A & C through the network (read/write).
C can connect to B (read/write)
C can see A but can't connect, and Win95 displays the following prompt.

You must supply a password to make this connection.
Resource: \\A\IPC$
Password:

There is no password to enter. The C$ indicates the default XP
administrative share for the C drive on Computer A.

When trying to access Computer A's SharedDocs folder directly, Win95
displays a similar prompt.

You must supply a password to make this connection.
Resource: \\A\SHAREDDOCS
Password:

Again, there is no password to enter. I suspect the problem with C not being
able to connect to A may lie in my customized XP Services, but I am not sure
which Services are affected. It may also be the fact that my guest acct is
disabled, but that should not matter on a workgroup that is not on a domain,
according to a knowledge base article I read a while back. Can someone help
me troubleshoot the problem so that C can connect to A without being
prompted for passwords?

The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 says that 10 shares are enabled
on my computer (Admin$, C$, DrvC, D$, E$, F$, DrvF, Print$, PrinterA,
SharedDocs). A Google search showed me that there are tools for disabling
the built-in administrative shares (Admin$, C$, D$, E$, F$, Print$) on XP.
Would that improve security, or would it lower security and cause more
problems? Should I leave the default administrative shares enabled? Should I
disable some and not others? I don't want to cause more problems. I don't
think I should disable the Print$ share, or I will not have network printers
any more (and possibly no local printer either!). I don't want to disable
SharedDocs either.

Looking forward to hearing from the networking experts!

 

[SeaMaid]

David Lipman wrote in another thread:

"To increase your security I always suggest blocking TCP and UDP Ports 135 ~
139 and 445 on *any* SOHO Router."

I need to discuss this issue also because my router/gateway needs the
NetBIOS at the DEFAULT setting, and Win95/98 may need NetBIOS also. If I set
NetBIOS to DISABLE in my XP machine, then there is no network or Internet
access at all. Maybe I can still block some of these ports. I need advice on
that.

A = WinXP Pro SP2
B = WinXP Pro SP2
C = Win95a, P1
D = Win98se, P1

The Win98se machine (like the Win95 machine) may need NetBIOS, but it is
temporarily out of service while I troubleshoot a hardware problem with it.
That is why I did not include it in the original post.

 

[Chuck]

David Lipman wrote in another thread:

"To increase your security I always suggest blocking TCP and UDP Ports 135 ~
139 and 445 on *any* SOHO Router."

I need to discuss this issue also because my router/gateway needs the
NetBIOS at the DEFAULT setting, and Win95/98 may need NetBIOS also. If I set
NetBIOS to DISABLE in my XP machine, then there is no network or Internet
access at all. Maybe I can still block some of these ports. I need advice on
that.

A = WinXP Pro SP2
B = WinXP Pro SP2
C = Win95a, P1
D = Win98se, P1

The Win98se machine (like the Win95 machine) may need NetBIOS, but it is
temporarily out of service while I troubleshoot a hardware problem with it.
That is why I did not include it in the original post.

David writes of security between the WAN (Internet) and LAN (your computers)
sections of your NAT router. There is no firewall between the individual LAN
ports, and you cannot isolate your individual computers, from each other, using
any router settings.

You can damage the functionality of the individual computers by misconfiguration
(though not permanently). You can do name resolution without NBT, but this will
require additional work. NetBIOS name resolution is the preferred solution, and
if you insist on shutting it off while you "troubleshoot a hardware problem",
you could be causing your problems there. Please read some of my articles,
which should allow you some background.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html>
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[SeaMaid]

Additional information
---------------------------------------
- Modem/Router/Gateway: PPPoE, NAT, DHCP
- NetBIOS: DEFAULT

