Re: Workgroup woes

Jim wrote:
Hi,
I have 3 computers connected using cable and the network setup wizard.In my "network places" I
can see all 3 computers on all machines.

On machine 1 I can see and browse "Shared Docs"
on machine1 and 3 but for machine 2 it asks for a usernam and password.

On machine 2 I can see all machines but can only browse machine 2, otherwise it asks for a username and password.

On machine 3 I can see all machines but can only browse machine 3, otherwise it asks for a username and password.

I only ever use one good passwod, and the usernames are obvious.I still cant connect them.

These are home computers used primarily for games and non critical work.How do I simply sharing files between them
without usernames and passwords which never seem to work.I have spent houres with a wizard floppydisk going round on all
of them trying to get a simple network to work without usernames\passwords.TIA


Are any of the computers XP Pro or Media Center?

If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center:

a. If you need Pro's ability to set fine-grained permissions, turn off Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab) and create identical user accounts/passwords on all computers.

b. If you don't care about using Pro's advanced features, leave the Simple File Sharing enabled.

Simple File Sharing means that Guest (network) is enabled. This means that anyone without a user account on the target system can use its resources. This is a security hole but only you can decide if it matters in your situation.

Then create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users' home directories (My Documents) or Program Files, but you can share folders inside those directories. A better choice is to simply use the Shared Documents folder.

If that doesn't work for you, here is an excellent network troubleshooter by MVP Hans-Georg Michna. Take the time to go through it and it will usually pinpoint the problem area(s) - http://winhlp.com/wxnet.htm


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
.

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