hi, i have been sifting through all the previous posts for the last week trying to find a solution for this problem but cant find one!! i have a machine on xp pro in my house and another on the same o/s in an annex. they are both plugged into a router and the internet works perfect, i want to network the 2 machines so that they can share files though. i have run the network setup wizard on both and set them up for the same workgroup titled HOME, called one the annex and one the house. i have enabled sharing on all the relevant drives and folders on both computers, switched off both internet connection firewalls and have managed to get both computers to appear in view workgroup computers, the house can access the annex files fine but the annex cannot access the house files, when i try to open them i get the error message house is not accessable, you might not have permission to use this network resourse....ect. where have i gone wrong?? also on my view workgroup screen i have a botched previous attempt from the houses setup wizard which i cant get rid of, i thought when i run the network setup wizard it replaces previous setups but it hasnt. can anyone help?

logon to both machines using the same account name and password.

Golly gee wilerkers everyone. Learn to Internet Search

i have only one user account set up on each computer and there both the administrator although the house computers admin account name has been changed from administrator to paul. and also neither have passwords.

"only one user account set up on each computer "

is this account the same name on both? No passwords is fine

Golly gee wilerkers everyone. Learn to Internet Search

i guess so, there must always be an administrator and if theres only one account that must be it right? im certain they are both the administrator even though the name has been changed to paul. any other ideas about the 1 way network problem?

come on monkey_dan get with the program!

I am asking if you are logging on both machines WITH THE SAME ACCOUNT NAME. Not if you are logging on with a renamed admin account called paul.

To make this question even MORE specific ARE YOU LOGGING ON BOTH PCS WITH "PAUL"????

I take from your responses the answer is no.
If this is the case DO SO. Make a Paul admin account on both machines and log into both machines with this and only this account.

Does file sharing work both ways once you have logged into both machines as Paul?

Golly gee wilerkers everyone. Learn to Internet Search

also you can't change the true "administrator" account on the PC to any other name
follow wanderer suggestions, create two new accounts with the SAME user and password
log in with that account on both machines, resetup your shares, and set your permissions
then re-attempt to connect to your shared folder

yup!

Install NETBIOS protocol on both computers. Got to control panel -> network connections -> select the connection properties -> then click "install" choose protocol. add NETBIOS.

installing additional protocols does not solve the problem of file sharing. Nor is this common advice practice a valid problem solving tool.

Since tcp/ip works [internet access from both pcs] protocols are not the issue. This is why the focus is on the authenication of users accounts. You either have two options. Assign the same named same password account to both or with two individual accounts[one on each pc] you have to create two users on each pc. So John on pc1 has an account on pc2. And Paul on pc2 has an account on pc1. Both are then assigned locally as "everyone" to the shares.

So keeping it simple we are trying to get the same account on both. In this case "paul"

Golly gee wilerkers everyone! Learn to Internet Search

@wanderer
It does solve the problem. I actually had that problem before and took the advice of one of the posters here.. and it did work.. And if you're wonderin', My 3 pcs all have different account names, but file-sharing works smoothly since I installed NETBIOS.

Maybe you should try it out, instead of creating identical account names and logging on using those identical account names everytime you want to access the other pc shared folders...

It's a lot easier to install NETBIOS in both pcs once, than login using the identical account names everytime you want to access a shared folder...

@monkey_dan
Try my suggestion dude, you won't be disappointed...

I agree w/ torm_67. If you were using Windows 98SE, then that might be a different story. But I have a 3 computer network too with different user names, and I don't get those errors.

i doubt netbios will fix this issue... and if anything enabling netbios fixed this issue with win98 machines not XP
The reason netbios does not effect XP is due to the fact of UNC naming, that's what XP looks for across the network for the computer name and then share...

yup!

all my pcs run winXP

thanks for a big response, thats a no on both suggestions!i tried setting up an account on the annex computer called paul so that both were logged in under the same names both with no passwords.sharing was enabled on both but i got the same error message about permissions. i also then tried installing the netbios protocol which was unsuccessful too. somebody suggested that a port needs to be opened on my router, could this be the problem?

oh, and @wanderer

FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE lol, im now with the program

You're doing OK, but it's my understanding is that you cannot use blank passwords.

