Please Please Please help!!!

[CotswoldCS]

I setup a small network for a non-profit making company (hence on a budget) about a year ago using the following:

1 x Windows XP Professional Computer - (Dell P4)- used as a SERVER
3 x Windows 98SE computer (Pentium Class machines).
1 Five port hub.
1 HP Printer connected to the WinXP Dell computer and shared by others
1 x 56K modem on WinXP Dell computer shared by others using ICS (Internet Connection Sharing)

each computer has a defined IP address (192.168.0.x)

I had to do a repair installation on the XP machine (which went very well and solved all known problems) and now have hit a problem.

Here is the problem:

Each computer can see all other computer on the network and can print to the printer no problem. When any Win98 computer tries to access a shared folder on the WinXP computer I get the following error

\\Server\SharedDocs is not accessible
Access is Denied

I can't understand this! It worked fine before I did the repair installation and Win98 users were able to access the 4Gb SharedDocs folder which contains all their documents etc.

My only guess is that some setting somewhere is blocking access to the Server - I'm sure it's some software setting somewhere.


What I have tried:

I have uninstalled ZoneAlarm and reverted to the Windows Firewall. The users are not that computer literate and found this very difficult to use and understand.

I have temporarily disabled the Windows Firewall and Antivirus Software - no joy

I tried reverting back to Simple File Sharing - no better

I have checked all connections and settings - everything seems fine and Win98 computers can view shared folders on other Win98 computers. The WinXP machine can view its own shared folders through "My Network Places"

 

[ClearToLand]

Based on NT4 and Win2K experience (sorry, no XP yet...):

• While Win9x machines in a Workgroup setting can freely and easily share folders, NT4 and Win2K machines require User accounts to be set up before they will allow access.
  • Did you originally add the 3 Win98SE machines to the XP Pro's Users last year?
  • Are they still there after your "repair"?
• NTFS security is tighter than FAT - when you view "Properties" on a folder located on a FAT drive, you'll only see "Sharing". On a NTFS drive, you'll see "Sharing" and "Security".
  • What are the "Permissions" in "Security"?

Just a few ideas for you to check...

 

[CotswoldCS]

I checked through the permissions before I changed it to Simple File Sharing to see if that would do the trick. There is no Security Tab on Simple File Sharing. Is there any way of adjusting Permissions in Simple File Sharing??? Either way the same problem, the Win98 computer can't access the shared folders on the Win XP machines.

Dammnn frustrating - especially as it was working great before I reinstalled WindowsXP. It must be software related to the WinXP machine since the other machines haven't been touched.

I wasn't quite sure about your first two questions, but the 4 computer have been there from the beginning and file sharing worked a treat...until I reinstalled WindowsXP. Before you say it, doing a reinstall again is not an option - there has to be a simpler way.

 

[CotswoldCS]

Bump ^

Can anyone offer a suggestion?

 

[azev]

well make sure all the computer is on the same workgroup, and create every user name that all the client machine used on the dell server machine. try to see if that work.
Google around for networking windows 98 and windows xp, there are a lot of resource available for your problem.

 

[Peabody]

Can you ping from a 98 machine to the XP machine? Can you ping 127.0.0.1 from the XP machine? Have you considered uninstalling and then re-installing TCP/IP. Make sure that you have File and Print Sharing checked in Network Properties also.