XP Machine can't see Network but others can see XP Machine

[BadDog]

I have a Lan with NT 4.0 server. W98, W2K workstations all work fine. Two laptops using wireless to access network. W98 laptop works fine, sees network shares, and access internet fine. XP machine (Home version, but I cant find a forum for Home version), access network for internet access fine, but cant see other network workstations in network neighborhood. All other machines can see XP machine in network neighborhood but get a "path not found" error when they try to access XP machine. I looked at all the settings on the W98 laptop and they all appear to be the same as the XP laptop. This is my first experience with XP so I am not sure what I am missing. Any help appreciated. I did "share" some folders on the XP machine but again, none of them (nor the machine) is accessible. HELP.

 

[bcastner]

Several steps as good guesses:

. Use the utility discussed in faq779-4625
. Start, Administrative Tools, Services, and stop then disable from startup the Computer Browser Service on the XP Client.
. Add the usernames with passwords to the XP machine of all other workstation usernames.
. Enable the Guest account on the XP machine
. Do not use blank or empty passwords on any machine in your LAN

This is slightly overkill, but it should sort the issue.

 

[BadDog]

Thanks for the prompt reply. I implemented your recommendations, but still nothing. What I really want to do is work on files stored on the NT Server. I don't really care about the other workstations (them seeing my laptop, or the laptop seeing them). The NT server sees the XP Laptop but the XP Laptop sees nothing (it wont even see itself anymore under the (domain) workgroup name. I do see the shares on itself (the XP Laptop) under "Network Places" but I used to see "My Network Places, Entire Network, Microsoft Windows Network, (domain/workgroup name), XP Laptop." The XP laptop no longer shows up. You can still see the XP laptop from every other machine on the network. I did get an error saying I didn't have permission to use (domain/workgroup name) this time. But I am using the same username and password I use on my other workstation on the same network, as the username password on the XP laptop.

 

[BadDog]

Additional info. The error I get when trying to access the XP laptop from the NT machine is "//(xp laptop) is not accessible The Network path was not found."

 

[bcastner]

. Everything correct if you right-click My Computer, Properties, Computer Name?

. See Bob Lin's great site:

http://www.chicagotech.net/

He goes into some details under the Domain and Workgroup for specific error messages.

Please report back.
This is a solvable issue.
Bill

 

[BadDog]

More Info, when I to to browse to "view workgroup computers" from the XP laptop I get an error now that says "(Domain/workgroup 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 access permissions. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available.

 

[BadDog]

I double checked the computer name and workgroup. It all appears correct. It forces all caps on the XP machine, though it appears in Title Case (First Letter Cap, following letters lower case) when viewing in network neighborhood on NT Domain Controller. The NT Machine is obviously seeing the laptop. Not vica versa though. Bob Lin's site mentions starting the browser service. So, I started that back up and the laptop can see itself now (again) under the (domain/workgroup) but not any of the other machines. I am sure this is just some stupid thing I have overlooked, or a weird nuance with XP. I set up this network and always seem to have some little glitch when bringing on a new workstation under a new operating system. Maybe I have overlooked something basic. I have a router acting as the DHCP server, and that is working fine (I have internet access from the XP laptop). Again, all the other machines are seeing the XP laptop but cant access it giving the error message discussed earlier. Help appreciated. I changed my username and password to the exact one I use on my other workstation on the lan. I dont recall ever turning on any access control on the NT server as far as which physical computers can access the network, and it sees the XP laptop. It would seem that if the peer-to-peer computers are visible they would be accesible. I am stumped. HELP.

 

[bcastner]

Clearly the XP workstation is winning the master browser war.

This is not decidedly fatal as an issue.

. Did you synchronize all username and passwords? Computer A has as as users the username and passwords of Computer B; Computer B has as usernames and Passwords Computer A; .etc

. Did you enable the Guest Account on the XP workstation?

. Did you check for firewall issues? A lot of Antivirus software now includes a "hidden" firewall component. The native XP firewall should be disabled; anything else properly configured.

. An Ipconfig /all printout for the XP box would help at this point. It is possible you need to force a node type assignment.

Bill

 

[BadDog]

You are correct about there being a master browser issue. The NT log shows an "announcement from the XP laptop that it is the Master browser" and that the service is being stopped or an election is being made. (I turned the Computer browswer service back on a few steps ago per the Lin site). Should I turn it back off? Before you answer that, turning off XP's native firewall seems to have cleared everything up. I can now see peer-to-peer and they can see the XP machine. I can't log onto the NT server and the NT security log is showing the XP laptop trying to log in using the original username I set up on the laptop (I switched the XP Laptop username so that it matches the username on the NT domain, but apparently I need to change it somewhere else on the XP laptop. I changed it under user accounts in the control panel. Not sure where else to look. So, assuming I should turn off the browser service on the XP machine, and you tell me how to switch the username correctly, and that all works, do I need to go back and switch anything else back (like turning off the guest account) to tighten security back up? Your persistence is VERY appreciated.

 

[BadDog]

Okay, I was able to log onto the NT shared components, but only if I manually enter username and password (the username password entry window pops up each time I first try to access the NT share). I think if I can find out where to change the username (that is being initially sent out when the mapped drives are trying to be connected to at startup) as asked in previous post entry it will reconnect to the mapped drives automatically when I initially log onto the laptop.

 

[bcastner]

Because of the oddities of Netbios, have you rebooted any of the machines?

A full reboot/reset may resolve the remaining issues.

See also the full Bill Castner discussion of password issues under XP:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?SQID=796583&SPID=779&newpid=779&page=1

 

[BadDog]

I'll try rebooting everything in the morning. Thanks for everything to date Bill.

 

[BadDog]

I rebooted everything and the XP laptop is still passing the old username to the NT server. I searched the registry of the XP laptop and the old username is plastered everywhere. Most notably, I assume is in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE|Microsoft\Windowns NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultUsername and AltDefaultUsername. Of course, this is just the one that looks most suspect to me, but I am fairly (really) clueless about the registry and don't want to muck things up by changing the entries. The "default domain name" is actually the XP Laptop host name, so I may be way off base here. It seems like changing the username at the control panel would have changed it throughout the machine. Is there another way. Maybe I should just add a new user on the NT machine with the old XP laptop username, and switch the laptop back to the old username that seems to persist. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[BadDog]

Changing the Laptop username back to the original and setting up a new account on the NT server resolve the remainging issues. Thank you again for all of your help. I sincerely appreciate it.

 

[bankboysb]

interesting

 

[ghost807]

windows nt uses netbios.
windows xp does not. you may want to enable netbios over tcp/ip in the xp machine network connection settings.