File Sharing on Home Network without Login Prompt.

[Kelemvor]

I have a simple network at home with all the PCs running XP and all in the same Workgroup. Each PC has its My Documents folder shared. I can go to Network Neighborhood and see the other PCs but when I try to access some of them I get prompted to log in. How can I set it up so that no one gets prompted for a login when they try to view the other PC.

Most of the PCs login with no password but some of them have a password for their primary login because of Remote Desktop.

Once of the PCs for sure prompts for a username and password which I can enter each time and it works fine. One opens up a Login window with \\ComputerName\Guest as the name and doesn't let me type in a different username at all.

I think I'm just missing something obvious but I'm just not seeing it.

Thanks.

 

[Kelemvor]

Update: Well, I finally got the syntax right that I can just make a batch file to run every time the PC boots up to map each drive via NET USE, but I'd rather not have to do it that way if possible...

 

[Madwand1]

If you create an account on a target machine having the same name and password as you use on your desktop (and grant it any necessary permissions to access shares and files), you'll be able to access them transparently from your desktop.

Essentially, it'll try to access remote shares using your current credentials first. These will typically fail because your local account is not recognized (or validated due to password mismatch) on the remote machine, hence the prompt / need for remote login credentials. You can change this by creating an account with the same name and password, etc., for your use on the target machine.

 

[InlineFive]

Alternatively you can create a seperate account with a strong password for filesharing. And then disable the password on your account so that remote logins using it won't work.

Then you can enter the FS user account in the Network Credentials under Users so that you never have to be bothered with it. Granted you'll need Professional so that you can turn SImple File Sharing off.

 

[Kelemvor]

OK, Having a problem with this still.

All my PCs are runnign XP Pro...

On my main PC, I login with a generic account we'll call Mr X. That account has a password on it because I sometimes have to remote into this PC and you can't remote in if you don't have a password.

I have another PC on my network called PVR and it logs in with an ID of PVR-User which has NO password.

On my main machine I have also created a local account called PVR-User with NO password and made it an admin.

Problem is, when I'm on the PVR PC and I go to network neighborhood, entire network, workgroup, etc and get down to my main computer name, when I click on it I get a pop up to login that says:

Connecting to Main-PC

Username: Main-PC/Guest (this is greyed out)
Password:

I can't figure out why it isn't just going through and opening up the shares. If I go from the Main PC to any other PC it works fine, I jsut can go from the other PCs to the main one.

Any ideas?