Windows XP and Windows 98 share.

[Goopster]

I have win XP in one machine and Windows 98 in another. I want to be able to access XP from my windows 98 as a guest. How do i do it without setting up same user account in both xp and 98. I have enabled Guest account in XP. what else do i need to do.

 

[Lord Evermore]

If you just want to be able to share files between computers like you would between Win98 machines, you don't need to bother with accounts. Just go into My Computer or Windows Explorer, to Tools, Folder Options. On the View tab at the bottom of the list, check "use simple file sharing". This opens your shared folders up to anyone on your network without needing them to log in.

This isn't recommended if your XP machine directly connects through a cable modem.

 

[Goopster]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
If you just want to be able to share files between computers like you would between Win98 machines, you don't need to bother with accounts. Just go into My Computer or Windows Explorer, to Tools, Folder Options. On the View tab at the bottom of the list, check "use simple file sharing". This opens your shared folders up to anyone on your network without needing them to log in.

This isn't recommended if your XP machine directly connects through a cable modem.

So if i keep Simple File Sharing Disabled in Win XP, I do need to setup accounts in win 98, is that correct?

I am connecting directly to DSL modem using windows 98 machine. win XP and win 98 has a peer-to-peer connection. Windows XP gets its internet connection through win 98 machine.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Without simple file sharing, yes, each user has to have an account set up in WinXP in order to access any shared files.

If you're only trying to get files to and from the WinXP machine, then you can just enable simple file sharing on XP, and not have file and printer sharing on Win98. The XP machine is "protected" by the fact that it's using the 98 machine for Internet access, so nobody outside will be able to just look at your shared network.

If you still want to have the XP machine password protected, then disable simple file sharing, and set up an account with some other name and password. The same username will need to be used when logging onto the Win98 machine, or you may get prompted for a username and password. You most likely can't use the Guest account for file sharing, because it's not password protected and is for limited access locally. I haven't actually tried sharing files using permissions and usernames until just now, between two WinXP machines, and all I ended up doing was blocking access.

You should also be able to make a disc in WinXP's networking wizard that you use to set up a Win98 machine for access.

 

[Goopster]

Thanks a lot for all the answers. I was able to access my XP files by enabling simple file sharing. However, there are a couple of more questions that arised when i was doing this.

On my Win 98 machine i have an account AB and when i turn on my machine i hit escape or cancel (no password) doing this does not allow me to see shared network.
When i click on ok (supply blank password), i can see my network. Why does it happen.

Problem 2) When i click OK(blank password) i can see my shared documents but i cannot go on internet anymore?
proiblem 3) How do i setup my win 98 machine to bring me directly to my desktop without asking me for userid and password.
All the help would be appreciated Thanks.

 

[Lord Evermore]

When you hit cancel, you're bypassing the Windows Logon and essentially just running the machine with no workgroup information being used -- the machine knows it has a network connection, but won't know it's part of a workgroup unless you actually log on. You can set it up to not ask you for the password by going to the Network properties and setting the Primary Logon to Windows Logon instead of Client for Microsoft Networks or whatever it is (should be a dropdown box with those two options).

I don't know what exactly would cause you to lose your Internet connection when you log on, unless the settings for connection sharing or your browser are wrong when you're logged on but "default" to proper settings when you bypass the login. Are you getting proper IP addresses for both the external and internal network cards? Can you ping your DSL gateway from DOS?

Is there a reason you don't use the XP machine for the gateway? WinXP includes Internet Connection Sharing as well as the Internet Connection Firewall, a basic but usable firewall. (Of course if you have ZoneAlarm or similar on the 98 machine, that's better.)

 

[Goopster]

So does both the computers have to be a part of same workgroup to access each others data?
So if i need to give access of win XP to someone else on my win 98 network i must setup that computer for same workgroup?

User AB was setup to login without a password so when i login with a blank password i guess it messes up my internet connection because the passwords are different now. I will try pinging from DOS to my router when i get home today to see what happens and i will check the IP addresses also and will let you know how it goes. Command IPCONFIG will give me the addresses right?

Reason i am not using windows xp as a gateway is because i am new to XP and i am still playing around with it, so i don't wanna mess up those family members who wants to use internet.
My DSL modem and router are far from my win98 and xp's peer to peer connection and win 98 machine has wireless adapter i don't have wireless adapter in my XP machine. Eventually i will get a wireless network adapter and link it with my linksys router directly.

 

[Lord Evermore]

In order to share files, yes you need to be in the same workgroups.

 

[Goopster]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
You can set it up to not ask you for the password by going to the Network properties and setting the Primary Logon to Windows Logon instead of Client for Microsoft Networks or whatever it is (should be a dropdown box with those two options).

I went to control panel--> network and from drop down list of primary network logon i picked Windows logon and restarted my computer and it still pops welcome to windows logon dialogue box with AB in user name. Do i have to delete both the users i have setup in my machine to get directly to desktop?

My internet is working fine with a blank password problem was with the settings in browser.

 

[Goopster]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
You can set it up to not ask you for the password by going to the Network properties and setting the Primary Logon to Windows Logon instead of Client for Microsoft Networks or whatever it is (should be a dropdown box with those two options).

I went to control panel--> network and from drop down list of primary network logon i picked Windows logon and restarted my computer and it still pops welcome to windows logon dialogue box with AB in user name. Do i have to delete both the users i have setup in my machine to get directly to desktop?

My internet is working fine with a blank password problem was with the settings in browser.

 

[Goopster]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
You can set it up to not ask you for the password by going to the Network properties and setting the Primary Logon to Windows Logon instead of Client for Microsoft Networks or whatever it is (should be a dropdown box with those two options).

I went to control panel--> network and from drop down list of primary network logon i picked Windows logon and restarted my computer and it still pops welcome to windows logon dialogue box with AB in user name. Do i have to delete both the users i have setup in my machine to get directly to desktop?

My internet is working fine with a blank password problem was with the settings in browser.

 

[Goopster]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
You can set it up to not ask you for the password by going to the Network properties and setting the Primary Logon to Windows Logon instead of Client for Microsoft Networks or whatever it is (should be a dropdown box with those two options).

I went to control panel--> network and from drop down list of primary network logon i picked Windows logon and restarted my computer and it still pops welcome to windows logon dialogue box with AB in user name. Do i have to delete both the users i have setup in my machine to get directly to desktop?

My internet is working fine with a blank password problem was with the settings in browser.

 

[Lord Evermore]

It may still ask for the password once, it shouldn't happen anymore. You may need to set up the user options to "all users use the same settings", otherwise it will always require the login because each user's settings need to be loaded. Of course you can also delete the extra users, since you won't be wanting to log in as anyone else.

 

[Goopster]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
It may still ask for the password once, it shouldn't happen anymore. You may need to set up the user options to "all users use the same settings", otherwise it will always require the login because each user's settings need to be loaded. Of course you can also delete the extra users, since you won't be wanting to log in as anyone else.

Thanks for resolving all the issues. Everything is working fine now.:sun: