Workgroup Problem (XP Home)

Topic

New Reply

Hi

We have a user who is trying to setup a Workgroup using 2 PCs running XP Home Edition.
He’s using 2 belkin 802.11g Network cards, which are displaying OK in the Notification Area. IEEE is checked.
In the LAN properties, the following are enabled:
* Client for Microsoft Networks
* File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
* QoS Packet Scheduler
* TCP/IP (Obtain IP and DNS automatically)

However, when he clicks on ‘My Network Places’ -> Entire Network -> MS Windows Network -> Workgroup, the 2 PCs will only display in the Workgroup on 1 PC at a time (ie, alternating!), but clicking on the networked PC states that it is unable to retrieve information, etc, Check with the Network Administrator, etc.

He has previously had the Network up-and-running, but he reinstalled Windows, and now it won’t get past this point.

Between us, we have removed the Network Cards and reinstalled them, we’ve run the Network Wizard 4 times, each time setting a new Workgroup name, but nothing we do can get the 2 PCs to see each other simultaneously, and they certainly won’t show the shared folders, printers, etc.

Does it seem like we’re missing something? Has anyone any clue as to why this could be happening? We’re stumped and frustrated.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Reply | Quote

Replies

Has the user turned OFF the MS Firewall that is on by default?

Does the user have any third party firewalls (ZoneAlarm, BlackIce and etc.) running?

Has the user defined any shares and/or shared a printer on each of the machines?

Then name of the workgroup is the SAME on each machine?

Each machine has a DIFFERENT “computer name”?

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote

Thanks for posting Dave.

Yes. I made sure the ICF was off. I thought a Firewall might be the problem too. No other Firewall is installed on either PC.
The Shares are automatically setup when the Home Networking Wizard runs, which it has done about 8 times! LOL! (Well, it would be funny if it weren’t so frustrating).
Workgroup: Yes. I changed the workgroup each time on each machine. Tested it. Ran the Wizard again; chose a different Workgroup Name on each PC; checked the connection; repeated this process twice more.
Computer Name: Yes, each PC has a different Computer Name, e.g., David. Neil. Then I tried David1. Neil1. PC1. David1. etc, etc.

As I mentioned, the workgroup does appear on one PC, but as soon as you reboot, the other PC gets the workgroup, and it becomes invisible on the rebooted PC????

This does my head in!!!

Reply | Quote

Yes. I changed the workgroup on each PC. The first time, both PCs were part of the OFFICE workgroup. The second time, they were both part of the ‘MSHOME’ workgroup; the third time, they were both part of the TEST Workgroup, etc???

The Network you set up at home. Are you on XP? Because, the Folders and Printers are definitely set to Shared by the XP Home Networking Wizard (the hand holding the Folder appears on the appropriate Folders after the Wizard has run; it also actually says at the end of the Wizard that it’s done that).

Reply | Quote

If the sharing you are referring to has a $ sign in it, it is for machine and Administrator account use ONLY. To share ANY files or printer you MUST go in and define them.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote

On XP Home, there’s no $ visible.

Here’s a snapshot for example.

Would there need to be a user account with the exact same name on each PC?

Reply | Quote

I don’t think you would need two identical users, probably on the contrary. However did you try to set Simple file sharing on boh machines. I don’t know if tis is available in XP Home, I do have that in XP Pro. Go to Windows Explorer, Folder Options, View and at the bottom of the list turn on Simple File sharing.

Hope this helps…

Reply | Quote

As it turned out, the user had ZoneAlarm installed prior to *reinstalling XP*. Obviously the fresh installation of Windows didn’t overwrite old programs, it must just update Windows itself. As such, ZoneAlarm was still installed and running, although transparent to the user (no splash screen; not listed in ‘All Programs’ on the Start Menu; and not visible in the System Tray/Notification Area???

However, if you went into Add/Remove Programs, ZoneAlarm was listed and (obviously still running at Start-up). The program was therefore uninstalled, and the Network now operates as before.

Anyway, thanks for all your help and time; it was greatly appreciated.

Hope this helps someone else.

Kind regards

Reply | Quote