XP Services (Computer A)
-------------------
..NET Runtime Opt Svc 2.0.50215_X86: MANUAL
Alerter: MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
ALG (Application Layer Gateway): MANUAL
Application Management: MANUAL
ASP.NET State Service: MANUAL
Automatic Updates: AUTOMATIC
BITS (Bkgrd Intelligent Transfer Svc): MANUAL
ClipBook: MANUAL
COM+ Event System: MANUAL
COM+ System Application: MANUAL
Computer Browser: AUTOMATIC
Cryptographic Services: AUTOMATIC
DCOM Server Process Launcher: AUTOMATIC
DHCP Client: AUTOMATIC
Distributed Link Tracking Client: AUTOMATIC
Distributed Transaction Coordinator: MANUAL
DNS Client: MANUAL
Error Reporting Service: AUTOMATIC
Event Log: AUTOMATIC
Ewido Security Suite Control: AUTOMATIC (antitrojan)
Ewido Security Suite Guard: AUTOMATIC (antitrojan)
Fast User Switching Compatibility: MANUAL
Fax: AUTOMATIC (disabled in this profile)
FSService: AUTOMATIC (Folder Shield)
Help and Support: AUTOMATIC
HTTP SSL: MANUAL
Human Interface Device Access: DISABLED
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service: MANUAL
InCD Helper: AUTOMATIC (CDRW packet writing)
Indexing Service: MANUAL (faster searches)
IPSEC Services: AUTOMATIC
LexBce Server: AUTOMATIC (printer sharing)
Logical Disk Manager: AUTOMATIC
Logical Disk Manager Admin Svc: MANUAL
Messenger: DISABLED
MS Software Shadow Copy Provider: MANUAL
Net Logon: MANUAL
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing: DISABLED
Network Connections: MANUAL
Network DDE: DISABLED
Network DDE DSDM: DISABLED
Network Location Awareness (NLA): MANUAL
Network Provisioning Service: MANUAL
NOD32 Kernel Service: AUTOMATIC (antivirus)
NT LM Security Support Provider: MANUAL
NVIDIA Display Driver Service: DISABLED
Performance Logs & Alerts: MANUAL
Plug & Play: AUTOMATIC
Portable Media Serial Number Svc: MANUAL
Print Spooler: AUTOMATIC
Protected Storage: AUTOMATIC
QoS RSVP: MANUAL
Remote Access Auto Connection Mgr: MANUAL
Remote Access Connection Mgr: MANUAL
Remote Desktop Help Session Mgr: MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
Remote Procedure Call (RPC): AUTOMATIC
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator: MANUAL
Remote Registry: DISABLED
Removable Storage: MANUAL
Routing & Remote Access: MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
Secondary Logon: AUTOMATIC
Security Accounts Manager (SAM): AUTOMATIC
Security Center: AUTOMATIC
Server: AUTOMATIC (file & printer sharing)
Shell Hardware Detection: AUTOMATIC
Smart Card: MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
SSDP Discovery Service: DISABLED
System Event Notification: AUTOMATIC
System Restore Service: AUTOMATIC (disabled in this profile)
Task Scheduler: AUTOMATIC
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper: AUTOMATIC (network)
Telephony: MANUAL
TelNet: DISABLED
Terminal Services: MANUAL
Themes: AUTOMATIC
TrueVector Internet Monitor: AUTOMATIC (ZoneAlarm firewall)
Uninterruptible Power Supply: MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
Universal PnP Device Host: DISABLED
User Profile Hive Cleanup: AUTOMATIC
Volume Shadow Copy: MANUAL
WebClient: AUTOMATIC
Windows Audio: AUTOMATIC
Windows Firewall/ICS: AUTOMATIC (Windows firewall is DISABLED in Control
Panel, and ICS is not being used)
WIA (Windows Image Acquisition): AUTOMATIC
Windows Installer: MANUAL
WMI (Windows Mgt Instrumentation): AUTOMATIC
WMI Driver Extensions: MANUAL
WMC (Windows Media Connect): MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
WMC Helper: MANUAL (disabled in this profile)
Windows Time: AUTOMATIC
Windows User Mode Driver Framework: AUTOMATIC
Wireless Zero Configuration: AUTOMATIC (disabled in this profile)
WMI Performance Adapter: MANUAL
Workstation: AUTOMATIC (network)

Some of these Services are only needed if you are on a domain. Some are only
needed if you use ICS. I tweaked a few of them by using MVPS.org and
BlackViper.com as guides. I plan to tweak more later to try to improve
security without losing the network or Internet. Which services (if any)
might be causing my current network problem?

