XP File and printer sharing

[Guest]

I have 5 PC's on a home network, some wired, some wireless. All work like I
want them to, except for 1 which can access the others, but they can see but
not access it. I have file and printer sharing turned on and am using Nortin
Internet security as the firewall. I have disabled Norton and still have the
issue. Windows firewall is off.

 

[Robert L [MVP - Networking]]

What do you receive if using net view \\noworkpcip (e.g net view \\192.168.0.2)? Post back the error message if you receive system error.

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
I have 5 PC's on a home network, some wired, some wireless. All work like I
want them to, except for 1 which can access the others, but they can see but
not access it. I have file and printer sharing turned on and am using Nortin
Internet security as the firewall. I have disabled Norton and still have the
issue. Windows firewall is off.

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure about the command syntax. If I type 'net view' from the cmd
window, the other 4 clients appear Just as they do in network neighborhood).
Error message when I try to access from net n. is "\\pcname is not
accessible.You might not have permission to use this resource....logon
failure: the user has not been granted the request logon type at this
computer."

 

[Guest]

If I use net view \\192.... for syntax I get "System Error 5 has occured.
Access is denied"

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I'm not sure about the command syntax. If I type 'net view' from the cmd
window, the other 4 clients appear Just as they do in network neighborhood).
Error message when I try to access from net n. is "\\pcname is not
accessible.You might not have permission to use this resource....logon
failure: the user has not been granted the request logon type at this
computer."

The problem and the solution are on the computer that can't be
accessed. Run XP's Network Setup Wizard on that computer -- that's
often all that's needed. If that doesn't fix the problem, keep
reading.

If the computer that can't be accessed runs Windows XP Professional:

1. Click Start | Run, type "secpol.msc" in the box, and click OK.
2. Click Local Policies.
3. Click User Rights Assignment.
4. Click "Access this computer from the network" and make sure that
the Everyone group is included.
5. Click "Deny access to this computer from the network" and make sure
that the Everyone group is NOT included.

If the computer that can't be accessed runs Windows XP Home Edition,
the "secpol.msc" program isn't available. To make the required user
rights assignments:

1. Download and install the Windows 2003 Server Resource Kit Tools
from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=4544 .

2. Click Start | All Programs | Windows Resource Kit Tools | Command
Shell.

3. Type these lines at the command prompt. The second and third
commands are case-sensitive, so type them exactly as shown. Note the
"+r" in the second one and the "-r" in the third one:

net user guest /active:yes
ntrights +r SeNetworkLogonRight -u Guest
ntrights -r SeDenyNetworkLogonRight -u Guest
--
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

 

[KenV]

If the computer that can't be accessed runs Windows XP Professional:

1. Click Start | Run, type "secpol.msc" in the box, and click OK.
2. Click Local Policies.
3. Click User Rights Assignment.
4. Click "Access this computer from the network" and make sure that
the Everyone group is included.
5. Click "Deny access to this computer from the network" and make sure
that the Everyone group is NOT included.

Steve,

I have the identical "symptom," if not the same problem, that edwgolz
has--see the long thread called "Cannot see computer on network" in which
Chuck has made a valliant effort to solve the problem. I had given up, but
on seeing your post I realized this was an avenue we hadn't explored.

When I run Net View and my IP address on the computer whose files and
printers can't be accessed, or on the good computer, it just stops cold,
regardless of whether I run it from the good or the bad computer. But when I
run net view and the IP address of the "good" computer on /either/ machine,
it lists everything.

I have adjusted the policies as you suggested on my XP computer (both are
XP), but without any improvement.

The good computer pings and sees the other computer--it just doesn't let me
get to the files and printers.

As you can see from the other thread, I have tried everything, even changing
network cards--no help. Chuck is convinced it is a browser problem. I don't
know enough about this to say.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Ken

 

[KenV]

When I run Net View and my IP address on the computer whose files and
printers can't be accessed, or on the good computer, it just stops cold,
regardless of whether I run it from the good or the bad computer. But when
I run net view and the IP address of the "good" computer on /either/
machine, it lists everything.

