Windows Vista and Windows XP Issues

[StupidScript]

something about His computer not being on the server

Maybe something about not being in the same "domain"?

(BTW, Linda, you're doing a bang up job with the techie thingys! )

[Linda in NY]

When I double click on his computer icon from my computer, here's what I get

\\Richard-pc 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 network path was not found.

Okie dokie then when I tried to right click it I get this:
The server Richard-pc cound not be found on the network.

Thats when I use the workgroup MSHOME, thats what was originally on mine, so I changed his.

When I use WORKGROUP on both which is what his is out of the box set for and change mine, It wont even let me access the computers in the group when I click on my computer view computers.

These Technical thingies are making me ill ! yuck

[StupidScript]

Nasty piece of work ...

We have to use IP addresses to connect to non-Vista computers, and there needs to be something "shared" on the target system in order to connect at all. This is because the "new" Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) service in Vista DEPENDS ON IPv6 TO WORK!!! NetBIOS just ain't the same ... The network connections show every shared device on our LAN (um...hello...security?!?), but you can only connect to them if they are not in My Documents, or any of the Username Documents directories. (It's really absurd ... a limited user cannot access documents unless they are in a subdirectory of their personal My Documents directory or in the Shared Documents ... and they can't be shared with the network from either of those places!)

NOTE: Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium DO NOT have the ability to join a domain! If your XP system was set up as a domain controller, and you're running Basic or Premium on the other system, then you will need to remove the domain controller profile from the XP system in order to relax its security enough to let Vista connect to it. Either that, or upgrade to Vista Business, Enterprise or Ultimate.

So ...

1) Is your XP system set up to be a "domain controller"?
2) What version of Vista are you running?
3) Can you connect to the Internet from both machines, at this point?
(BTW, you can expect some pretty slow web surfing, once you disabled the IPv6 in order to get the system into your network ... because Vista needs IPv6 support in order to avoid having to chunk up it's data packets to fit IPv4. So instead of just going out over the wire, each packet needs to be stripped of its IPv6 attributes before Vista can send it out ... good move, MS! It's actually a little funny, because MS says, "We're running an IPv6 network, and we didn't notice any problems." HA!)

I'm thinking that "this is the most secure version of Windows ever" because you spend more time figuring out how to get it into your network than you do using it ... reducing your exposure to security issues. It seems to work ok for those who don't have an established network, but even then all of the pop-ups and switching users and stuff is mind boggling. I've been running Linux systems for the past 8 years, and it is absolutely unfathomable to me that MS chose the (pseudo) multi-user approach that they have, instead of looking for guidance to what works really well in more mature environments, like Linux. It's pure MS crap.

And I gotta say that Reading The @#$% Manual is freaking useless, unless you want to hear about all of the fun you will be having when you finally get the system up and integrated. Bottom line: The IS NO manual provided by Microsoft that does ANY good ... people who need one will have to wait until O'Reilly comes out with one ...

[Linda in NY]

Geez,

You know what, matter of keeping my sanity, screw the networking.
The husband can use and print off his computer.
I can use my computer, and if I need to print anything I'll just use his then.

But I think I'll go back and turn on his IVp6.

Thanks for all the help, it was so much easier b4, why cant they just leave things alone.

I appreciate all your time and effort,
Linda

[StupidScript]

why cant they just leave things alone

Because these newfangled things are "better".
Give yourself up to the Dark Side completely ... your life will be easier ... and, I have a nice brochure for a bridge for sale with a spectacular view of Manhattan ...

[Linda in NY]

One final thought, as far as antivirus.

I have on the XP the antivirus we get free through our roadrunner.
I haven't put it on his computer yet, he's still running with the free Mcafee that came installed.
I haven't had a chance yet to uninstall it and put the other on.

When I did a check on the network through his macafee it showed little red boxes through my computer and the computer upstairs. Is that possibly causing a problem, that could be solved when I change his antivirus over ?

Yeah, I know I'd said I would quit, except this one little question.

[StupidScript]

An unpatched Windows XP system is compromised, on average, withiin 16 minutes of being plugged into the Internet.

Any AV system is better than none ... and several are even better, if they play well together!

We use (all free) Clam AV and AVG Free anti-virus and other security tools. Think of them as "enhancements" to your existing protections.

I dunno what the little red boxes signify, but I'll bet a few of them have to do with McAfee not being able to read the networked drives.

[Costin Trifan]

Hi, Linda!

I made some shots of my network configuration and I really hope this will help you ('cause I'm running out of ideas )

Ok, The "Network and Sharing Center" image (image 1) will give you the global view of my configuration.
From there, check step 1. That is my local connection. The access should be "Local Only". If your configuration, doesn't look like mine, then procede to step 2 which will be the "SetNetworkLocation" image (image 2). You may not be allowed to change the "Network name", but that's irrelevant for us now. Make sure you select the "Public" Location Type and not the "Private" one and follow the wizard's steps.

After that, move to "Sharing and Discovery" (Image 3).
- Expand the Network discovery box and make sure that "Turn on network discovery" option is selected. Click Apply.
- Expand "File Sharing" box and turn on file sharing.
- Expand "Public folder sharing" and turn on sharing.
- Expand "Printer sharing box" and select "Turn on printer sharing".

After that you should be able to communicate with your second computer with no problems.

hth,
Costin

[Linda in NY]

Update,

I got totally annoyed and called Microsoft, they blew me off and said because the product ID was OEM I had to call Emachine because the software was installed by the Manufacturer.

I called Emachine and they said the OEM software and Vista and XP were not compatible to network and thats why I keep getting the DNS problem.

[Costin Trifan]

What a mess...

[Jason]

Hi Linda in NY,

I have spent two days trying to network an XP and a Vista - unsuccessfully. Now I know why. Unfortunately I can't get Adobe Pgotoshop Elements 5.0 to work either. I have tried the patch but am still unsuccessful.

Has anyone else got APE 5 to work on a Vista?

[StupidScript]

It's a totally insane user model. I've never seen a system as cockeyed as Vista. Jason, you're lucky you're dealing with only XP and Vista. Our work environment includes Win98, WinNT, XP, Linux and Vista. So far we've only been able to get consistent connections to some of the XP machines. And when a Vista system fails to connect to the NT boxes ("...the same user cannot use two different user names to connect..." even when it's the same user using the same name as they always did), it's very likely to kick off an established connection in the process. I spend a large portion of my time running around re-connecting kicked off users and explaining to the others that, "Well, this is the new Windows security. You have to log in about 4 times before you can get to your old directories ... and maybe log in a couple more times after you make a document change and want to save the file to the same directory you just opened it from. Sorry. That's 'more secure'."

I could go onandonandonandonandonandon ... but I'm too tired. Oops! Another Vista userland issue is looming ... gotta run.

[Linda in NY]

Another Vista update for anyone not familiar.
I called Time Warner about the antivirus they provide for free to subscribers, and they told me not to put the antivirus on the Vista Computer because....

It's not compatible to Vista, they are working in it. So we are going to have to use the 90 day FREE trial antivirus, then find something else. She's not sure when the antivirus from Roadrunner will be compatible for the Vista OP.

Vista is a nightmare as far as I'm concerned.

[paladin2]

Linda in NY,

here you have some poof.

Good luck!