 

[SeaMaid]

Computer A
Windows XP Pro SP2
Network Protocols: TCP/IP
ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : [computer name]
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : gateway.2wire.net

Ethernet adapter SBC Yahoo! DSL Ethernet LAN:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC
[Note: Realtek RTL8100C integrated LAN chip on Abit AS8 mainboard.]
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-50-8D-ED-60-28
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.1.33
[Note: IP addresses for all network PCs have not changed.]
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1 [2Wire
Router/Gateway]
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1 [2Wire
Router/Gateway]
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1 [2Wire
Router/Gateway]
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, October 01, 2005
5:31:18 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, October 01, 2005
6:31:18 AM

Computer C
Windows 95a
Network Protocols: IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, TCP/IP
winipcfg

Host Information

Host Name: [computer name].gateway.2wire.netDEST
DNS Servers: 172.16.0.1
Node Type: Broadcast
NetBIOS ScopeId:
IP Routing Enabled: (blank)
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS: (blank)
WINS Proxy Enabled: (blank)

Ethernet Adapter Information

(Adapter name is Blank)
[Note: Motorola Mariner 28.8 Modem/Fax/LAN PC-Card.
Device Manager shows the device works properly.]
Adapter Address: 08-00-3E-1B-89-3D
IP Address: 172.16.1.36
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway: 172.16.0.1 [2Wire Router/Gateway]
DHCP Server: 172.16.0.1 [2Wire Router/Gateway]
Primary WINS Server: (blank)
Secondary WINS Server: (blank)
Lease Obtained: Fri Sep 30 05 6:09:07 AM
Lease Expires: Fri Sep 30 05 7:09:07 AM

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005 03:06:24 -0700

David writes of security between the WAN (Internet) and LAN (your
computers)
sections of your NAT router. There is no firewall between the individual
LAN
ports, and you cannot isolate your individual computers, from each other,
using
any router settings.

I'm not trying to isolate the computers from each other. The router/gateway
has a hardware firewall that protects all PCs on the network. ZoneAlarm is a
software firewall that protects each PC individually in addition to that
hardware firewall.

You can damage the functionality of the individual computers by
misconfiguration
(though not permanently). You can do name resolution without NBT, but
this will
require additional work. NetBIOS name resolution is the preferred
solution, and
if you insist on shutting it off while you "troubleshoot a hardware
problem",
you could be causing your problems there. Please read some of my
articles,
which should allow you some background.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html>
Chuck

What is NBT? NetBIOS name resolution is fine if I can figure out what it is
and how to use it. I do not know what you mean by "shutting it off". Do you
mean shutting off NetBIOS? If it should not be shut off in my particular
network, that's fine. Just let me know.

The Win95 computer has had this problem for a long time.

The Win98 computer has not been used for a while. It got the same prompt
when trying to connect to Computer A. The Win98 PC is the only one that has
been disconnected from the network because it has other problems. Its
external Bantam Backpack CDROM driver is corrupt, and the internal hard
drive may be failing. Yesterday, it would not boot at all. The BIOS did not
even detect that a hard drive was connected. Today it sees the drive, but
there are still problems. It's very old (Compaq LTE5300). At least I have
retrieved most of the data from it already. Bantam has the Backpack drivers
available for download should a reinstall be needed on a new hard drive.
Those issues will be addressed in a Win98 newsgroup.

Misconfiguration may be in my Windows XP Services on Computer A. I posted
them earlier. Please review them and see if anything raises red flags. I
will be reading the articles on your site later today. I have been up all
night and need to sleep now.