Correction--after a few minutes running on the affected computer it reports:

System error 64 has occurred.
The specified network name is no longer available.

Ken

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Steve,

I have the identical "symptom," if not the same problem, that edwgolz
has--see the long thread called "Cannot see computer on network" in which
Chuck has made a valliant effort to solve the problem. I had given up, but
on seeing your post I realized this was an avenue we hadn't explored.

When I run Net View and my IP address on the computer whose files and
printers can't be accessed, or on the good computer, it just stops cold,
regardless of whether I run it from the good or the bad computer. But when I
run net view and the IP address of the "good" computer on /either/ machine,
it lists everything.

I have adjusted the policies as you suggested on my XP computer (both are
XP), but without any improvement.

The good computer pings and sees the other computer--it just doesn't let me
get to the files and printers.

As you can see from the other thread, I have tried everything, even changing
network cards--no help. Chuck is convinced it is a browser problem. I don't
know enough about this to say.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Ken

Hi, Ken. Chuck is the resident expert on browsing problems. I have
nothing to add to what he has said on that subject.

In my opinion, network browsing through My Network Places in Windows
XP is badly designed and inherently unreliable. I don't think it's
worth the time to try to troubleshoot it, and I recommend not using it
at all.

To access another computer directly, without using My Network Places,
type the other computer's name in the Start > Run box in this format.
That should open a window showing the computer's shared resources:

\\computer

Then click a shared folder to open it. If that gives an error, the
problem is probably caused by share permissions or NTFS file system
permissions.

Which version of XP does the computer that you can't access have?
--
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

 

[KenV]

Hi, Ken. Chuck is the resident expert on browsing problems. I have
nothing to add to what he has said on that subject.

In my opinion, network browsing through My Network Places in Windows
XP is badly designed and inherently unreliable. I don't think it's
worth the time to try to troubleshoot it, and I recommend not using it
at all.

To access another computer directly, without using My Network Places,
type the other computer's name in the Start > Run box in this format.
That should open a window showing the computer's shared resources:

\\computer

Then click a shared folder to open it. If that gives an error, the
problem is probably caused by share permissions or NTFS file system
permissions.

Which version of XP does the computer that you can't access have?

Steve,

I agree about the browsing issue, although I'm not convinced that this is
related to browsing. But if there is a way around it, I would like to find
it.

Both computers are XP SP2 fully updated, both using Microsoft OneCare and
both clean, so far as I know, of all other firewalls. I can't access
Computer A even when the firewall is disabled and after OneCare has been
uninstalled temporarily. All services are working.

I can get to Computer B from Computer A using the \\Comouter-B from
Start>Run.
I cannot get to Computer A from Computer B using \\Computer-A from
Start>Run.

It's as simple as that. All permissions on Computer A have been checked and
rechecked many times.

As I told Chuck, I think I have discovered the secret to securing a
computer, in this case, computer A, against all attacks, both from the
outside and from the inside--I just don't know what it is. Maybe Microsoft
would be interested.

Further thoughts?

Ken.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Steve,

I agree about the browsing issue, although I'm not convinced that this is
related to browsing. But if there is a way around it, I would like to find
it.

Both computers are XP SP2 fully updated, both using Microsoft OneCare and
both clean, so far as I know, of all other firewalls. I can't access
Computer A even when the firewall is disabled and after OneCare has been
uninstalled temporarily. All services are working.

I can get to Computer B from Computer A using the \\Comouter-B from
Start>Run.
I cannot get to Computer A from Computer B using \\Computer-A from
Start>Run.

It's as simple as that. All permissions on Computer A have been checked and
rechecked many times.

As I told Chuck, I think I have discovered the secret to securing a
computer, in this case, computer A, against all attacks, both from the
outside and from the inside--I just don't know what it is. Maybe Microsoft
would be interested.

Further thoughts?

Ken.

Do the computers have XP Home Edition or XP Professional? If
Professional, is simple file sharing enabled or disabled?

