[St!nkf!nger]

Try as I might I just can't get this thing figured out. I want each pc to have free access to any and all files on one other. Here's how it's hooked up: Laptop w/ Vista Home Premium is hooked up wirelessly while my desktop running XP SP2 is hooked into my router via ethernet cable. I've tried a lot of things but it just won't work. Should I initiate the connection on one OS and not the other? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[TerryNet]

If both PCs have internet access through the router the following is a wizard way that works for XP. Don't know how/if Vista differs.

Run the Network Setup wizard (found in Control Panel of XP). Tell it each of your computers connects to the internet via "residential gateway" and that you want to enable file and printer sharing. Create a disk at the end only if you have a Windows PC other than XP or 2k Pro.

Windows XP firewall (if SP2) will be properly configured by the wizard. You must uninstall or properly configure any 3rd party firewalls on each machine. Unique computer names and same workgroup, of course.

The Shared Documents folder is automatically shared. Any other folders (or drives) or printers you want to share, just right click on them and sharing ... . When sharing a printer, accept the offer to load other drivers if your other PCs have different Operating System(s).

When you first go into My Network Places there will be nothing there. The first time you click on 'View Workgroup computers' will probably result in great disappointment. It takes awhile (20 minutes or so) before all the computers in the workgroup get up-to-date and accurate lists of the other computers. Often you can speed up this process via Search for other computers.

When computers show up in My Network Places, double click on one to see its shares. If that includes a printer, you can right click on the printer to connect to it.

[Bob Cerelli]

Might want to check if there are any sharing restrictions with Vista Home. There were with XP Home. This is in relation to - "I want each pc to have free access to any and all files on one other"

The basics for troubleshooting are:

1. Make sure you have the same IP scheme (e.g. 192.168.0.x).

2. Make sure you have the same Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS IP addresses.

3. Make sure you can ping the other computer's IP address. If this fails, just for testing, make sure you turn off XP's as well as any other firewall.

4. Make sure you can ping the other computers by name.

5. Make sure you have the same workgroup name (watch for trailing spaces)

6. For troubleshooting purposes, turn off XP's and completely uninstall any other firewall software. You can always add more complexity after you get it working.

7. With XP, make sure you have the same username and password as the person logging onto the other computers. The default setting for XP Pro is to require a password for network access.

8. More details about how to network XP can be found at:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking/xp_network.htm

9. Information on how to network Vista can be found at:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networ...ing_center.htm
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networ...ta_network.htm

[Charliesmomu]

Don't know if this helps any.. but I had the same trouble...same set up.. New Vista and old XP with the router.
First I had to download a patch from microsoft concerning network mapping in Vista..basically XP computers need the patch or Vista can't even see it.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

That done, Vista could SEE XP but not access it. I had to manually add the XP computer to my Vista's 'trusted computers' section in Norton protection. Obviously this only applies if you have Norton on your new Vista, but it does seem to come with a lot of computers!!

You *MUST* add the network you are on to your trusted networks inside of Norton.

Open Norton. -> Select the Norton Internet Security Tab. -> Scroll down to bottom. -> Select the Internet Security and Firewall Options link. -> Select Trust Control. Locate your network and add to trusted.

Once I'd done that. .. manually adding IP etc, my computers could all talk and share nicely

Obviously if you don't have Norton , ignore all the above!!!
Jules

[Bob Cerelli]

Does that update come with the usual security updates for XP? Never installed it manually or separately on any of my XP Computers and my Vista ones can access them all just fine.

Or is is just for the network diagrams and not network access MS mentions - "Network Map in Windows Vista makes network diagrams of the connections between network devices that can be used to troubleshoot connectivity problems.". In fact, looking at my Vista computer, you need to go into the Group Policy Editor to enable the Network Map in the first place (which it wasn't). So fortunately it doesn't seem to be necessary to make network connections.

[Charliesmomu]

It's just to enable the mapping.. pretty pictures I guess Now you mention it I'm not sure it is at all necessary for actually getting the sharing going, but it is reasuring to find the XP computers magically appearing on Vista after the download. I was pointed to the updates from another techie site when struggling to get mine networking properly.
Jules

[Bob Cerelli]

I could easily see all my XP computers on the network without the mapping.

Start
Network
Bingo...there they all are.

No mapping pretty pictures required. And can access them all as well.

[Victor Papa]

Hi,

This all sounds promising but I'm not running Norton and still cannot access an XP laptop from the Vista desktop even though it can see it. Also not able to print from XP to Epson R360 that is connected (USB2) to my Vista or access any files on Vista from XP. Sharing is enabled on both machines btw.

Any help would be much appreciated as I'm starting to get hold of my hair ready to pull. :-)

[Bob Cerelli]

Might take a look at Vista Network Sharing:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networ...ta_sharing.htm

Don't think you want to run any network wizard with Vista and don't need to for XP.

[Victor Papa]

Thanks for that Bob but I've already shared the required folders and printer on both machines.

On the Full Network Map, my XP laptop is connected to the network Router by a dotted line but my Vista machine is connected via a 'Switch' and solid lines. It also has a blueish box around it but the XP has nothing except green lines which I assume indicate the wireless. When the wireless on the XP laptop is disabled, it's not shown on the map and the Vista is then linked to a 'Gateway', again with solid lines. Why are some dotted as opposed to solid?

My Cable Modem is connected to a Linksys wireless router and that directly to my Vista PC by Ethernet. I assume this is normal? The XP laptop connects wirelessly to the net, and without problem too. It's just the network side of things that's giving me mega headaches.

[Bob Cerelli]

If you have already done the troubleshooting steps mentioned earlier and at least everything the pinging by IP and Name worked, and you have the same user names and passwords, and you have the appropriate permissions, you give some details for:

1. What error message you get when you try and connect to a shared folder
2. What error message you get when you try and connect to the printer

[Victor Papa]

I probably should know but how do you ping? As for the user names, they are different on each machine but I had no problems when the desktop PC was also running XP SP2. I have no passwords on the two laptop accounts and only one on the Admin account on Vista.

On the laptop, I cannot even see the printer or shared files.

[Bob Cerelli]

This would have been good to know right from the start.

Originally Posted by Victor Papa

On the laptop, I cannot even see the printer or shared files.

That's why I posted all those troubleshooting test a while ago.

To ping
Start / run / cmd
then
ping IP
ping Name

Where IP and Name are replaced by the other computer's IP address and Name. Ping your own doesn't tell you that much.

If there is anything else you haven't done or don't know how....ask. Until then we don't know.

[Victor Papa]

Ah, right. Just done the pinging from Vista to XP and vice versa and both IP and Name come back ok on each, XP to Vista slightly quicker at 4ms avge.

The XP laptop is on MSHOME and the Vista PC is on WORKGROUP...does this make a difference and how can I change either?

[Bob Cerelli]

Looks like you still haven't read or done all those troubleshooting suggestions:

5. Make sure you have the same workgroup name (watch for trailing spaces)