 

[Chuck]

Computer A
Windows XP Pro SP2
Network Protocols: TCP/IP
ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : [computer name]
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : gateway.2wire.net

Ethernet adapter SBC Yahoo! DSL Ethernet LAN:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC
[Note: Realtek RTL8100C integrated LAN chip on Abit AS8 mainboard.]
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-50-8D-ED-60-28
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.1.33
[Note: IP addresses for all network PCs have not changed.]
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1 [2Wire
Router/Gateway]
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1 [2Wire
Router/Gateway]
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.0.1 [2Wire
Router/Gateway]
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, October 01, 2005
5:31:18 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, October 01, 2005
6:31:18 AM

Computer C
Windows 95a
Network Protocols: IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, TCP/IP
winipcfg

Host Information

Host Name: [computer name].gateway.2wire.netDEST
DNS Servers: 172.16.0.1
Node Type: Broadcast
NetBIOS ScopeId:
IP Routing Enabled: (blank)
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS: (blank)
WINS Proxy Enabled: (blank)

Ethernet Adapter Information

(Adapter name is Blank)
[Note: Motorola Mariner 28.8 Modem/Fax/LAN PC-Card.
Device Manager shows the device works properly.]
Adapter Address: 08-00-3E-1B-89-3D
IP Address: 172.16.1.36
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway: 172.16.0.1 [2Wire Router/Gateway]
DHCP Server: 172.16.0.1 [2Wire Router/Gateway]
Primary WINS Server: (blank)
Secondary WINS Server: (blank)
Lease Obtained: Fri Sep 30 05 6:09:07 AM
Lease Expires: Fri Sep 30 05 7:09:07 AM

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005 03:06:24 -0700

David writes of security between the WAN (Internet) and LAN (your
computers)
sections of your NAT router. There is no firewall between the individual
LAN
ports, and you cannot isolate your individual computers, from each other,
using
any router settings.

I'm not trying to isolate the computers from each other. The router/gateway
has a hardware firewall that protects all PCs on the network. ZoneAlarm is a
software firewall that protects each PC individually in addition to that
hardware firewall.

You can damage the functionality of the individual computers by
misconfiguration
(though not permanently). You can do name resolution without NBT, but
this will
require additional work. NetBIOS name resolution is the preferred
solution, and
if you insist on shutting it off while you "troubleshoot a hardware
problem",
you could be causing your problems there. Please read some of my
articles,
which should allow you some background.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html>
Chuck

What is NBT? NetBIOS name resolution is fine if I can figure out what it is
and how to use it. I do not know what you mean by "shutting it off". Do you
mean shutting off NetBIOS? If it should not be shut off in my particular
network, that's fine. Just let me know.

The Win95 computer has had this problem for a long time.

The Win98 computer has not been used for a while. It got the same prompt
when trying to connect to Computer A. The Win98 PC is the only one that has
been disconnected from the network because it has other problems. Its
external Bantam Backpack CDROM driver is corrupt, and the internal hard
drive may be failing. Yesterday, it would not boot at all. The BIOS did not
even detect that a hard drive was connected. Today it sees the drive, but
there are still problems. It's very old (Compaq LTE5300). At least I have
retrieved most of the data from it already. Bantam has the Backpack drivers
available for download should a reinstall be needed on a new hard drive.
Those issues will be addressed in a Win98 newsgroup.

Misconfiguration may be in my Windows XP Services on Computer A. I posted
them earlier. Please review them and see if anything raises red flags. I
will be reading the articles on your site later today. I have been up all
night and need to sleep now.

I'm a techie. We never sleep. ;-)

Seriously, the multiple protocols are going to be a problem. Plus, a protocol /
transport on just one computer is useless. Plus, it will cause problems with
file sharing.

Windows Explorer will look for other computers on all transports, because it
assumes that you want to see everything out there. If you have IPX/SPX, NetBIOS
Over TCP/IP (aka NBT), and NetBEUI all involved in file sharing, the browser
service on your computer (this should not be confused with Internet Explorer or
its competitors) has to wait for response (or no response) from each transport
before continuing. If no other computer uses a given transport, you are wasting
computer time.