What exactly happens when you try to get to Computer A from Computer
B using \\Computer-A from Start > Run? What is the complete text of
the error message?

Are there any relevant messages in Event Viewer (Start > Run >
eventvwr.msc) on either computer? For more information, see:

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308427
--
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

 

[Guest]

Steve

I have the same network problem and when I run secpol.msc I get a security
template info message telling me that the group policy secyrity settings
could not be determined. When I then go through the process of selecting the
group and location i get another message telling me that the look in
container does not llow the type of object selected. Then when I confirm the
setting change, a message pops up saying "failed to save local policy
database"
I'm not very technical and hope you can help me please.

 

[KenV]

Do the computers have XP Home Edition or XP Professional? If
Professional, is simple file sharing enabled or disabled?

What exactly happens when you try to get to Computer A from Computer
B using \\Computer-A from Start > Run? What is the complete text of
the error message?

Are there any relevant messages in Event Viewer (Start > Run >
eventvwr.msc) on either computer? For more information, see:

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308427

Steve,

Both computers are XP Pro.

Computer B has simple file sharing. It is fully accessible and always has
been.

Computer A, which is inaccessible, at one time had simple file sharing,
now it doesn't. I have gone back and forth with that on Computer A,
resetting permissions, etc.

On Computer A in the Event Viewer I get a couple of error messages having to
do with RAS saying, "Unable to add the interface
{A6184CD9-528F-41B8-BA18-2DF101E7809E} with the Router Manager for the IP
protocol. The following error occurred: Cannot complete this function."

On Computer B I get a recurrent Event Viewer message,

"The description for Event ID ( 27 ) in Source ( HPPECP00 ) cannot be found.
The
local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message
DLL
files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the
/AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for
details.
The following information is part of the event: \Device\HPPECP000, PT::QDId:
Controller doesn't support Nibble.. "

When I try to access Computer A from Computer B from Start>Run, it takes a
cople minutes and then gives the error message that the specified network
name (Computer A'a name) is no longer available.

BTW, if I add my Mac computer to the network temporarily, both Computers A
and B can see the Mac, but the Mac cannot see Computer A.

Ken

 

[KenV]

One tiny bit of progress, but it still hasn't solved the basic problem.

Before, when I did a net view \\ComputerA, it hung with an error 64 as i
recall.

But if I do a net use \\ComputerA\C, it seems to register, and then the net
view \\ComputerA gives a normal response. It still doesn't let Computer B
see Computer A even with start>run

I still think there could be some sort of a permissions problem, Chuck's
expertise notwithstanding, but obviously I don't know. Is there something I
have to do to set /partition/ permissions apart from the share and drive
permissions?

Ken

..

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Gentlemen,
After running sfc /scannow Windows found a few 'altered' files. Re-running
network setup after replacing them seems to have solved the issue. Thanks for
all the help.
Ed

Nice going, Ed. Thanks for posting the solution. I hadn't thought of
running sfc to fix network access problems.
--
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

 

[KenV]

Nice going, Ed. Thanks for posting the solution. I hadn't thought of
running sfc to fix network access problems.

I'm going to try the SFC /scannow myself tonight when I have the two computers
on network and will let you know. Sure hope Ed's solution works--otherwise, I've
hit a brick wall after a week's work on it.

Could a problem with a NIC or Cat 5-6 cable give this sort of asymetrical
problem, with one computer not seen but which can see every other computer?

Ken

 

[KenV]

I'm going to try the SFC /scannow myself tonight when I have the two
computers on network and will let you know. Sure hope Ed's solution
works--otherwise, I've hit a brick wall after a week's work on it.

Could a problem with a NIC or Cat 5-6 cable give this sort of asymetrical
problem, with one computer not seen but which can see every other
computer?

No luck.

I did an SFC /scannow. No change.

I then went through a huge checklist from one of the sites frequently
suggested here, and even went through the TCPIP uninstall-reinstall.

When I do a start>run>\\computer I still get the inaccessible error message,
even though the name of the computer shows up on the other computer's list
under this workgroup. It--and the Mac, when I have it connected--simply
cannot get to any of the folders on this computer.

