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Resolved Networks and different operating systems

Discussion in 'Networking (Hardware & Software)' started by jseabolt, 2010/01/16.

  1. 2010/01/16
    jseabolt

    jseabolt Inactive Thread Starter

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    I've got four computers all running different operating systems. Let's forget about my wife's computer running Windows 7.

    All computers are on the MSHOME network by the way.

    My garage PC is running Win 2000 pro. I can see my XP machine and access/change files on it but my XP machine does not see my Win 2000 machine in the network. Not really a big deal on that one. I'm thinking about moving my older "XP" machine out to my garage.

    On my "XP" machine I can see my "Vista" computer but can't access any files on it. I get the following error:

    \\Emachine-pc 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. The network path was not found

    On my "Vista" machine it cannot see my "XP" machine in the network.

    Microsoft's website said if this happens to download this patch for XP:

    WindowsXP-KB922120-v5-x86-ENU.exe

    So I did but my computer says it already has the latest version or it's already installed.

    It would be nice if I could just access my XP machine from my Vista machine so I could at least transfer my files over to my new computer.

    On my Vista computer the following items are set:

    Same network name "MSHOME" set to "private "
    Network discovery : on
    File Sharing: on
    Public folder sharing: on
    printer sharing: on
    password protection : off
    media sharing : off

    I've tried everything so far that Microsoft said to do. What am I forgetting?

    As of right now the only folder I have shared on my Vista machine is a folder called "files" and I have two shortcuts in it. Just so I actually have something to share.

    The only thing I can think of is it has something to do with the sharing. Under sharing permissions it asks "Choose people to share with ". Since these are users and not computers I seem to think it has something to do with that.

    What am I missing?
     
  2. 2010/01/16
    Scott Smith

    Scott Smith Inactive Alumni

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    The one this that seems to help the most is create a comon account on all the machines.

    To keep it simple:
    Create an account called Local-User on all of the machines with a password of "password "
    If you attempt to access a file on another machine and are prompted for credentials use the user name and password created above.
     

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  4. 2010/01/17
    jseabolt

    jseabolt Inactive Thread Starter

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    You mean like a log on account when Windows first starts?

    I don't have one on my Windows 2000 machine but on my XP machine I have it password protected so when Windows starts it says "Owner" and my password is my initials. So I should add a user like my first name "James "? And that will allow my Vista machine to recognize my XP machine?
     
  5. 2010/01/17
    Scott Smith

    Scott Smith Inactive Alumni

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    Your Windows 2000 machine does have a login account. The reason your not seeing it is Windows is going straight into it.
    If you will go to Start / Control Panel / Users you will see what the name of that account is and you can add a second one if you like.

    Let me try to clarify what I'm trying to explain.

    The computers need a common user name and password to "Authenticate" with each other. By adding a common user name and password to all machines that should solve your problem.
    You do not have to be logged in with this common account. It just needs to exist on each machine. If your prompted for user name and password use this account.
    If you want to add James to all the computers you can do that.
     
  6. 2010/01/17
    JCinvan

    JCinvan Inactive

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    Dear Scott,
    I have shared files between 2 XPs and a Vista before without creating extra accounts, setting up the machines like Jseabolt said, is there some new update blocking it now? or in other words, do you know why it isn't working anymore?
     
    Last edited: 2010/01/17
  7. 2010/01/17
    Scott Smith

    Scott Smith Inactive Alumni

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    Were your XP machines Pro or Home?
    XP Pro and Windows 2000 are "Pro" operating systems and will not allow anonymous requests for files.
     
  8. 2010/01/17
    jseabolt

    jseabolt Inactive Thread Starter

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    Well here is what I have done so far. Renamed "Owner" on my XP machine to "James" so I have "James" and the same password on both PCs. Still nothing.

    Seems like the more I fool with my Vista machine, the more I ***** it up.

    Here's something weird. Both of these computers are made by Emachines. So I'm trying to distinguish between the old one and new one. Everytime I rename the Vista computer it adds this name to the network on my XP machine if that make sense.

    So I have the following listed under "My network places" on my XP machine:

    Emachine (Emachine) ---< This is my old XP machine
    New Emachines ---< New Emachine running Vista
    new (Emachines-pc) ---< New Emachine running Vista
    MSHOME (Kathy-pc) ---< Wife's computer running Windows 7
    New (NewEmachines) ---< New Emachine running Vista

    Why do I have different names of the same computer listed under the network? And why does the list keep growing everytime I change the name?

    Another "DUH" is the Vista computer is showing up under My Network places but is not accessable. Furthermore if I right click on properties it says "The server cannot be found on the network ". So it contradicts itself.

    One odd thing is I did very little when setting up my wife's Windows 7 computer and if I try to connect to it, it asks for a user name and password. So I believe if I were to enter that encrypted code it displayed when I set her computer up, it should let me connect.

    Seems like Microsoft realized this issue with Vista and corrected it in Windows 7.

    I'm grasphing at straws here and I'm about to throw in the towel. I'm going to print off that webpage from Microsoft on running Networks on different operating systems and go back and see if I missed anything.
     
  9. 2010/01/18
    JCinvan

    JCinvan Inactive

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    Hi Scott, if this was directed at me: XP Home, XP Media Center (laptop) and Vista Home Premium. File transfer worked before but now it doesn't... but I haven't spent much time trying to make it work, as it's easy using a flash drive.
     