Computers in a domain require additional attention to detail. Making a computer
with XP work on an AD domain is not a simple task. Here's some more reading for
you.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/windows-xp-on-nt-domain.html>
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Nepatsfan]

Single workgroup
No domain
No servers
Peer-to-Peer
All computers have current Windows Updates
A = WinXP Pro SP2, P4, higher security, custom services
(guest acct disabled)
B = WinXP Pro SP2, P4, default security, default services
(guest acct enabled)
C = Win95a, P1

A, B & C connect to Ethernet hub.
2Wire gateway (router & adsl modem) connects to Ethernet hub.
- ICS is not enabled.
- File & Printer Sharing is enabled.
- IP addresses are assigned automatically by NAT/DHCP.
A, B & C share DSL independently of each other through the
2Wire and can each connect to the Internet.
A, B & C each have firewalls with permissions enabled for
each other. - A & B use ZoneAlarm Pro. Windows Firewall is
disabled.
- C has an early version of ZoneAlarm free.
A & B have identical user names and passwords.
C has a different user name and password.
A & B (WinXP) have no network passwords (not available in
XP). C (Win95) has a network password.
A can connect to B & C through the network (read/write).
B can connect to A & C through the network (read/write).
C can connect to B (read/write)
C can see A but can't connect, and Win95 displays the
following prompt.
You must supply a password to make this connection.
Resource: \\A\IPC$
Password:

There is no password to enter. The C$ indicates the default
XP administrative share for the C drive on Computer A.

When trying to access Computer A's SharedDocs folder
directly, Win95 displays a similar prompt.

You must supply a password to make this connection.
Resource: \\A\SHAREDDOCS
Password:

Again, there is no password to enter. I suspect the problem
with C not being able to connect to A may lie in my
customized XP Services, but I am not sure which Services are
affected. It may also be the fact that my guest acct is
disabled, but that should not matter on a workgroup that is
not on a domain, according to a knowledge base article I
read a while back. Can someone help me troubleshoot the
problem so that C can connect to A without being prompted
for passwords?
The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 says that 10
shares are enabled on my computer (Admin$, C$, DrvC, D$, E$,
F$, DrvF, Print$, PrinterA, SharedDocs). A Google search
showed me that there are tools for disabling the built-in
administrative shares (Admin$, C$, D$, E$, F$, Print$) on
XP. Would that improve security, or would it lower security
and cause more problems? Should I leave the default
administrative shares enabled? Should I disable some and not
others? I don't want to cause more problems. I don't think I
should disable the Print$ share, or I will not have network
printers any more (and possibly no local printer either!). I
don't want to disable SharedDocs either.
Looking forward to hearing from the networking experts!

When you disabled the Guest account on A you effectively
disabled Simple File Sharing. Either enable the Guest account
on A or create an account on A that is identical in user name
and password to the account you're using on C. Restart C and
see if you can access the shares on A.

Nepatsfan

 

[SeaMaid]

When you say "create an account on A that is identical in user name and
password to the account you're using on C", which account do you mean? The
user name and password to log onto Windows 95 is different from the network
password for sharing the drives on Windows 95. I can remove the network
password if that will make it easier. Please let me know what you mean for
me to do.

Simple File Sharing is disabled on A in Folder Options so that I can use
NTFS file permissions. The identical user names and passwords may then be
the ONLY reason that B can still connect to A. C and D cannot connect to A.
Yet A can connect to all the computers on the network. A can read/write to
any of the computers, although with B, I can only write to the SharedDocs
folder, and B can only write to my SharedDocs folder. That must be an
additional security feature in XP Pro and/or SP2.

 

[SeaMaid]

I am not in a domain, have no servers, and do not think I have Active
Directory (AD). Isn't AD just part of server operating systems like Win2000
Server, Win2000 Advanced Server, and Windows Server 2003? This is a
stand-alone workgroup in a home.

 

[SeaMaid]

If I need to create the Windows 95/98 user names and passwords on my XP
machine, they will have to be limited users. Just to be clear, the following
names and/or passwords are applicable on 95/98. I want to make sure I change
the right ones. I think I know which ones you mean, but just to be sure...

