Can't connect to Windows XP desktop from Windows 7 laptop

pikalax · 23 Apr 2011

SYSTEM REPORTING THE PROBLEM: Windows 7 SP1 x64 Home Premium
TRYING TO ACCESS MACHINE RUNNING Windows XP SP3

I'm trying to connect to a network computer hooked up to a shared printer so that I can install the printer. However, when I try to connect to the target machine using either its computer name or its static IP address, I get an error: "Windows cannot access (target path) - Check the spelling of the name. Otherwise, there might be a problem with your network. To try to identify and resolve network problems, click Diagnose. Error code: 0x80004005 Unspecified error".

Network diagnostics revealed two problems:
DETECTED - The remote device or resource won't accept the connection
DETECTED - SBLSP over [MSAFD Tcpip [TCP/IPv6]] is not configured properly on this computer

My wireless adapter status reveals that IPv6 has No Internet access. IPv4 is connected to both the network and the Internet. Every service provided through my onboard wireless adapter is enabled.

Carolyn · 23 Apr 2011

Are you using a third party firewall?

Networking home computers running different versions of Windows

pikalax · 08 May 2011

All computers on the network are using Windows Firewall, however the XP machine also has Avast! antivirus and antimalware software.

I just tested the pingability of all machines. The XP can ping the Windows 7 machines, and vice versa. The XP can see the Windows 7 machines in "My Network Places --> Workgroup", but the Windows 7 machines can only see each other. The "Networking home computers running different versions of Windows" thing does not help in my situation. Believe me, I've tried multiple times.

pikalax · 11 May 2011

I should point out that there are several hardware problems with my XP that may or may not be related to the networking problem. For a few years, the machine would display a message on boot that the Serial ATA (SATA-2) is not found, and I'd have to strike the F1 key. (This is a Dell Dimension E510.) One of the two DVD-RW drives will not function at all - no manual or automatic controls. In addition, one of the two front USB ports causes a computer power-off (not shut-down, just switches off the power).

The XP machine does not load itself on the list of workgroup computers, but it is able to access itself by domain name. In addition, the Windows 7 machine used to produce 0x80070035 errors upon trying to access the XP machine via domain name or IPv4 address before I changed the name of the XP machine; now I get 0x80004005 on either attempt.

So, basically, the XP is able to see everyone, and no one is able to see the XP. It's gone incognito, as if on a spy mission. How do I disable its cloaking device?

EDIT: Tried resetting the router. No improvement. And now the XP is unable to see itself even though file sharing is enabled. Is there a way to enable network discovery on an XP? Keep in mind that this is XP SP3. The Windows 7 machines are at SP1.