Network help please XPPRO SP3
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
Yes, Milo, they do, but as pointed out earlier if they don't, XP (anyway) brings up a log-in form.
(and to put your mind at rest, my guest account is
a) disabled but
b) has a password anyway)
(and to put your mind at rest, my guest account is
a) disabled but
b) has a password anyway)
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
Remembering that it did start working after a 'clean sweep', so this is 'history' now and I obviously had done something wrong (some sort of clue from the OS would have been nice).
Mr O - tried both
Milo - I did get a log-in prompt at one point, no network drive involved, just a 'straightforward' (if only!) attempt to view the host from the client, and it saw the request as 'Guest' and entering that p/w worked.. BB in post#5 seems to agree.
Avast and ZA, both disabled/fiddled with etc but not uninstalled, but I repeat, with the same settings on both NOW it works.
Mr O - tried both
Milo - I did get a log-in prompt at one point, no network drive involved, just a 'straightforward' (if only!) attempt to view the host from the client, and it saw the request as 'Guest' and entering that p/w worked.. BB in post#5 seems to agree.
Avast and ZA, both disabled/fiddled with etc but not uninstalled, but I repeat, with the same settings on both NOW it works.
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
Don't know if this is a clue, but I cannot access shared files on the Desktop from the laptop AND I cannot access Shared Docs on the Desktop from the Desktop! I can access the laptop share files.
I found the SharedDocs folder had renamed to Documents and applied the win.ini fix. I have increased IRPStackSize from 12 to 18 with no change. Do I keep on increasing that (max 50)?
I found the SharedDocs folder had renamed to Documents and applied the win.ini fix. I have increased IRPStackSize from 12 to 18 with no change. Do I keep on increasing that (max 50)?
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
1) get rid of ZoneAlarm. Even if disabled that can block local shares. Uninstall it, then set the windows firewall to defaults. Behind a router you do not need ZoneAlarm if the Windows firewall is working
2) what win.ini fix?
[email protected],-21785"
And where are you getting the idea of changing the IRPStack size? Is that because you were getting a "not enough storage space" error on trying to connect? If so, you'd not mentioned that before
Microsoft online documentation says you need to set that in multiples of 5 so I suggest you up it on both machines to 20 (15 is the default in XP).
And is Avast just the antivirus version -or the Internet security version?
EDIT: ZA away. Windows firewall enabled. Both with and without exceptions I cannot access the Desktop from the laptop. Trying to access Shared Docs on Desktop from the Desktop no longer gives the server message, just 'network name cannot be found'.
Last edited by BOAC; 22nd October 2012 at 08:05.
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
Sorted the access to SharedDocs - the Sharename was still showing 'Documents' from the previous problem.
Still no joy with W firewall. I have reverted to ZA and all is now well again.
Still no joy with W firewall. I have reverted to ZA and all is now well again.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,133
Likes: 0
From: Bracknell, Berks, UK
You should always (in a workgroup scenario) prefix your username with the name of the computer giving access:
e.g. in a situation with BoxA and BoxB, where:
- BoxA wants to access the share "fredshare" on BoxB, and
- BoxB has the share "fredshare" protected by username "fred"
...then when you attempt to browse the BoxB share with command \\boxb\fredshare you will need to enter your requested username as "BoxB\fred" rather than just "fred" (as a 'non-qualified' username will always inherit the prefix of the user's workgroup-based computer).
You should also ensure that the share and filesystem permissions are set properly. The share permissions should be set as unrestrictedly as possible, and access should be subsequently given based upon filesystem permissions instead (unless of course you're using FAT which doesn't have an underlying filesystem permission attribute).
e.g. - on the aforementioned article, the "fredshare" share should (probably) have share permissions of "everyone - full control", and then the NTFS permissions underneath it should therefore control the access of users (including, but not limited to "fred").
Obviously, all bets are off if you're using any sort of firewall and/or anything aggregating browsing information as you don't have any/enough control over those mechanisms to have a reliable structure.
Hope that helps.
Mike.
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
.....to add that there is a setting in the XP Local Security Policy that if left unset will cause all access from a network to be via the Guest account, and this will bring up a 'Guest' password prompt box. What happens where the Guest a/c does not have a password set I do not know - I assume it just goes straight in?.
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,344
Likes: 80
From: Bedford, UK
would starting afresh with a new user on the laptop help ? That's user account not operator (not yet anyway). Upgrade laptop to xp pro? All the problems like this I have had were rooted in software firewalls or more honestly my ignorance of same. Never had to faff around with registry or stacks....
Thread Starter
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
Mr O - thanks for the 'resurgence' - I hinted in post #34 that all was actually sorted - after a brief and unsuccessful dalliance with the Windows Firewall I went back to ZA and all is now hunky-dory.
