Windows 7 insists I need password for XP machine that's never had one.

See if this blurb will help you. There a number of things you'll need to check out.

a possibility--IF windows update installed any updates since this problem started--a 'security' update could be the problem--it's 'common' for security updates (especially on XP) to reset 'security' setting (yeah, right, helpful huh).
the setting for a shared folder on XP should look like this attachment

OP, the above post made me wonder if you know how long you have had the problem. If you know, then you might be able to system restore either or both machines back far enough to get rid of the problem.

Thanks for the replies.
Tried the above solutions, no help.
I've been researching this for a while today. This is an ongoing problem with Windows 7 and it's really irritating that it hasn't been fixed. If I check "Turn Off Password Protected Sharing" that should be the end of it.
This is an issue MS has with every OS they release, it doesn't play nicely with the older OS.
Isn't there a Registry hack around this?

cookiebun,

"This is an issue MS has with every OS they release, it doesn't play nicely with the older OS"
this is blatantly untrue!--I have been using windows since vers 3.1 and have never had 'sharing' problems with newer OSs--not even with MAC OSs

IF your win7 machine is requesting a password when you try to access a shared folder on your XP machine (and the XP machine has no password) then perhaps the 'sharing' setting on the XP folder is incorrect, the folder you're tying to access is incorrect, or the sharing on the XP machine needs to be turned off and then back on.

furthermore--both machines need to be in the same 'workgroup' (not 'homegroup' as that only applys to win7).

one more thing--if it's taking a long time to copy files to a USB stick on the win7 machine--try another USB port--as it appears you have a hardware issue with the win7 machine.

tman69 said:

cookiebun,

"This is an issue MS has with every OS they release, it doesn't play nicely with the older OS"
this is blatantly untrue!--I have been using windows since vers 3.1 and have never had 'sharing' problems with newer OSs--not even with MAC OSs

Snip.
Lucky you. I been dealing with this issue since Windows 95. I've lost countless hours of productivity dealing with this issue at home and at work since the mid 1990s every time MS releases a new OS. Maybe I should just switch to a Mac.


IF your win7 machine is requesting a password when you try to access a shared folder on your XP machine (and the XP machine has no password) then perhaps the 'sharing' setting on the XP folder is incorrect, the folder you're tying to access is incorrect, or the sharing on the XP machine needs to be turned off and then back on.
Snip.

Tried that. Didn't help. I never get as far a a shared folder, It won't let me look at anything on the machine.
snip


furthermore--both machines need to be in the same 'workgroup' (not 'homegroup' as that only applys to win7).

I think this is the issue though how this got changed since I first set up the network is a mystery to me.

snip

one more thing--if it's taking a long time to copy files to a USB stick on the win7 machine--try another USB port--as it appears you have a hardware issue with the win7 machine.

It doesn't matter which port I use on the Windows 7 pc, all are far slower than the XP machine.

This Windows 7 machine was supposed to be an "upgrade" pc over the XP.
Yeah right.

Thanks for the reply.

"I never get as far a a shared folder, It won't let me look at anything on the machine."

are you saying that you can't boot the XP machine??

the sharing on the XP machine needs to be turned off and then back on...
I meant on the XP machine directly--set the sharing on the XP machine (not from the win7 machine).

I've rebooted both machines many times.
The XP machine has no trouble moving files to the shared folders of the 7 machine.
The 7 machine can see the XP machine but when I click on it to view the shared folders it asks for user name and password. I've never used any passwords at all on the XP machine. I'd rather not have them on the 7 machine either to be honest.

I ran the network trouble shooter on the 7 machine. I typed in the name on the shared folder on the Xp machine it says "you do not have permission to access the share"
I click "see full map" on the 7 machine. It shows the Xp machine but says:'The following devices cannot be placed in the map"

cookiebun said:

I click "see full map" on the 7 machine. It shows the Xp machine but says:'The following devices cannot be placed in the map"

see attached-right click on XP icon and choose open--if you get a request for a username and password--use \\computer name for user name and leave password blank-hit enter--IF this works--then right click on XP icon again and choose create shortcut and place that where it's easy to find