My Network Places.

[just_laze]

Hello,

I recently agreed to re-install Windows for my Girlfriend, I've connected her machine to my network but it is unable to view my shares. I can see her machine under 'view workgroup computers' but she's unable to see mine and receives a message suggesting she lacks permission to the workgroup however there's an account on both mine and her machine that has administrative rights, the same user-login and password.

We're connected through a router, as mentioned before, i can browse her machine, connect using remote desktop, ping it etc... but she's unable to do the same to my machine from hers. She's able to browse the web on her machine, but that's all.

I suspect it's the Windows Firewall but i cannot access it, if i right click the properties of 'local area connection' and select the advance tab i am told that the properties were unable to load and that it could be related to corruption in WMI.

Any advice on what else it could possibly be?

Merry Xmas.

[Twigman]

Check settings on your computer are not stopping her from accessing it

[Paul Adams]

I doubt that it is the firewall on reinstalled machine, as that would only create problems in the opposite direction - you would not be able to see shares on her machine.

In an Explorer window, click Tools / Folder Options, then go to the View tab.
Scroll to the bottom of the list and un-tick "Use Simple File Sharing", then click OK.

However, on a clean XP install I would be concerned about that WMI corruption message - is this a slipstreamed/modified installation, or have you disabled a bunch of services after installation?

[blockers]

Check that you have NWlink netBIOS and IPX/SPX protocols installed on both computers.

[Paul Adams]

Check that you have NWlink netBIOS and IPX/SPX protocols installed on both computers.

Ick, no.
They are legacy broadcast protocols and should only be used if you use a Novell NetWare 3.x network (or a 4.x without TCP/IP).

[just_laze]

Sorry, let me clarify, it isn't a fresh install it's her existing installation, it is running service pack 1, all services are set to automatic and simply file-sharing is enabled and has never not been. The machine was previously part of a unix network, but i've removed and re-added the network adapter to ensure it's using default settings.

I have created a new workgroup on my computer called Local, i have then added her machine to it, if i navigate start > my network places > view workgroup computers i can see both hers and mine and can navigate the shares on her machine. If she does the same she only sees her machine? I created the local workgroup logged in on my machine with the same credentials that i used when i added her machine to the workgroup on hers, other machines on the network can see my machine and i can see theirs, but she can only see her own and no others are listed in net view.

[Twigman]

I still recon the problem is with your computer allowing her to access it. Not her computer...

[Paul Adams]

Sorry, let me clarify, it isn't a fresh install it's her existing installation, it is running service pack 1, all services are set to automatic and simply file-sharing is enabled and has never not been. The machine was previously part of a unix network, but i've removed and re-added the network adapter to ensure it's using default settings.

Ah, sorry my fault - I read the post as "I have recently reinstalled my girlfriend's machine and now it cannot see resources on my machine on the network, and I have this WMI corruption problem on it...".
And I would recommend disabling "simple file sharing" anyway to make life much easier.

I have created a new workgroup on my computer called Local, i have then added her machine to it, if i navigate start > my network places > view workgroup computers i can see both hers and mine and can navigate the shares on her machine.

Can you browse shares on your machine from itself?

If she does the same she only sees her machine? I created the local workgroup logged in on my machine with the same credentials that i used when i added her machine to the workgroup on hers, other machines on the network can see my machine and i can see theirs, but she can only see her own and no others are listed in net view.

It sounds almost as if "File and Printer Sharing" is not even enabled on your machine, or the firewall exception for file and printer sharing has been disabled (by default the XP SP2 firewall allows file sharing for the local network).

Verify that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all machines (WINS tab in the advanced properties of TCP/IP on the NIC).

The credentials used for changing the machine workgroup membership is irrelevant - there is no "creation" of a workgroup as such, the machines just broadcast that this is the label they will consider themselves a member of so they can communicate with their peers.