  10. 2010/01/18
    jacrabbit

    jacrabbit Inactive

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    Ok I have 5 Comps currently running on the one network, My Laptop win7, Wifes laptop XP Pro, Desktop 1 Vista Home Premium, Desktop 2 Vista Enterprise, Daughters laptop Vista Home Premium (Visiting on Holidays) (whoops forgot Desktop 3 Win7 rtm so make that 6)

    All Vista & 7, file & printer sharing on, media streaming on, password request turned off, Network Disco On,
    XP file sharing (main folders Music & Pics), allow network users to change my files? check this box if you want to?
    Workgroup (eg: MSHome) all the Same, James pick a name that describes the household, give it a nickname! use this on the XP machine as well, you will do this all through cp/system,
    Computer names should all be different, simple: comp 1, comp 2, comp 3, ETC. I used (Initials-comp type pc), eg: jc-ltpc or jc-dtpc I have found the use of caps doesn't work if using same name, eg: new or New! so don't use same names.
    If you are showing old names no longer used delete them, usually right click? Computer description doesn't matter, use anything you like.
    All these computers are connected on a wireless network and work/interact fine
    Hope this helps
    Jac

    PS, the printer (Shared) is set up on the wifes XP Pro laptop
     
  11. 2010/01/18
    JCinvan

    JCinvan Inactive

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    I went through the network setup again using MSHome as the workgroup name this time, I can see the laptop, yet same message comes up when I click on the shared folder: Network error (photobucket). Someone said it's because one [PC] is wired and one is wireless (same router)... Thing is it worked fine before...
     
    Last edited: 2010/01/18
  12. 2010/01/19
    jacrabbit

    jacrabbit Inactive

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    This sounds similar to a printer sharing problem I had, not sure if this will help, but worth the try

    In run command type regedit
    expand LanmanServer
    click on Parameters
    if IRPStackSize exists right click edit, if not right click in the pane and click new, DWord, type IRPStackSize (take note of the caps in the spelling) set this to higher than 20, I have mine set at 32.

    Jac

    do this on all machines, you will need to restart to take affect
     
  13. 2010/01/19
    JCinvan

    JCinvan Inactive

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    I found 3 LanmanServer with parameters, in HKEY_local_machine> System> ControlSet001> Services and ControlSet003> Services and CurrentControlSet> Services which one did you mean? Or is that the problem: too many ControlSets?
     
  14. 2010/01/19
    jacrabbit

    jacrabbit Inactive

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    My apologies didn't go back up the tree far enough

    system, current control set, services, lanmanserver, parameters

    try that
    Jac
     
  15. 2010/01/19
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    The location is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ LanmanServer \ Parameters

    If the IRPStackSize entry is not present in this subkey, follow these steps:

    1. Click Edit, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
    2. Type IRPStackSize, and then press ENTER.

    The default value of the IRPStackSize parameter is 15. The range is from 11 (0xb hexadecimal) through 50 (0x32 hexadecimal).

    This error can sometimes be caused by your Anti Virus software.
     
  16. 2010/01/19
    JCinvan

    JCinvan Inactive

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    Hi Arie, thanks for the info. Is the fact that there is 3 sets of \ Services \ LanmanServer \ Parameters (ControlSet001, ControlSet003 and CurrentControlSet a problem?
    which is better? a high value or default?
    I do have Comodo Internet Security installed and had set it to have computers discoverable when 1st installed...
     
  17. 2010/01/19
    jseabolt

    jseabolt Inactive Thread Starter

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    So far I've tried everything on Microsoft's website and everything mentioned and nothing seems to work.

    I've been working on this issue for several hours a day and setting up a network with different operating systems can't possibly be that hard to do. I don't understand why this is so hard compared to XP.

    When all you have to do with XP is make sure all computers are on the same workgroup (MSHOME), right click on a folder and select share and select the options and bamm your done.

    Is it just that Microsoft has added so many security features into Vista it makes this so hard?

    My wife's computer running Windows 7 seems to be more forgiving. At least it's asking me for a password from my XP machine but won't let me access her computer. I'm thinking that has something to do with not setting up a user account under network on that computer. In other words I'm entering the correct password, but it won't let me in because I'm not entering the correct user name because I haven't set it up yet. Like I said I'm not too concerned about her computer because she doesn't want to be on the network anyway.

    I'd just like to my Vista machine to recognize my XP machine.
     
    Last edited: 2010/01/19
  18. 2010/01/19
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    You should only arrange the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ LanmanServer \ Parameters key.

    To see the difference between them, read: What are Control Sets? What is CurrentControlSet?

    If you don't get the specific error message Not enough server storage is available to proccess this command, there is nothing you should change.

    If you encounter the above error message, Microsoft suggests you gradually increase the value of IRPStackSize in order to find the minimum value which resolves the problem. Using a value that is larger than necessary might waste system resources.
     
  19. 2010/01/19
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    I would set:

    Public folder sharing: Off
    Password protection : On

    That's the best way to get access.
     
  20. 2010/01/19
    JCinvan

    JCinvan Inactive

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    So, I changed the settings like you said last, no good, changed the IRPStackSize value in the registry (increased up to 32), same error. I see the laptop, and the shared docs, but can't access it.

    Workgrook is "MSHOME" set to "private "
    Network discovery : on
    File Sharing: on
    Public folder sharing: off
    printer sharing: on
    password protection : on
    media sharing : off
     
    Last edited: 2010/01/20
  21. 2010/01/20
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Did you follow Scott's advice from post #2?
     

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