Accessing Win XP Pro (NTFS) from Win 7

Greetings,

I took a quick search here and found a lot of “close” posts, but not one that "hit the nail on the head".

My issue has to do with accessing file shares on an XP pro (SP3) machine (NTFS File system), from my brand new win 7 home permium 64 machine. I use the XP pro machine as a low end "file server". Basically just a repository.

Goal: To be able to access SOME (not all) files on my XP machine from my new WIN 7 machine.

Assumptions:
1. All machines involved are members of the same workgroup.
2. All on the same subnet
3. All machines can ping to and from each other.
4. The XP Pro machine uses usernames and passwords.
5. All machines have the same name and password for their respective usernames. IE userxyz and 12345 are the usernames and passwords on ALL useraccounts on all machines. IE they match.

History:
1. I consider myself to be pretty well versed in NTFS rights and file sharing/ACL's etc. Though by no means an expert.
2. Also, I am brand new to Win 7.

3. I have 3 other XP *home* machines that can get to the XP Pro machine fine. As mentioned above, upon file access, when the Pro machine calls for a login, I use userxyz and password 12345. I am in. I have correct access (read-write) to the files that are properly shared and have proper ACL's set.

4. When I do this with the Win 7 machine (using the same credentials when prompted for them), I can get access to the proper folders and files, but I can not write to or change them. This all started because I keep my iTunes library on the XP pro machine. From my Win 7 machine for the first time, I tried to import (add file to library) and it gave me the "You do not have permission to access..." error.

5. Reiterating, reference #3 above. The XP machines work fine. I get correct access to the files in question. I experimented with a test folder on the XP Pro machine because I didn't want to experiment with the "production" files. I created a test folder in the same location as the production folder and gave it the same folder and file rights. XP home machines work fine (read write), Win 7= "You do not have permission to access..." error.

6. I can alter the rights on the test folder (give authenticated users change at the folder level), and then this solves the issue. EXCEPT that now any user has the ability to write (delete) files, which I don't want. I only want THOSE users to have read.

There is no way (that I know of) to add a user from another MACHINE to a group on an XP Pro machine. IE \\xpmaxhine2\userxyz.

I do NOT want to open up the win 7 machine for any file or printer sharing at this time. No one in my household needs to get to it for any reason. I only want them to have the correct access to the XP Pro machine.

I am sure I have confused you nice folks more than I needed to, but I am trying to be explicit as possible.

Any suggestions or help much appreciated.

Thanks.

PS. Hopefully in a few months when the budget allows, I'll have a NAS box and this point will be moot.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I am not sure how RDP will help me. I use it extensively for other purposes, but in this case, my iTunes program is on the Win 7 machine and the actual music is on the XP Pro machine. So the iTunes program on Win 7 needs read-write access to the I:\ share (my music on the XP Pro machine).

Thanks.

Hi Anak. Thanks for the reply. Yes, this is exactly what I am doing. However after I am done with step 10, The newly mapped drive opens and I can see the folders and files. (as expected). However, I can only READ them. I do not have the ability to write, create or change the files or folders. THIS is my issue. The other 2 Win XP home machines can read and write to these folders just fine (using the same credentials). So there should be no ACL or rights issues on the destination machine (XP Pro). It HAS to be something in the new Win 7 machine. But what?
Thanks.

pjw73nh said:

Greetings,
4. When I do this with the Win 7 machine (using the same credentials when prompted for them), I can get access to the proper folders and files, but I can not write to or change them. This all started because I keep my iTunes library on the XP pro machine. From my Win 7 machine for the first time, I tried to import (add file to library) and it gave me the "You do not have permission to access..." error.

The first problem I see in this quote is that you tried to send some music on your XP machine to the Homegroup Music folder on your Windows 7 machine. You can't set read/write permissions for Homegroups on any Op system other than Windows 7. Homegroups are not made to work with Op systems other than Windows 7.

You need to move the music files by going to the "User" folder first then to "My music" on the Windows 7 machine.

Remember that the Homegroup folders only represent the actual files in your User folders, they aren't the actual files, they are mearly picture icons of the files that reside in your User folders.

You may also need to turn off simple file sharing on the XP pro machine which should allow it to share files better with your Windows 7 machine. The problem is that your XP Home machines can only use simple file sharing so that might create a problem in your case. You already mentioned using NTFS so you might have shut off simple file sharing already.

http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/what-...o-turn-it-off/

Now if you want to create a limited access User group on the Windows 7 machine you can try the link below and download the .xps file which explains how the process works in great detail.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/e...displaylang=en