Windows 7 - Linking two computers through Network

I have two computers Computer A runs Windows 7 and Computer B runs Vista.

I have gone through the set up of trying to link them. I have no trouble when I'm on Computer B seeing A.

Problem lies in Computer A seeing B...

When I'm on Computer A it does see the folders that I've set up on B but when I try to access them I get the message " YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO ACCESS FILE //RALPH-PC// CONTACT YOUR NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR TO REQUEST ACCESS"

Now does this mean I have to do something on my B Computer(Vista) or on the A Computer(window 7)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You,

Ralph

Set the network type to work instead of home. Home only allows for Windows 7 to see Win 7 machines as to were Work allows it to see other operating systems.

Sounds a bit basic, but have you enabled "file and printer sharing" on your Vista machine?

For example, have you done on your Vista machine the equivalent of this on the Windows 7 machine?:





Also, on your Vista machine, have you allowed "full access" to the drives from network users... for everyone?

You've got a login userid/password on your Vista machine? It's not built to start with a selected user (from the Welcome screen) but without a password, is it? You should have a password for the user, both on the accessing and accessed machines.

For example, in my own 2-machine home LAN (both are normally Windows 7, but I can also boot either to WinXP, and can access either machine's drives from the other machine no matter whether the booted OS on either machine is Windows 7 or WinXP) I have gone through each of the drives on both machines (in both Windows 7 and WinXP on each machine), right-clicked on each drive, followed the "share with..." wizard for that OS, pushed the "advanced sharing" button, specifically checked the "share this folder" box, and then also pushed the "permissions" button and made sure that "full access" was granted to "everyone".

I assume Vista has just about the same dialogs. You must have done something like this in Windows 7 (or it was done implicitly when you enabled "file and print sharing" on your Windows 7 machine with your "home network" setup), but perhaps just have overlooked this on your Vista machine.

For example:

You can disable your UAC on the vista & see if it works. Is the permissions set correctly

One way to get around that is to use the same user name and password on both PC's. Duplicate your user account on both PC's.
Another solution is to enter a user name and password you used on computer B when prompted for it on PC A. You should also see a check box for remember this password or something similar. If you check that box you'll only have to enter the user name and password once.

I have my network set to "Home network" on my windows 7 PC's and have no problem accessing a Windows XP PC on my network. I'm doing it with file and print sharing, and not using Home Group.

+ 1.

Agreed. This is definitely the most convenient way to make life easier for you.

In my own situation I am the only user of both machines, but have set them both up essentially identically (other than hardware differences, of course). Same userid and password on all four OS's.

Both Windows 7 and WinXP on both physical machines are all essentially identical, so having logged in at boot time to either OS on either machine allows "silent instant connectivity" to anything on the other machine no matter which OS is booted and running on either machine.


Exactly.

In my sister/brother-in-law's situation, they have two desktop machines (one is Windows 7 for her, the other is WinXP for him). They each have their own userid/password, and again the crucial factor here is that their userids DO have a password associated with them. Trying to support "silent instant connectivity" without the logged-in user not having a password is bound to be unsucessful in one or more ways.

Anyway, after the first access from one machine to the other... which may prompt for a userid/password on that first attempt to access the other machine, with that "remember password" item checked you'll never have to be bothered again. The userid/password being asked for on the accessing machine is the accessed machine's currently logged-on user.


"File and printer sharing", permissions to allow "full control" for "everyone" on the accessed machine's drives, common userid/passwords from both machines but even if not true then simply having a password for all users on both machines, these are all relevant factors which if not quite right can cause access/permissions problems.

I'm afraid I'm still back to square one.

I've tried setting passwords, unsetting passwords. Changing work group from Home to Office

When I try to open a folder on my network I get access denied. I made my Network folders open to Everyone.

Any more suggestions?

If you want you can try an ad-hoc connection between your 2 computers:
Set up a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network