Cannot get new Win 7 to see existing networked XP PCs

[JonathanWexler]

You have probably already tried all this, but make sure the xp computers can access each other's shares, and I would try turning off the firewalls everywhere, and turn off all the password protection in the file sharing of the XP machines. It has been a while since I have done this, but there may be more than one spot - some overall sharing settings, and share-by-share settings. I still have an XP box up, so I can figure this out for you if need be.

 

[chev65]

This is why I ask. Your advice to use different user accounts and passwords with each machine contradicts much of what I've read elsewhere so I need to make sure we are saying the same thing. From another conversation elsewhere comes this:

"As of Windows Vista, you must have a password associated with an account. Having an account sans password will generate the problems you are experiencing.

On both computers, the XP and Windows 7 system, create a username and password that is consistent between both computers. Using that account and password combination will then allow you to access both computer shares—providing you granted the passworded account proper access and permissions."

Now for me this doesn't solve alot, because I still cannot see the XPs from Win7 at all. Therefore I never get to the User Account level when I try and connect with the Win7 PC.

You heard wrong. That was an old fable that was floating around and it is completely and utterly incorrect. You also do not need to set up a password on any of the machines in the network if you don't want too. More false information I see. In any event you can also turn off password protected sharing if you need too.

I tested this on my own machines over 10 months ago when I first started using Windows 7, and also on the new 7600 build just to make sure. There is absolutly no way another machine will show up if it has the same name as the Windows 7 machine or any other machine on your network.

They need to be part of the same "workgroup" but cannot use the same name. Each machine needs it's own machine name,... Tom's-PC and so on. They can't and won't show up unless they have different names. Where you have to option to use a different machine name and user name on the same machine, both of those should be the same also.

It is important to be sure and enable all file sharing and network discovery on the XP machine. This is an easy mistake to make, trust me on this.

You've confused "machine name" with "user name". The poster explained that he had identical users on each computer, not identical computer names.

There is a reason why it's recommended to create the same users on all computers. When you create files and folders on a machine, you can set permissions based on a particular user. Then, when a person is logged into one computer and accesses files on another computer, the permissions are already set. I can safely share files with my oldest son, and not have to worry about my youngest son accidentally deleting/accessing/etc those same files. A granular permissions system is very powerful and very useful for family situations (as well as in business/network situations). It also means that, since the user is part of the authenticated users group, you do not need to use the guest account (which, in all professional networking circles, is always disabled and renamed).

As I just stated there is more confusion in the naming than there needs to be. You can set up permissions for every one after the network is set up. How the heck can you set up seperate permissions for users when they are all using the same user name????

There is no reason to set the same user name on all machines. Permissions for users can be set and work perfectly without having to use the same user name on all my machines. Sorry but that false tale was started just to make networked computers appear on the network which by the way, does not work!

And using the same machine name will make it impossible to see the other machines with the same name on the network. This fact is true beyond any shadow of a doubt. I tested this out on different builds.

This is also true. Quote: "They need to be part of the same "workgroup" but cannot use the same name. Each machine needs it's own machine name,..." Notice that part that is underlined in bold italics.

Why on earth would someone use the same user name for all machines when you can easily set up permissions for each user AFTER you get the machines to see each other? I certainly never had to do that and I can set permissions for anyone on the network.

We are trying to get the machines connected so they can see each other, but we are not worried about if your son can get to a certain file or not. Try to understand that. He just wants it to work at this point. You can agrue the merits of using the same user name all you want but I see no practical reason to do so and it's certainly not advised by microsoft in any official capacity.

Besides that, you can easily set up permissions for each user after you get the LAN network up and running.

Perhaps the Op can run the XP Network wizard again on the XP machines and make sure that all machines are on the same workgroup. When all else fails the public file sharing option always seems to work.

 

[chev65]

You have probably already tried all this, but make sure the xp computers can access each other's shares, and I would try turning off the firewalls everywhere, and turn off all the password protection in the file sharing of the XP machines. It has been a while since I have done this, but there may be more than one spot - some overall sharing settings, and share-by-share settings. I still have an XP box up, so I can figure this out for you if need be.

As I already mentioned the XP file sharing permissions can cause problems here and I believe you are correct about disabling the passwords on the XP machines. Although turning "off" password protected sharing should fix that problem I still don't trust it.

 

[Jacee]

I'm sharing files and 2 printers between XP, Vista and Windows 7. They all have the same 'workgroup' name.
I did have to manually allow my Vista computer to use my XP printer by adding the IP# to access XP.
I also had to manually allow my XP computer to acess my Windows 7 computer by allowing.... *name*\\XP-Computer to share.


*name* equals the name I log on with.

 

[chev65]

I ended up having to set up sharing between my XP and my Vista machines everytime a new Windows 7 build appeared, I probably had to do it 15 different times so I got pretty good at it.

I never did need to use the manual method because both the public and workplace advanced sharing settings always seemed to work for me. I'am not sure why so many seem to having problems figuring this out.

If I could set up these machines myself it would be so much easier because I know there is a simple solution to this.

 

[kegobeer]

chev - every user doesn't share the same user name! If you have three users, each of them has a different user name, and each computer has all three user accounts! Geez, I hope you understand how this works now!

 

[pallesenw]

You heard wrong. That was an old fable that was floating around and it is completely and utterly incorrect. You also do not need to set up a password on any of the machines in the network if you don't want too. More false information I see. In any event you can also turn off password protected sharing if you need too.

Policy rules. Classic vs. simple file sharing. As from XP/SP2, the default policy is not to allow blank passwords in network access.

