Sharing files over network - I can't

alanrowell

I have an XP computer hard-connected to a router. I also have a Vista connected by wireless to the router.

In "My network places" for the XP computer I can see a link to the Public Folders of the Vista computer & a link to another folder on the Vista machine.

When I click on the Public Folders link I can see the folders & files within it. When I click on the other folder link I get "you do not have permission to use this network resource" and it suggests I contact the Network Administrator to get permission.

In Network on the Vista computer I see a link to the XP computer in the workgroup - same name as for the XP computer - but when I click on it I get a similar message to above.

I've turned the software firewalls off and checked that the Windows ones didn't turn on but I can't get access to the folders.

Any ideas or does anyone know a really good article on the subject

jampton

I have a similar set up and for the life of me I can't remember what I did !

I have found vista help useful (more useful than previous windows help) - why not try starting there.

Have you shared the folders / drives by right clicking on the folder / drive and selecting share.

Chippy_Minton

See if this helps - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/evaluate/vista_fp.mspx

alanrowell

Just got back from another round of changing share options

XP accessing Vista folders is OK - it seems that you can't access a whole drive

Still having the same problems with granting the Vista box access to the XP machine

Edit - now I can't access the Vista folders from XP and the XP machine has disappeared from the Vista Network view.

Anyone know how I can go right back to the beginning?

cledor

Try the last paragraph in this article (net use * \\192.168.x.x\SharedDocs) or map the specific folder as a network drive. This works in XP but don't know if it will in Vista.

Chippy_Minton

alanrowell wrote: »

tnow I can't access the Vista folders from XP and the XP machine has disappeared from the Vista Network view.

Reboot and let the machines settle down for 5 minutes. Otherwise see Network Map in Windows Vista does not display computers that are running Windows XP.

[url=http://groups.google.co.uk/group/microsoft.public.windows.vista.networking_sharing/browse_frm/thread/54c4f03d17bd5c03
]This thread[/url] has some useful information about Vista and XP file sharing.

alanrowell

Followed the advice above - and lost all access from both machines. It reached the stage where I couldn't access the XP folders in "my network place", let alone the Vista ones

Back to :

XP can see Vista Folders
Vista gets Access Denied message

The connection from XP to Vista is a bit flaky & I've had to run the "set up a small home or office network" wizard a couple of times. I've also got to watch out for the Windows Firewall kicking in.

So does anyone have any more suggestions / articles on connecting over a network from Vista to XP or a way I can start again from the beginning as if it's typically Microshaft that's the guaranteed way to make it work

alanrowell

Found a workaround

Go to "Network" & in the address line type in "\\" followed by the computer name, then "\" then a shared folder.

eg if the computer is called "XPBox" and theshared folder is called "XPFolder" you'd type in \\XPBox\XPFolder

Then once it's open you can map the folder as a Network drive which is accessible from "Computer".

still could do with a proper fix though

cledor

Even Microsoft people admit that mapping a folder as a network drive will get around the problem if all else fails (see link in above post #5). I''ve had to use this method on a couple of occasions, it works well for folders, however I'm yet to find a similar fix for a network printer.

alanrowell

Next part of the problem - Vista Firewalls

As Zonealarm doesn't work with Vista I'm using the one from PCTools. Unfortunately it blocks access from the XP box.

How do I configure it to allow access as there doesn't seem to be a means of adding IP addresses to the trusted zone?

XP one (Zonealarm) didn't need any changes to it's settings BTW

cledor

If it allows you, try configuring the firewall to ask you before it blocks new connections. After that, when you see a pop-up asking you to authorise access from the XP Box you say yes. Later on, you should go back to the firewall config and change the setting back.