Resolved Network access OK from one account, not from others

I recently bought a new PC (Windows 8) and decided it was time to clean up the old (XP Home SP3) machine, so I reformatted one of its 2 HDs and reinstalled XP with a slipstreamed SP3 CD and loaded all 120 or so updates. Great - much faster! Then I put it back into a home LAN network with the new machine, set up network resources and printing on the printer which is now attached to the new machine, all with no problems. Then I created two limited accounts for everyday use (myself, wife) and there the process stopped with a bang.

I am quite unable to add network resources or connect to the printer from these limited accounts: they will "see" the new machine's network name, but that's all. No directories, no printer. I tried temporarily giving the two limited accounts admin privileges, so in theory there should be no difference between them and the (successfully configured) Admin account, but even then no progress.

I've never really understood networks, just follow the rules and use the wizards, so I don't know where to look next. I've compared all the settings between the two limited accounts and Admin, and can't spot any differences. If anyone can suggest what settings relevant to networking might apply to an admin account, but which are not there or are set differently on limited accounts, I'd be very grateful.

I can't use Windows 8's "Home" option, because that only works when all PCs on the network are Windows 8 machines. And please don't suggest installing Windows 8 on the old machine: (1) I can't afford it (it was pre-installed on the new box), and (2) I don't like it anyway, much prefer to hang in with XP as long as it lasts. And I've looked at previous suggestions in this forum, but they all address the problem of not being able to access files on another PC at all, not the problem of being able to access them from one acount but not from another.

 

Hi, Tony, and many thanks for that. It wasn't quite that simple, but you pointed me in the right direction and by tweaking some settings I'm now almost there: shared printer found and set up, and many shared folders - the others I'll need to look more closely at their sharing permissions. For the record, and for others tackling a similar problem, a couple of remarks:

If not using Windows 8 Homegroup then you are using this: Network & Sharing Center > Advanced Sharing settings > Private > Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers.

Couldn't do that, because that option (user accounts/passwords) is available only for a Homegroup, not for simple file sharing, and I haven't got a Homegroup because that needs to have only Win8 machines in it, no XPs.

To share the printer, go to Control Panel > Devices & Printers > rt click printer > select Printer properties > Sharing tab > set to share.

Already done. As I said (post #1), with the Admin account on the XP box I was already all set up, including printer sharing. I had in fact already successfully printed from the XP machine, but only from the Admin account.

But in the Network and Sharing Center under "All networks" I found the Win8 machine was set to 128-bit cryptography, so I downgraded that to 40/56-bit and that seemed to spring it. Also, under "Private networks" I discovered the "automatic configuration" checkbox wasn't checked, so I checked that.

All in all, I'm 85% there, thanks to you, and have discovered some setting options I hadn't found before. I'm sure I can work out the other 15% now. BTW, Mouse Without Borders was an absolute godsend while hopping back and forth between the two PCs

Thanks again and happy Sunday!