1. User name and password to log onto 95/98 (each has only one user)
[Are these the user names and passwords you want me to create accounts for
on Windows XP? If so, I will need to post in the Win95/98 newsgroups to
learn how to change the existing 95/98 user names to something else. Right
now, they are my real name, and I need to change that. It is a lot easier to
change user passwords than it is to change the user names!]

2. Computer name for the 95/98 PCs
[These probably do not need to be changed.]

3. Share names for the 95/98 shared drives
[ These probably do not need to be changed.]

4. Network password to access the 95/98 computer and 95/98 shared drives
from other network PCs
[Leave enabled or remove these network passwords?]

Please let me know what I should do. Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

I am not in a domain, have no servers, and do not think I have Active
Directory (AD). Isn't AD just part of server operating systems like Win2000
Server, Win2000 Advanced Server, and Windows Server 2003? This is a
stand-alone workgroup in a home.

OK, dunno where I got the AD bit.

You do need NetBIOS Over TCP/IP enabled. The "Default" setting is for a
corporate network, where the DHCP server provides the NBT setting as On or Off.
A NAT router won't provide this setting, so you need to ensure that NBT is ON,
by setting it ON on all computers.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#Components>

NBT is a Transport, that works when combined with the TCP/IP protocol. IPX/SPX
and NetBEUI are alternate protocols. Duplicate protocols / transports mean
excessive computer load, and excessive network traffic.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/windows-networking-and-alternate.html>

You do need to check your file permissioning, too. Classic vs Simple File
Sharing, and Guest vs non-Guest authentication, must be setup properly. This
is, admittedly, not a simple task. And it's more complicated with multiple and
legacy operating systems like Windows 95.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/file-sharing-under-windows-xp.html>
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Nepatsfan]

See answers inline:

If I need to create the Windows 95/98 user names and
passwords on my XP machine, they will have to be limited
users. Just to be clear, the following names and/or
passwords are applicable on 95/98. I want to make sure I
change the right ones. I think I know which ones you mean,
but just to be sure...
1. User name and password to log onto 95/98 (each has only
one user) [Are these the user names and passwords you want
me to create accounts for on Windows XP? If so, I will need
to post in the Win95/98 newsgroups to learn how to change
the existing 95/98 user names to something else. Right now,
they are my real name, and I need to change that. It is a
lot easier to change user passwords than it is to change the
user names!]

Yes, these are the accounts you need to duplicate on the
Windows XP machines. With Simple File Sharing disabled you need
matching accounts to obtain access to shared resources.

I'm a little rusty on Win 95/98 but I seem to recall that you
could simply log off the current user, enter the new user name
in the "Enter Network Password" box and use TweakUI to setup
the new user name to logon automatically. Posting this issue to
a Win 95/98 newsgroup sounds like a good idea.

Items 2, 3 and 4 can all remain as is.

Once you've got the account situation sorted out, go back and
check the Security tab for the resources you're trying to
share. Make sure that the accounts you want to have access are
either members of groups that are listed or are listed
indivually. Make sure they have the necessary permissions
assigned as well.

Nepatsfan

2. Computer name for the 95/98 PCs
[These probably do not need to be changed.]

3. Share names for the 95/98 shared drives
[ These probably do not need to be changed.]

4. Network password to access the 95/98 computer and 95/98
shared drives from other network PCs
[Leave enabled or remove these network passwords?]

Please let me know what I should do. Thanks.

When you disabled the Guest account on A you effectively
disabled Simple File Sharing. Either enable the Guest
account on A or create an account on A that is identical in
user name and password to the account you're using on C.
Restart C and see if you can access the shares on A.
Nepatsfan

 

[Nepatsfan]

Following up on my earlier response I thought I'd pass along
the following:

1. Once you create the new accounts on your XP machine make
sure you log on to those accounts at least once before you try
to gain access from the Win9X systems. User accounts are not
created on an XP machine until you log on. Also make sure that
these new accounts have passwords and you use the same info
when you log onto Windows Networking on the Win9X machines.

2. Whenever you make any changes to the permissions on the XP
machines, make sure you log off the user on the other systems
if the changes will affect that account.

