sharing folder, what am I doing wrong?

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sharing folder, what am I doing wrong?

Started 10 months ago by Joe M.

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Joe M.

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the folder I wish to share is on a Win7 Pro machine. The other 19 machines are xp pro.

I made a folder called shareddell, right clicked said to share with everyone, blah blah, blah.

The shared folder has a padlock icon on it. Could this be the source of my issue?

I then went to one of the xp machines, right clicked My Computer->map network drive
I used Y as the letter. I can see the folder, I click on it, it seems to be working but then it comes up and says. "Y:\ is not accessible. Access is denied"

Joe
Teacher, K-8

Posted 10 months ago #
Joe M.

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I thought I had it. I googled, learned how to get the padlock icon off. Still the same thing,"access is denied."
Joe

Posted 10 months ago #
Infinidean

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Someone is going to come back and say that what you're doing wrong involves 19 computers running XP in 2012, but that someone would not be me.

Posted 10 months ago #

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Joe M.

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No choice...
Joe

Infinidean said:
Someone is going to come back and say that what you're doing wrong involves 19 computers running XP in 2012, but that someone would not be me.

Posted 10 months ago #
Pierre

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Make sure "read and execute" authorizations granted to both the folder and the share include "everyone". Then make sure all the machines (including the Win7 one) belong to the same workgroup: even though workgroup is deprecated in Win7, it's still very much used in XP. Finally, make sure you have defined the XP users (user name and password) on the Win7 machine – you don't need to log in with them, but these credentials will be used to grant access to the shared folder. I know it's a PITA, but unless you're in an all-Win7 network it won't work otherwise. Then, on the Win7 machine, don't let Windows manage the shared access, but turn on password access. That's in Network and Sharing center, homegroup and sharing options, advanced share settings. Check that the Win7 firewall allows file and printer sharing through. Last, on each XP machine, make sure network discovery is allowed: in Windows Explorer, Tools, Folder options, View tab, make sure the item "Automatically Search for Network Folders and Printers" is checked (in the advanced settings section).

Network discovery on an XP machine takes some time, especially with as many as 20 machines on the network. Allow all the machines to settle down for about an hour before attempting to access the share for the first time.

Procrastinate NOW!
------------------------------------------------
"Earth is the cradle of mankind. Nobody can live in the cradle forever" (Constantin Tsiolkovski – 1857-1935)

Posted 10 months ago #
Joe M.

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Not all of the Win XP machines have the same password. I"m not sure I understand this part.
Finally, make sure you have defined the XP users (user name and password) on the Win7 machine – you don't need to log in with them, but these credentials will be used to grant access to the shared folder[/quote
Joe

Pierre said:
Make sure "read and execute" authorizations granted to both the folder and the share include "everyone". Then make sure all the machines (including the Win7 one) belong to the same workgroup: even though workgroup is deprecated in Win7, it's still very much used in XP. [quote]Finally, make sure you have defined the XP users (user name and password) on the Win7 machine – you don't need to log in with them, but these credentials will be used to grant access to the shared folder
. I know it's a PITA, but unless you're in an all-Win7 network it won't work otherwise. Then, on the Win7 machine, don't let Windows manage the shared access, but turn on password access. That's in Network and Sharing center, homegroup and sharing options, advanced share settings. Check that the Win7 firewall allows file and printer sharing through. Last, on each XP machine, make sure network discovery is allowed: in Windows Explorer, Tools, Folder options, View tab, make sure the item "Automatically Search for Network Folders and Printers" is checked (in the advanced settings section).

Network discovery on an XP machine takes some time, especially with as many as 20 machines on the network. Allow all the machines to settle down for about an hour before attempting to access the share for the first time.

Posted 10 months ago #
Joe M.

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Pierre, thank you for the constructive answer. Not like SOME people I could name.

Joe

Posted 10 months ago #
Pierre

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You're welcome
This is a problem I've had to contend with a number of times. When I told you to define the XP users (name and pw) on the Win7 machine, I meant, make a list of all 19 user/pw combinations used on the 19 XP machines, then define these users with the same passwords on the Win7 machine using the "manage computer" dialog, "local groups and users" branch. You can also use the regular Win7 user management dialog, but the other (older) way is faster. If you have the same user name defined on several XP machines but with different passwords, you'll have to rename one or several so they're all different, or change their passwords to be all the same; you can't define a user ID with several passwords. You'd have the same ID/pw problem on a network with a domain server.

Edit BTW, you need to convince your users to upgrade to Win7 ASAP. April 2013 isn't very far off… and it's better to have all the time you need for the upgrade instead of having to rush it. Counting the time it takes to export all the user settings and files and import them back into the upgraded machine, you'll typically require 2 or 3 hours per machine even if you deploy a fully configured Win7+apps image (which takes a full day's work to prepare).

Posted 10 months ago #
Infinidean

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</BLOCKQUOTE<BLOCKQUOTE jQuery1345126912852="11243"><CITE jQuery1345126912852="11244">Joe M. said:
Pierre, thank you for the constructive answer. Not like SOME people I could name.

Joe

At my level of expertise that was as constructive as I could get. In all honesty, one of the reasons I spent the summer getting all our computers on Win7 is to make networking easier and more stable. Trying to network 2 machines with different versions of Vista, 1 with Win7 starter, 1 with Win7 Home, and a MacBook (don't ask) was a PITA. I still have to deal with the MacBook, but everything else is running Win7 Home Premium, and the network is doing everything it should be doing and doing it easily. I'm about to hook up a NAS and a WD TV Live streaming media player. I'm hoping they integrate as easily.

Posted 10 months ago #
Pierre

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One area where Microsoft has always been less than helpful, is networking of mixed OS versions, let alone different OS families. I remember spending a horrid day, a long time ago, trying to get NT 4.0 and Win98 machines to talk together… This was for a showroom, and I had no choice in the matter. This, BTW, is where I learned about the network discovery delay – the hard way.

Posted 10 months ago #
Joe M.

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Must have been the phase of the moon. Came up this morning, right clicked Share-added a user, then it was off to the races.
Joe

Posted 10 months ago #
Pierre

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I told you it took a while…

Posted 10 months ago #
xcarlosx

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Even though you don't come here anymore, we're happy for you Joe.

"Don't let your students grow up to be cowboys."

No sweat G.I., pretty soon payday.

Posted 10 months ago #
Joe M.

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It wasn't exactly that though. It was pretty instant, I would map the folder, in a few seconds in opened up. Just took a while with 20 computers and installing The Gimp on each one, as well as VLC and xnview
Joe

Pierre said:
I told you it took a while…

Posted 10 months ago #