# [SOLVED] Invisible XP machine



## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

I have an Acer laptop with Vista HP SP2 and my wife has a Compaq laptop with XP Home SP3. We have a wireless network router giving internet access to both machines with no problems. So far so ordinary.

However we wish to be able to access each others files with file-sharing and you'd think this wouldn't be too hard. However, we have this scenario:

The Compaq (XP) lists the Acer in its Network list under the workgroup name under Microsoft Windows Network, but not itself.
The Acer (Vista) lists itself in its Network list but not the Compaq (XP). There is no workgroup name given under Network in Vista's Explorer (is this normal?), but I guarantee it is set to the same as the XP workgroup.

Pings work perfectly in both directions from each machine.

We both have ZoneAlarm Pro, which I'm pretty convinced isn't involved (I stopped it and it made no difference), and the free AVG which also seems an unlikely suspect. The Windows Firewalls on both machines are off.

All the settings on the Vista machine appear to be valid as the XP machine can access its shareable files, but the XP machine seems to be invisible to both itself and to the other machine.

Can anyone offer any suggestions about how to set things up so the XP machine is visible, at least on the Vista machine? There is one folder made shareable on the XP machine (My Documents) apart from the standard Shared Documents folder.

This used to work when we both ran XP!!!

We're not bothered about sharing printers as we have a wireless one which we can both access OK.


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Hello and Welcome to TSF!

Please verify your current File/Printer Sharing setup from this link.

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Try to create a User Account for both computers that has the same UserName and Password. This will eliminate prompting for a Logins when trying to access each computer. 

========================
Also, from your Vista computer please do the following:
1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Password protected sharing.
2. Within the Password protected sharing settings, click Turn off password protected sharing, and then click Apply.


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Hi.

Thanks for the quick response.

We do have identical logons on each machine already, and password protected sharing is already off. I've looked at the setup info in your link and everything looks ok.

However, I'm not sure if logons and passwords really come into it - the issue for me is why the XP machine is not even listed on the Vista machine's network, or even under its own network. If it ever does get listed on the Vista machine, accessing it then might well involve logons/passwords, but the Vista machine is already accessible from the XP machine without any password required.

It's a one-way street at the moment - I'd like it to be two-way (not counting Pings, which happily go both ways, so there is nothing physically preventing a connection).


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

From the Vista computer, try this: Click on Start, then run, type *\\XPComputerName\SharedFolderName * XPComputerName= the Name of the XP Machine; SharedFolderName= Name of the Shared Folder, if it's the entire C Drive being shared, that's ok. Please let us know if you access the shared folders this way.


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

My wife's XP machine is called "AMH-PRESARIO2", so following your instructions I ran "\\AMH-PRESARIO2\SharedDocs" in a DOS box. This gave the message "The network path was not found".

I tried the same with a couple of the other (allegedly) shared folders on her machine (including "F:", which is a shared drive), but it gave me the same result.

I unearthed my old XP desktop (named "bill-hp") and wound up it rubber band. It IS visible to the Vista machine in its network displays and vice-versa. However, my wife's XP machine remains stubbornly invisible to both these machines. 

Running \\bill-hp\shareddocs on my Vista machine gave "The network name could not be found" (subtly different).

Maybe I haven't quite got the syntax of the commands right. PLMK

I've a gut feeling there must be some setting in my wife's XP machine keeping it hidden from the rest of the world. My old and new machines talk to each other quite happily.


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Please provide an ipconfig /all info of both computers:

Click on Start => in Quick search type the word cmd on the blank field. From the black screen, type the word ipconfig /all and press enter. Right click on the black screen or Command prompt then choose Select All and Paste the results here.


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

OK, here you go:

Acer (Vista):
C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Acer
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : lan

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : lan
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR5007EG Wireless Network Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-D9-17-87-EA
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.66(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 July 2010 07:56:42
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 July 2010 08:06 :39
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Compaq (XP):
C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : AMH-Presario2
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : lan

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0A-E4-DA-05-53

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : lan
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-15-00-24-6B-AA
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.64
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 July 2010 10:24:55
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 July 2010 10:24:55

Hope it tells you more than it tells me!


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

ipconfig /all looks good. Can you please try pinging each other machines?
Open a command prompt from Acer (Vista) and type ping *192.168.1.64* then press enter.

Open a command prompt from AMH-Presario2 and type ping *192.168.1.66* then press enter.

=====================
Also, create a new folder from the XP computer and call it TestFolder, share it and give Full Permission. Now try to access this folder from your computer, click on start and in run type *\\AMH-PRESARIO2\TestFolder* press enter.


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Pings work both ways (see Post #1), using both computer name and IP addresses.

The XP PC isn't available right now, but I'll set up a test folder tomorrow and try your suggestion. However, I tried the command with some of the other folders which are supposed to be shared already, and doing them in the Run box rather than the DOS box gives a diagnostic message after the initial error which says -

\\AMH-PRESARIO2 is not set up to establish a connection on Port "File and printer sharing (SMB)" with this computer.

That help any?


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

The error is helpful. We can verify some configuration from her computer if they are setup correctly.

Please enable the Windows Firewall back from your wife's computer. Also, in Exceptions Tab, make sure that File and Printer Sharing is checked off.

