Re: Networking Vista and XP

I'm not sure why you just didn't look up the original post, but here it is reposted:

About 4 or 5 weeks ago, a lot of people were making posts describing their problems successfully achieving file sharing in Vista (especially between Vista and XP computers, in both directions) and asking for help. I was one of them.

I've found the solutions.

First, go here and read this article:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/evaluate/vista_fp.mspx

Second, you may still find that sharing still doesn't work unless you turn off all security (passwords). In many cases, this is caused by a "feature" that exists in both XP and Vista involving zero-length passwords.

XP Pro, Media Center and Vista will not allow network access to network computers that have zero-length passwords. You may see the computer, but will get a "you do not have permission ...." message if you actually try to access it.

To fix this:

Start / run / gpedit.msc (start the group policy editor)

Open the tree:
Computer configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options

Find the item:
Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only

If this item is enabled, you will not be able to logon to other computers on the network that have blank (zero-length) passwords. IT IS ENABLED BY DEFAULT.

Change it to disabled.

This will fix a lot of access problems in "home" networks that don't have user passwords on many of the machines.

ONE OTHER IMPORTANT POINT: I have found that Vista gets DRAMATICALLY, friendlier, a LOT friendlier, if you right click on the Vista "start" button and select "Classic Start Menu". There are some settings there and in other places that make it friendlier still, but "Classic Start Menu" is the key. [I'm using the RC version of Vista, I hope and presume that this option was still present in the production version]. In fact, this option changes a lot more than the start menu, including the desktop. It makes a whole lot of things look, act and behave more likel XP (or even 98). But it still leaves Aero and all of the "Wow" intact.

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Fixer wrote:
Barry
any chance you could repost that artiicle as I've just done a fresh install and the retentions on my news server dont go bacl that far pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:46278129$0$9895$4c368faf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
See my post on this board from 4/8/2007. It has all of the details.


RnR wrote:
Since I envision this will happen to me, I want to have this explained
and available for reference ahead of time <grin>. Supposed it can be
done but is tricky so they say but I don't recall any explanation here
or there how to do it. Therefore can anyone explain, or point me to
the thread here or a decent URL that explains how to network the two
OS's for a home network successfully? Thanks.


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