Can anyone come up with a "thinking out of the box" solution?

Ken

 

[KenV]

Chuck and Steve,

I am going to cross post this in two threads, because I think it is so
important, and it may help a lot of other people here.

After going through everything in all the various posts, links, etc.,
multiple times, I decided that it /had/ to be a firewall problem. This is
after changing NICs and cables, updating drivers, setting up permissions,
fixing Winsock, TCPIP, etc., disabling the Windows and OneCare firewalls,
everything. It was obviously a problem with the one computer A, and it had
to be a firewall.

I noticed that when I used the Live Update feature in Symantec's Norton
Ghost it was still trying to update--unsuccessfully--some sort of security
software. I hadn't used any Symantec security software for over a year (!),
and had gone through all their uninstalls, and, in fact, the network was
working fine until early December, 2006.

So I went into the Registry looking for keys with Symantec files that were
unrelated to Ghost. They were all under HKLM, System, CurrentControlSet,
Services. I found all the files referred to in the Registry located under
\Windows\system32\* and I tried to delete them. I couldn't delete them,
which meant they were in use, even though I couldn't find them in Task
Manager. I then deleted the Registry keys, rebooted, and deleted the files
(which I didn't have to do, once the registry keys were gone). These files
were: symtdi.sys, symfw.sys (likely the real culprit here), symndis.sys,
symids.sys, symredrv.sys, symdns.sys, and symRedir.inf.

Like magic, both Computer B and the Mac immediately saw Computer A and all
its folders and files! No browser problems, nothing.

Two frustrating weeks for me and everyone else on a problem that wouldn't
even exist--a completely hidden firewall--if software companies made it easy
to completely uninstall their security programs. This company in particular
is notorious for such behavior, and it is very costly to the end users in
terms of time wasted. It does not go unnoticed, for whatever that is worth.

It wouldn't surprise me if this were a common problem. I see similar posts
to mine here every day--can't see one computer on the network--and the
firewall is always given as one likely cause. But what if you can't find the
firewall?

Anyway, thank you both for all the time, energy and expertise you put into
this for me. I learned a huge amount about networking along the way, and got
an incidentally (?) broken Winsock fixed in the bargain.

Ken

 

[Poprivet]

Chuck and Steve,

I am going to cross post this in two threads, because I think it is so
important, and it may help a lot of other people here.

After going through everything in all the various posts, links, etc.,
multiple times, I decided that it /had/ to be a firewall problem.
This is after changing NICs and cables, updating drivers, setting up
permissions, fixing Winsock, TCPIP, etc., disabling the Windows and
OneCare firewalls, everything. It was obviously a problem with the
one computer A, and it had to be a firewall.

I noticed that when I used the Live Update feature in Symantec's
Norton Ghost it was still trying to update--unsuccessfully--some sort
of security software. I hadn't used any Symantec security software
for over a year (!), and had gone through all their uninstalls, and,
in fact, the network was working fine until early December, 2006.

So I went into the Registry looking for keys with Symantec files that
were unrelated to Ghost. They were all under HKLM, System,
CurrentControlSet, Services. I found all the files referred to in the
Registry located under \Windows\system32\* and I tried to delete
them. I couldn't delete them, which meant they were in use, even
though I couldn't find them in Task Manager. I then deleted the
Registry keys, rebooted, and deleted the files (which I didn't have
to do, once the registry keys were gone). These files were:
symtdi.sys, symfw.sys (likely the real culprit here), symndis.sys,
symids.sys, symredrv.sys, symdns.sys, and symRedir.inf.
Like magic, both Computer B and the Mac immediately saw Computer A
and all its folders and files! No browser problems, nothing.

Two frustrating weeks for me and everyone else on a problem that
wouldn't even exist--a completely hidden firewall--if software
companies made it easy to completely uninstall their security
programs. This company in particular is notorious for such behavior,
and it is very costly to the end users in terms of time wasted. It
does not go unnoticed, for whatever that is worth.
It wouldn't surprise me if this were a common problem. I see similar
posts to mine here every day--can't see one computer on the
network--and the firewall is always given as one likely cause. But
what if you can't find the firewall?

