Confused!!!XP Networking

[healtheworld]

Printed this page taken from "microsoft XP newsgroup "I have read it mutiple times . But there are a lot of lines which are not very clear to me.
I m just copying the same Tips here below..



Troubleshooting XP networks with different windows clients


Consider upgrading all computers to Windows XP or at least Windows 2000 to avoid the more complex issues of mixed operating systems networks. XP Networking Wizard run when introducing a new XP computer into an existing network
Avoid running the wizard if you want to keep your network as it is and only want to integrate a new XP computer into it. Run it only if you accept that your network settings are restructured to conform to XP's ways.

If you have already run the wizard, just read on. This text will help you to undo the unwanted actions of the wizard.

*****I M NOT VERY SURE WHAT HE IS TRYING TO SAY IN NEXT PARAGRAPH****
Access methods, access rights or passwords not properly set
In Windows XP Professional, if you desire classic file sharing based on username and password instead of XP's default method of allowing only Guest access, go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options, View, and uncheck 8O "Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)". 8O Click on OK.

Note that this is not generally required for file sharing. Simple File Sharing should work fine, but Classic File Sharing allows you to assign different access rights to different user accounts.
What is difference between Simple File Sharing and Classic File Sharing

***help me to get the concepts of "GUEST ACCOUNT" *****
Conversely, if you want to access other computers from XP using the classic method instead of Guest access, use Control Panel, Computer administration, Group policies, and find the policy to allow access to other computers through the actual user name. (Please send me an email and let me know the exact name of this policy, so I can put it in here, as I currently use a non-English system with different names.)

After such a fundamental change, particularly when changing from Classic to Simple File Sharing, it may be necessary to remove and re-establish the sharing for all shares, one by one, in Windows Explorer to make sure the shares are accessible by Guest. Be sure to remove the sharing and close the dialog completely by clicking on OK, then open it again and re-establish the share.

To set or change the password in Windows XP, select Control Panel, Administrative Tools, System Tools, Local Users and Groups, Users. Right-click on a user name to set password. You also have to set permissions for all users on the shared objects (folders, files, printers, etc.). Usually this is done through groups, which contain the users. Later use this same user name and password to log on from other computers.

Slow browsing of Windows ME, 98 or earlier versions can be caused by inappropriate network passwords. Use Control Panel, User Accounts, click on your account and select "Manage my network passwords". If you have any password preceded with the computer name of an ME or 9x computer, change it to contain the XP computer name and the account name you use on the XP machine, but add the share password you have set on the ME or 9x computer, if any. If there are no passwords set on any ME or 9x shares or printers, then you may be able to make it work by deleting such entries in the "Manage my network passwords" list.

Windows XP Home cannot accept network accesses with user name and password and can only be accessed with Guest credentials (simple file sharing, see below). The Guest account may have to be enabled for that. Note that disabling the Guest account in the control panel, through User accounts, does not actually disable the Guest account, but only disables local console logon to it and leaves the Guest account active and open for network logons. This is what is needed for simple file sharing.

Windows XP Home uses autologon as the default. The first logon is done as owner without a password. When you then set up a user account and log on, you do not get the user prompt because of autologon. However, you are not logged on as the new user, but still as the owner, so you may not be authenticated as expected by other computers. To resolve this, use Control Panel, Users and disable autologon, then log off and on again as the desired user. Afer this you can re-enable autologon if you like.

On non-XP versions of Windows like 95, 98 and ME the simple Windows Logon often works better than the Client for Microsoft Networks when the only problem is to connect to an XP computer. What definitely doesn't work is no logon at all. If you don't even see the logon dialog box, then log off and log on again first.

Windows 2000 and probably also XP can, and sometimes does, for no good reason, change or disable passwords on other computers (seen on Windows 2000). Moreover, Windows XP sometimes alters or disables the Lan Manager password, so computers with Windows 9x or ME suddenly get authentication failures (wrong username or password errors, 0xC000006A in the security log) and subsequent account lockouts (0xC0000234 in the security log). If you have such inexplicable authentication problems, go to the Windows XP or 2000 computer you are trying to access, re-enter the password and re-enable the account if it's still locked out. I'm still investigating this, as it keeps reoccurring in connection with one Windows 98SE computer here. I'm currently testing with the password validity time set to 999 days instead of 0, but testing takes very long—I may have to wait for 42 days or more on the hunch that the zero setting falls back to the default of 42 days for Lan Manager passwords. This problem seems to happen only on Windows 9x and possibly ME.

Machines mistakenly set for domain access
When no domain controller is present, computers must not be set for domain access. For example, in Windows 98 make sure that the client for Microsoft networks does not contain a domain name.

Simple file sharing, Guest account and anonymous access problems
Background: Simple file sharing, the only method on Windows XP Home and one of two choices on Windows XP Professional, always uses the Guest account. (Classic file sharing also automatically uses the Guest account if the original logon request fails.) If access through the Guest account is inhibited, then sharing cannot work, except when logging on to XP Professional with classic file sharing through another account.

There is a user rights policy to deny network access to certain users and groups, which contains a SUPPORT user and, by default, Guest. If Guest is included here, guest and anonymous access (all users who do not have an account with the same username and password on the target computer) from other computers is not possible and yields the error message, "Logon failure: The user has not been granted the required logon type at this computer.". Double-click on the policy and remove Guest from it if you want to allow anonymous access.

Windows NT and 2000 automatically treat failed attempts to log on over the network in a second attempt to log them on anonymously, i.e. as Guest. Windows XP can do this too, but it may have to be enabled first, particularly on XP Professional.

For network access to Windows XP Pro with classic file sharing (Simple File Sharing disabled) through the Guest account, the Guest account has to be enabled on Windows XP and network login for the Guest account has to be permitted in Computer Management, Local Users and Groups.

Trying to log on to XP Professional with an empty password
If you try to log on to Windows XP Professional with classic file sharing (Simple File Sharing disabled), without password (i.e. with a totally empty password), you normally get an unknown error 31. To be able to use empty passwords, for example as Guest, use the group policy editor to disable the option, "Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only". To get there, use Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policy, expand Local Policies, Security, and double-click Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only, which is enabled by default. Disable this option.

For simple file sharing (i.e. always in Windows XP Home) this does not apply. Also, the Guest account does not normally have a password and does not need one.

Spaces in computer names
Remove them. Change the computer names on older operating systems that allow spaces in computer names.


Please if someone can help me i will highly appreciate ur efforts

[gunrunnerjohn]

First off, what is the basic problem you're trying to solve. I don't think I'm willing to go through that whole post blow by blow and try to further explain it.

[glc]

Just one more reason I can't stand XPee.

[healtheworld]

What is difference between Simple File Sharing and Classic File Sharing

Help me understanding it please

Windows XP Home cannot accept network accesses with user name and password and can only be accessed with Guest credentials (simple file sharing, see below). The Guest account may have to be enabled for that. Note that disabling the Guest account in the control panel, through User accounts, does not actually disable the Guest account, but only disables local console logon to it and leaves the Guest account active and open for network logons. This is what is needed for simple file sharing.

Please experts do help me!!!
Waiting for response..

[healtheworld]

Also if we have two user X1 and X2 on win98 terminals and if they need to access windows xp shares. then do we have to create the same 2 accounts on windows XP terminal..

[glc]

Yes, if you are using classic sharing. This supposedly works just like Win2K. Can't help you with simple sharing, this part of XP drives me nuts.