Re: Help with a network & allowing p2p files

From: Robert Moir (maranbat@bitey.force9.co.uk)
Date: 07/11/02 

From: "Robert Moir" <maranbat@bitey.force9.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 15:07:22 +0100

"Ms. Teacher" <prince0711@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:14bcf01c22868$98c0d7c0$a5e62ecf@tkmsftngxa07...
> Most of the computers are actually Win ME, probably about
> 35. There are a few office machines (about 20) that are
> Win XP. All machines are connected to a main router
> (domain). Therefore, we only have to sign in at each
> computer, but our profile travels with us from computer
> to computer. Unfortunately I do not know how it was
> originally setup to NOT allow p2p files. The previous
> web admin. left on questionable/bad terms, so we're not
> sure. Any ideas?

If you have a domain, with a central network storage point, I'd personally
suggest using that rather than peer to peer networking between the
workstations. But anyway.

When logged into the workstations as the network administrator - (I'm going
to talk about XP here because thats what I have in front of me and i can
double check my instructions easier that way) - can you right click on a
folder or a local drive in my computer?

Create a folder for testing, and put a few files in it. Right click our test
folder itself and look at the menu. Does an option appear for 'sharing and
Security'?

If it DOES have "sharing and security", click it.
Hopefully a window appears called "foldername" properties, with a "sharing"
tab highlighted. There should be two buttons to select either "Do not share
this folder" or "Share this folder".

Select share this folder, and type in a share name. I strongly suggest using
a simple name such as "test" while we're trying this out. Now click on the
security tab, and ensure that you add rights for "Everyone" to have at least
read access (This is poor security for real file sharing of course but while
we're testing lets keep things simple).

Now you've setup sharing and security options, click "OK". Hopefully in the
my computer view, the folder we've created and shared has a hand icon
underneath it to show its being shared.

If this doesn't happen as I've described above, can you report exactly what
you see, what errors you get, etc?

If the sharing worked, we now have to access the share. Log onto another
machine with the same account you logged onto the first one with. Open the
start menu, and then click Run. In the box that appears type the name of the
computer you created the share on and the name we gave the share in the
format I give below

\\computername\sharename

For example, on my network, I have two computers named Bart and Homer - ok
simpsons fan i confess. I create a test share named "test" on the machine
named "Bart". So I would type \\Bart\test

Hit enter and hopefully the share area we created on the first machine will
appear as an explorer view on the second machine.

If it DOES NOT have "sharing and security":
Open Start menu
Then Control Panel
Then "Network and Internet Connections"
Then "Network Connections"

You should have at least one connection here, one of which should be your
LAN connection, and is probably labelled that way (or something similar).

Right click the LAN connection and choose "properties".
Does "File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks" appear with a tick
beside it in the list of items the connection uses? If it does not, then you
need to install it (click install, service, select it from the list, follow
on screen instructions, be prepared to supply your XP Pro disk on request).

Hopefully you can go now go back to trying to create a share as above. If
this still don't fix things up then the machines have probably been
configured via a group policy to block creating shares for anyone. This is
something you could potentially work through with people here but my
recomendation would be that if things are like that you really need
experience help from a local consultant who can come on site to document
exactly what is happening with your network for you, and to help you get it
how you'd like. 

--
--
Robert Moir, Microsoft Windows 2000/NT MVP
To search the MS Knowledge base use the link below:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/search/c.asp?PSL=1
My Homepage - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
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