Use someting for a password on both computers.

Larry

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'"
Charlie Brown.

still no good, i created a password for each and logged on with the same user names and passwords but i get that same error message.
whats next?

What I would try next is deleting the network connection and then reboot.

Rebuild the network connection from scratch.

As you have done quite a bit of work, it may have trashed the TCP/Ip protocol stack.

Larry

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'"
Charlie Brown.

im ahead of you there larry, before you posted back this afternoon i tried that. i uninstalled them in device manager, ran the search for new hardware and tried to set up them up from scratch but im back at the same place..... if there was a bad connection on my cat5 network cable at one of the network face plates would it be possible that the internet and a 1 way network connection would, work but not the other. or does the fact that i have the other service mean that my cables are good?

It's possible, but you may have to go into the Registry to delete all refernces to the particalur NIC as the bindings may be at fault.

And don't forget the reboot.

Larry

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'"
Charlie Brown.

OK Monkey Dan you logged into both with the same account and no difference. Great! We now know its not account permissions.

Look at your share properties. Clearly you have share the folder checked. Do you have "allow network users to change files" checked? If so and still no go you need to change from simple file sharing.

In explorer go to tools and options. Select view. At the very bottom uncheck "simple file sharing"

Now go back to the share properties. You will see a permissions button. You will note EVERYONE does not have full control. Check the full control box and apply. Now see if you can gain network access to the share.

Torm_67 installing netbios or netbeui may cure the symptom but does not address the issue. If installing any other protocol solves your "sharing" problem this points to the fact you do not have Tcp/ip configured correctly.
Sure you got file sharing to work. But you are no closer to what the real problem is than when you started.

Golly gee wilerkers everyone! Learn to Internet Search

yes i had the allow users to change files box ticked. i unchecked the simple file sharing went back into share properties for c drive, shared docs and pauls docs and made them all have full control in the everyone properies. i did this on both computers tried again to no aveil, rebooted and tried again still with no success...... whats next? ive now reterminated the cables in the network face plates too, thus eliminating a cable fault.

:-) You have a good one here Monkey Dan. Thanks for hanging in there.

Lets do a quick review.

Internet access works on both pcs
House can access Annex but Annex can't access House's share.
You can see both in the Workgroup and the workgroup name is Home.
Firewalls are off

right?

It would appear House is the problem wkst.

First run/update any antivirus or spyware checker programs to make sure the pcs are clear and then disable/unload these softwares.

Can Annex ping the House pc? If yes then we know the firewall is really off and tcp/ip bindings are correct.

If you do a ipconfig on House is it in the same ip subnet as Annex and has the same dns entries as Annex? Check the subnet mask, are they the same? This is to see if we have some ip subnetting issue like differnet subnet masks.

If you go [on the House pc] to control panel, admin tools, comp management and local security policy is Everyone listed in Access this computer from the network?

I would suggest you logon to each computer as Administrator [control alt delete at the logon screen]then once in set the admin password on both to be the same, see if Annex can access Home's shares.

If still no go, logged in as administrator I would remove all shares on House pc. Remove all network connections made by the wizard. Remove all protocols except tcp/ip. Get online and update both pcs. Set both to Workgroup. Create one share [share a test folder on the desktop with a few files] on each and see if Annex can access Home.

Golly gee wilerkers everyone. Learn to Internet Search

hey wanderer, sorry about the delay, been away.
uve scared the bejesus out of me with your last message. to start with "Can Annex ping the House pc? If yes then we know the firewall is really off and tcp/ip bindings are correct." How do i attempt to ping the house?.
Next "If you do a ipconfig on House is it in the same ip subnet as Annex and has the same dns entries as Annex? Check the subnet mask, are they the same? This is to see if we have some ip subnetting issue like differnet subnet masks." how do i do this? i will try these 2 for now before i attempt your other suggestions i think!!!

"If you go [on the House pc] to control panel, admin tools, comp management and local security policy is Everyone listed in Access this computer from the network?" I have checked this one and everyone is listed in local security policy.

i have also tried logging both in as the administrator and trying to share but the same 1 way problem problem occurs. i havent yet tried your last suggestion but i will after we try your first suggestion.

thanks for staying in touch

dan