3. Take a look at steps 6 and 7 in this article for a little
more insight into the problem you're having:

Networking between WindowsXP and Windows95/98/ME
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/wxpwin9x.html

Nepatsfan

If I need to create the Windows 95/98 user names and
passwords on my XP machine, they will have to be limited
users. Just to be clear, the following names and/or
passwords are applicable on 95/98. I want to make sure I
change the right ones. I think I know which ones you mean,
but just to be sure...
1. User name and password to log onto 95/98 (each has only
one user) [Are these the user names and passwords you want
me to create accounts for on Windows XP? If so, I will need
to post in the Win95/98 newsgroups to learn how to change
the existing 95/98 user names to something else. Right now,
they are my real name, and I need to change that. It is a
lot easier to change user passwords than it is to change the
user names!]
2. Computer name for the 95/98 PCs
[These probably do not need to be changed.]

3. Share names for the 95/98 shared drives
[ These probably do not need to be changed.]

4. Network password to access the 95/98 computer and 95/98
shared drives from other network PCs
[Leave enabled or remove these network passwords?]

Please let me know what I should do. Thanks.

When you disabled the Guest account on A you effectively
disabled Simple File Sharing. Either enable the Guest
account on A or create an account on A that is identical in
user name and password to the account you're using on C.
Restart C and see if you can access the shares on A.
Nepatsfan

 

[SeaMaid]

Thanks. I will read that. I posted threads in the Win95 and Win98 newsgroups
asking how to change user name (and password) on those machines, but no one
has responded yet. Once that is done, I will be able to set up two limited
accounts on the XP machine.

Both 9x laptops are Compaq LTE5000 series. I may also look into moving the
hard drive from the Win95 box (LTE5100, Pentium 90) into the Win98 box
(LTE5300, Pentium 133). Then I may price a newer used/refurbished laptop
(with internal CDROM drive, floppy drive, and at least USB 1.x, PIII
preferred but PII is good enough, 128MB RAM or higher preferred but 64MB
will do) for a clean install of Win98. The old Win95 laptop (LTE5100) can
then be used for spare parts for the "new" Win95 laptop (LTE5300). Any
suggestions on what might be a reliable laptop brand to consider?

Following up on my earlier response I thought I'd pass along the
following:

1. Once you create the new accounts on your XP machine make sure you log
on to those accounts at least once before you try to gain access from the
Win9X systems. User accounts are not created on an XP machine until you
log on. Also make sure that these new accounts have passwords and you use
the same info when you log onto Windows Networking on the Win9X machines.

2. Whenever you make any changes to the permissions on the XP machines,
make sure you log off the user on the other systems if the changes will
affect that account.

3. Take a look at steps 6 and 7 in this article for a little more insight
into the problem you're having:

Networking between WindowsXP and Windows95/98/ME
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/wxpwin9x.html

Nepatsfan

If I need to create the Windows 95/98 user names and
passwords on my XP machine, they will have to be limited
users. Just to be clear, the following names and/or
passwords are applicable on 95/98. I want to make sure I
change the right ones. I think I know which ones you mean,
but just to be sure...
1. User name and password to log onto 95/98 (each has only
one user) [Are these the user names and passwords you want
me to create accounts for on Windows XP? If so, I will need
to post in the Win95/98 newsgroups to learn how to change
the existing 95/98 user names to something else. Right now,
they are my real name, and I need to change that. It is a
lot easier to change user passwords than it is to change the
user names!]
2. Computer name for the 95/98 PCs
[These probably do not need to be changed.]

3. Share names for the 95/98 shared drives
[ These probably do not need to be changed.]

4. Network password to access the 95/98 computer and 95/98
shared drives from other network PCs
[Leave enabled or remove these network passwords?]

Please let me know what I should do. Thanks.

When you disabled the Guest account on A you effectively
disabled Simple File Sharing. Either enable the Guest
account on A or create an account on A that is identical in
user name and password to the account you're using on C.
Restart C and see if you can access the shares on A. Nepatsfan