 

[pallesenw]

About having the same user accounts (not to be confused with computer name) and passwords on all the computers - that is about transparent authentication (classic file sharing).

 

[chev65]

chev - every user doesn't share the same user name! If you have three users, each of them has a different user name, and each computer has all three user accounts! Geez, I hope you understand how this works now!

Yes in fact that is exactly what he was trying to do on the bad advice of someone else.

My point is that there is no reason to use the same user account on all machines in order to share.

I won't get into the fact that you won't be able to lock out individual users from certain files if they all have the same user name.

I was pointing out that the machine names all need to be different or they won't show up on the network which is true beyond any shadow of a doubt. Geez I hope you figured out what I was talking about now!

In the mean time you havn't offered any useful suggestion on how to fix this problem.

 

[chev65]

You heard wrong. That was an old fable that was floating around and it is completely and utterly incorrect. You also do not need to set up a password on any of the machines in the network if you don't want too. More false information I see. In any event you can also turn off password protected sharing if you need too.

Policy rules. Classic vs. simple file sharing. As from XP/SP2, the default policy is not to allow blank passwords in network access.

For wireless connections there is a key needed to access.
I also never had to use the same user name on any of my machines in order to gain access to the LAN.

I'am not using a password on any of my machines and networking works fine, but thanks for your concern.

 

[chev65]

About having the same user accounts (not to be confused with computer name) and passwords on all the computers - that is about transparent authentication (classic file sharing).

Yes but there is NO need to do so in order to share files.
Who cares about classic file sharing when Windows 7 has it's own way of file sharing that works perfectly fine.

Sorry but I see zero reason to use the same user name on all machines and I would also consider it a security risk because you can't lock out individual users as easily.

 

[pallesenw]

For wireless connections there is a key needed to access.
I also never had to use the same user name on any of my machines in order to gain access to the LAN.

I'am not using a password on any of my machines and networking works fine, but thanks for your concern.

Huh? There is a difference between network and local access.

Edit: in case you missed the point: in xp/sp2, if you have classic file sharing enabled, you won't be able to gain access over the network with a blank password - unless you change the default policy.

Yes but there is NO need to do so in order to share files.
Who cares about classic file sharing when Windows 7 has it's own way of file sharing that works perfectly fine.

Who said it was a requirement? The OP said he had the same user accounts and then someone said that by having that, networking between the computers would be impossible.

 

[chev65]

For wireless connections there is a key needed to access.
I also never had to use the same user name on any of my machines in order to gain access to the LAN.

I'am not using a password on any of my machines and networking works fine, but thanks for your concern.

Huh? There is a difference between network and local access.

Yes but there is NO need to do so in order to share files.
Who cares about classic file sharing when Windows 7 has it's own way of file sharing that works perfectly fine.

Who said it was a requirement? The OP said he had the same user accounts and then someone said that by having that, networking between the computers would be impossible.

I was attempting to eliminate any possiblity that using the same user name on all machines was causing problems. We were trying to get his problem fixed not reinvent the wheel.

Using the same machine account name will indeed prevent networking and it's an easy mistake to make. From his first post it sounded like he was doing that. My mistake if he meant otherwise. I clarified this later if you care to read further, it's in bold letters in case you missed it.

Using the same user name on all machines only creates problems with permissions which is why I was trying to get him to change it. The fact that he could not get his machines to network correctly had more to do with Norton than anything else.

Networking between diff Op systems works perfectly for me doing it my way and I can't believe that so many are having problems with it.

My other point was that networking does indeed work fine without using a password, not exactly a revelation but still true none the less. We aren't talking about XP now are we?
I believe your statement about this was incorrect.

And because you seem to be attempting to start some lame arguement here I'll post this again in case you missed it.
This is also true. Quote: "They need to be part of the same "workgroup" but cannot use the same name. Each machine needs it's own machine name,..." Notice that part that is underlined in bold italics.

 

[pallesenw]

I was just trying to shed some light here, about you claiming that what the OP heard was nothing more than just crap - it was not.

 

[chev65]

Find me anything posted by Msoft about how using the same user name on all machines will somehow make networking work correctly. It's not needed for networking to work that is for sure and as I already said it only causes problems with individual permissions.

As for the Op's problem, clearly setting up Norton before he had his network up and running was a mistake.

 

[pallesenw]

If I log in with username "palle" and password "password" on machine A, and that username and password is also created on machine B, I can log on to machine B without seeing the login prompt. That is called transparant authentication.

Is it a requirement to do this? No. Is it the recommended way to to it? That really depends on the needs.

If you have simple file sharing enabled, network access is granted differently. I assume you know the difference between the two models?

You heard wrong. That was an old fable that was floating around and it is completely and utterly incorrect. You also do not need to set up a password on any of the machines in the network if you don't want too

I mentioned the blank password policy because of that.

 

[AhmedCo]

I don't know if it's only me, or win7 does suck in this business !

 

[arielbarriga]

From experience, sometimes the "Computer Browser" function just does not work

Have you tried on the W7 machine creating a shortcut on the dekstop using the text \\Name-of-XP-machine

Also have you tried opening a command box on the W7 machine and typing ping Name-of-XP-machine

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan basically by doing this \\computer name its like your mapping it. Thanks

 

[severedsolo]

sorry if this has already been suggested (i skim read the post) but you HAVE told XP to share the relevant folders right?

 

[chev65]

sorry if this has already been suggested (i skim read the post) but you HAVE told XP to share the relevant folders right?

Lets hope so because I only mentioned that about fifty times. :sarc:

This is no doubt a user created problem.