Whirlpool

Hi,

I have 3 computers, a new laptop running vista, a new desktop pc running xp 64bit and a very old laptop running xp sp2.

File and printer sharing works perfectly between the new laptop and the desktop pc, but the old laptop cannot browse shared files or or use a shared printers although it does "see" the shared folders and printer when you click on the folders or try to install the printer it says "\\computer name\shared file name is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have the access permissions. The network path was not found."

I have no idea, so any suggestions at all would be really appreciated.

Thanks,
James

Sounds like user permissions problems.

Are you running XP pro or Home on old laptop ?

where is the printer vista or xp64 ?

SO steps necessary to start with.

1) make sure the old laptop has a folder shared.
2) Try turning on simple file sharing in old laptop windows explorer>tools>folder option>Bottom entry
3) run network setup wizard.
4) share a folder.

then see if you can see old laptop from other machines.
see other machine frm old laptop.
see if you can connect to the printer using the ip address of the machine as in
\\192.168,0,1\myprinter (replace with coorect ip addy and printer name.

are you using static ip's or DHCP if using static, then enable netbios in tp/ip properties in control panel>network connections.

start with that.

Avatar1 writes...

Are you running XP pro or Home on old laptop ?
yes, SP2

where is the printer vista or xp64 ?
Vista

Try turning on simple file sharing in old laptop windows explorer>tools>folder option>Bottom entry
I looked in folder options and cant find anything to do with file sharing, I have 3 tabs general, view and file types.

run network setup wizard.
yes I have done this several times, I chose the option "this computer does not connect to the internet directly, it connects through other computers" or something to that affect.

then see if you can see old laptop from other machines
no

see other machine frm old laptop.
yes

see if you can connect to the printer using the ip address of the machine
doesn't work

are you using static ip's or DHCP

DHCP
__________________________________­ ______

I don't know if it makes a difference but this is a wireless network and the internet works perfectly on all computers. Also all the computers can "ping" eachother.

Thanks a lot for your reply
James

Watto123 writes...

yes, SP2

is it HOME or PRO ?

I looked in folder options and cant find anything to do with file sharing, I have 3 tabs general, view and file types.

click on View tab, my bad ad then the bottom entry in the little window (scroll down), this is only applicable on XP professional.

for network setup wizard it should be this other and then this computer connects to a hub or internet gateway.

TCP will work fine, netbios is the one that shows worgroups and computer names. and thats not working on your old laptop.

right click on the shared documents folder, select sharing (tab) and then select share this folder on the network.

rebbot old laptop, reboot, wait 20 mins, then ping another machine by name.
and see if it resolves to an IP address.

Avatar1 writes...

is it HOME or PRO ?

Yeah sorry its home, so theres no simple file sharing checkbox.

for network setup wizard it should be this other and then this computer connects to a hub or internet gateway.
Ok I changed that.

Avatar1 writes...

right click on the shared documents folder, select sharing (tab) and then select share this folder on the network.

done

rebbot old laptop, reboot, wait 20 mins, then ping another machine by name.
and see if it resolves to an IP address.

no it cant ping anyone by name but other computers can ping it by name and it can ping the others only by ip address.

Watto123 writes...

no it cant ping anyone by name but other computers can ping it by name and it can ping the others only by ip address.

Sounds like a NetBIOS over TCP/IP issue on the XP Home laptop. In advanced TCP/IP properties of the network connection, ensure 'Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP' is not disabled.

Can laptop ping itself by name?

If problem still not resolved, perhaps try the following on the XP Home laptop: go to the network connection properties and uninstall both 'Client for Microsoft Networks' and 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks', and then reinstall them.

Yallourn Youngster writes...

In advanced TCP/IP properties of the network connection, ensure 'Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP' is not disabled.
it wasn't disabled

Can laptop ping itself by name?

yes

If problem still not resolved, perhaps try the following on the XP Home laptop: go to the network connection properties and uninstall both 'Client for Microsoft Networks' and 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks', and then reinstall them.

yeh I did still no luck :(

thanks

you could try these. No guarantee but, can't hurt. (N.b. May stuff software firewalls)
and you don't have a software firewall on the XP home machine I hope !!

in a dos shell (start> run> cmd)
netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset

it resets the tcp and winsock stack of XP

When XP home gets its net bios stuff up it really gets stuffed up