Disable the ZoneAlarm Firewall for now.

===========================
From the troublesome computer verify that all your network services are Started from Control Panel=> switch to Classic View then Admin Tools=> Services: 
•	COM+ Event System (for WZC issues) 
•	Computer Browser 
•	DHCP Client 
•	DNS Client 
•	Network Connections 
•	Network Location Awareness 
•	Remote Procedure Call (RPC) 
•	Server 
•	TCP/IP Netbios helper 
•	Wireless Zero Configuration ( XP wireless configurations only) 
•	WLAN AutoConfig ( Vista wireless configurations only) 
•	Workstation


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

OK, done that. On XP, Windows Firewall is now on and File & Printer Sharing there was already checked. ZoneAlarm off.

All the Services (on both machines) on your list are Started.


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Are you able to access the XP computer? If not....try the following:

Uninstall/reinstall Wireless Network Adapter from Device Manager:
Click on Start, right click My Computer => Properties => Hardware tab => Device Manager => find your Network Adapters and expand it. Right click on the Wireless Adapter and choose Uninstall. To reinstall, right click anywhere on any Device, then choose Scan for hardware changes. Normally your Windows will do a Plug N play auto install for you, but just in case you might have your CD driver ready.

===========================
Try to access her computer again, if unsuccessful.....Remove/uninstall her Zone Alarm for now and leave Windows Firewall enabled or try disabling it if you can't still access her computer.


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Hmmmm.. Starting to get a bit heavy. I'm not averse to uninstalling the wireless network adaptor but have no fallback if it doesn't automatically re-install itself as we have no Windows CD so I'm a little reluctant to do that.

I'm not too sure that this and any firewall issues are relevant because the machine isn't listed under the workgroup in its own network display. My gut feeling is that if it can be made to appear there, it will also appear on the other computer. Is there any angle we can pursue to try to get it to 'see' itself, rather than go down the remote access route? 

I don't know enough about the technology involved, but I can appreciate that it will probably need to invoke some aspect of the networking software to display itself, but but I'm pretty sure that the local machine would not need to go though either the wireless network adaptor or its own firewall just to list itself on its own network. I stand to be corrected though!

I do appreciate the time you are giving to help me with this and it's really helpful to communicate with someone who understands these things. I spent my working life in mainframes and networks were always a bit of a black hole to me.


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Almost forgot about this. Have you done this also?
Vista laptop is set up for WORKGROUP (or something) network name while the XP is set to MSHOME. Change Vista's WORKGROUP Name to MSHOME


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

I'm ahead of you on that one! Both workgroups are set to 6BABCT (it refers to our street address). Just to be sure, I went through the Network Setup Wizard again and set it again (I've probably done that two or three times now - maybe that's the problem?)

There is something odd on the XP machine though. In My Network Places, it lists all the shared Acer folders (8) as you would expect plus two only of the 6 folders designated as shared on the XP machine. All these folders are are fully accessible. Drilling down into My Network Places / Entire Network / Microsoft Windows Network then shows the workgroup name (in lower case), and expanding that shows only the Acer, and its shared files if clicked on. Seems strange that Network Places should list any XP folders at all if they aren't part of a shared network node (if that's the right word here). It's definitely confused.

On the Vista machine (again I have confirmed the workgroup name there), opening Network shows the Network top level folder with Acer and its shared folders already expanded underneath. No sign of a workgroup name as in XP. This may or may not be normal.


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

It won't hurt to try this => MS HotFix Tool, pls. download and install from here.


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Seems like a good idea. I downloaded it & unzipped it (cut and pasted the password). On running it, I got this error just after the intro screen with no user input:

"Setup Error: Setup could not verify the integrity of the file Update.inf. Make sure the Cryptographic service is running on this computer."

I checked Services and Cryptographic is running. Any ideas on this one?

I dug really really deep and found our old Windows Me laptop (an Advent), fired it up and it's the same story. It can see itself and the Vista Acer, and the Acer can see itself and the Advent (same workgroup all round). No sign of the XP machine anywhere. The problem's gotta be in there somewhere....


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Looks like theres something wrong with XP itself. Do you have the XP CD?

We can try sfc /scannow. To do this simply go to the Run box on the Start Menu and type in:

*sfc /scannow* and press enter


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

That ran through ok. At least it didn't give any error messages or ask for the CD (which we do have). It was running in a DOS window and I wasn't actually watching it when it ended, The progress bar box just went away and there was nothing showing to indicate a problem.

Do I get the feeling a Windows re-install is on the horizon?


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Could be... :smile:


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

What's the outcome after the sfc /scannow? Is the XP machine still invisible?


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## BillHamilton (Jul 26, 2010)

*Re: Invisible XP machine*

Hi again. At the risk of just annoying people about a two year old problem, I'd just like to close it off once and for all. I'm in the Forum for the first time since then, posting another problem, and that reminded me that this old one was still effectively open.

A few months ago the hard drive on this XP machine failed and I was obliged to re-install Windows. All is now right with the world as my other machines can 'see' it.

Thanks again for everyone's contributions.

Regards

Bill


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

Thanks for the update Bill.

Glad that your issue is finally resolved.


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