Anyway, thank you both for all the time, energy and expertise you put
into this for me. I learned a huge amount about networking along the
way, and got an incidentally (?) broken Winsock fixed in the bargain.

Ken

Near's I can tell it's only relevant in Norton 2002.



http://www.internetsecurityzone.com/Entities/?_Firewall+Filter+Driver



symfw.sys file information
The process Firewall Filter Driver belongs to the software Symantec Security
Drivers by Symantec Corporation (www.symantec.com).

Description: File symfw.sys is located in the folder
C:\Windows\System32\drivers. Known file sizes on Windows XP are 173208 bytes
(50% of all occurrence), 110784 bytes, 172216 bytes, 109200 bytes.
The driver can be started or stopped from Services in the Control Panel or
by other programs. The program is not visible. File symfw.sys is a Verisign
signed file. The file has a digital Signature. There is no detailed
description of this service. symfw.sys is not a Windows core file. The
process can be removed using the control panel Add\Remove programs applet.
Therefore the technical security rating is 10% dangerous.


Important: Some malware camouflage themselves as symfw.sys, particularly if
they are located in c:\windows or c:\windows\system32 folder. Thus check the
symfw.sys process on your pc whether it is pest. We recommend Security Task
Manager for verifying your computer's security. It is one of the Top
Download Picks of 2005 of The Washington Post and PC World.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Chuck and Steve,

I am going to cross post this in two threads, because I think it is so
important, and it may help a lot of other people here.

After going through everything in all the various posts, links, etc.,
multiple times, I decided that it /had/ to be a firewall problem. This is
after changing NICs and cables, updating drivers, setting up permissions,
fixing Winsock, TCPIP, etc., disabling the Windows and OneCare firewalls,
everything. It was obviously a problem with the one computer A, and it had
to be a firewall.

I noticed that when I used the Live Update feature in Symantec's Norton
Ghost it was still trying to update--unsuccessfully--some sort of security
software. I hadn't used any Symantec security software for over a year (!),
and had gone through all their uninstalls, and, in fact, the network was
working fine until early December, 2006.

So I went into the Registry looking for keys with Symantec files that were
unrelated to Ghost. They were all under HKLM, System, CurrentControlSet,
Services. I found all the files referred to in the Registry located under
\Windows\system32\* and I tried to delete them. I couldn't delete them,
which meant they were in use, even though I couldn't find them in Task
Manager. I then deleted the Registry keys, rebooted, and deleted the files
(which I didn't have to do, once the registry keys were gone). These files
were: symtdi.sys, symfw.sys (likely the real culprit here), symndis.sys,
symids.sys, symredrv.sys, symdns.sys, and symRedir.inf.

Like magic, both Computer B and the Mac immediately saw Computer A and all
its folders and files! No browser problems, nothing.

Two frustrating weeks for me and everyone else on a problem that wouldn't
even exist--a completely hidden firewall--if software companies made it easy
to completely uninstall their security programs. This company in particular
is notorious for such behavior, and it is very costly to the end users in
terms of time wasted. It does not go unnoticed, for whatever that is worth.

It wouldn't surprise me if this were a common problem. I see similar posts
to mine here every day--can't see one computer on the network--and the
firewall is always given as one likely cause. But what if you can't find the
firewall?

Anyway, thank you both for all the time, energy and expertise you put into
this for me. I learned a huge amount about networking along the way, and got
an incidentally (?) broken Winsock fixed in the bargain.

Ken

Nice going, Ken. I'm sure that your experience will help other
people. Thanks for the report.

Problems with un-installing Norton products are so common that
Symantec provides downloadable tools to do the job. This web page has
more information and links to the tools:

http://basconotw.mvps.org/SymRem.htm

I keep the Norton Removal tools on a USB flash drive along with my
virus removal tools. Birds of a feather . . .
--
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