tyketyson

Hi

Not a desperate one (yet!)
I have Vista Premium downstairs (media center PC) and Vista ultimte upstairs (I also have an XP pro laptop and 2 media devices that want to read media files from the Premium PC)

Ever since i installed Vista on both, i have had this problem. The Ultimate PC (network name DABOSS) is fine, I can double click on it on Network on any other PC and browse the shared folders, however I cannot do the same when trying to access the Premium PC (network name MEDIACENTER). I can see it on the network list, but when I try double click it, it comes up \\MEDIACENTER is not accessible, you might not have permission to use this network resource. COntact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. Access is denied.

However, i can get to my shares directly on this PC from other PCs, by setting up a shortcut or typing in directly - \\mediacenter\music
and i can browse and use these folders fine

This was not a major problem until yesterday, i could use the UNC name and get access to whatever i needed, although i guess some backup software or something in the future may need to browse to them. Yesterday i bought an wireless internet radio that also plays media files from the PC, it can see the PC, but as with accessing it from another PC, it cant access past the MEDIACENTER name stage, and there is no way of typing anything like a UNC path into this.
(this device CAN browse the folders on DABOSS however)

Now, I am pretty sure that i haven't done anything different on either PC to make them behave differently.
Both are seemingly set the same - only vista firewall running (and it allows file and printer sharing, altho i have also turned off the firewall to test it, to no avail), Network and sharing shows
-network discovery on
-file sharing ON
-public folder sharing ON
-printer sharing ON
-password protected sharing OFF
-media sharing ON

IP settings etc are all default, except that i have set static IPs on everything. It all goes through a Sky/Netgear DG834DT router. The PCs are wired.

Anyone any ideas? I'm keeping fit running up and down stairs trying things!!

OldGrayGary

Hi tyketyson


Well, at least you are getting some good exercise going up and down the stairs. . . . :)

Have a look at the Microsoft TechNet article about setting up Home Networks with Vista, and see if there's a step there that you might have overlooked --- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/net.../vista_fp.mspx --- it's a nicely thorough article.

Certainly, though, the firewall settings for the various PCs involved (especially your media PC) play a big role in allowing access. For a look in on several "gotchas" - (along with subsequent successful settings) see a well-researched article concerning networking Vista & XP PCs when Norton firewalls are in use --- http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/...5175&SiteID=17

As for my first quick-fix try -- look in on the permissions for the folder getting the Access Denied message (right-click on the folder, select "Properties", and go to the Security tab). My next step would be to see what Vista has to say about the network --- click on the "Network" item in your Vista Start menu, then go to the Network and Sharing Center, and try the "Diagnose and repair" option. Sometimes it actually yields decent clues (like a particular port being blocked by a firewall, which you can then subsequently add to the "Exclusions" list for your firewall, whether the Windows Firewall, a Norton Firewall, or any other).

Let us know if none of that helps, and we'll figure another approach.
Best of luck!
. . . Gary

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tyketyson

cheers, will look at that asap and get back to you!

tyketyson

thanks for that, i tried it, and looks like its a permissions issue. So i set the same username and password on both machines and i can browse fine now.. however, this is still a problem!
the 2 media network devices that i want to be able to connect to and browse the mediacenter machine, do not allow me to enter a username or password, this is why i need simple file sharing with no password..
it works in one direction! to the DABOSS vista ultimate PC (ah which i have just realised has always had a password on it, but the media device can read it.. i'll try it and come back to you!!!)

tyketyson

it works..!
i did miss something off the original post, sorry, i thougth i had everything
the MEDIACENTER pc had just one user on it, wtih no password, so it booted up just by pressing the on button..
the DABOSS pc, has a few users on it, 2 with passwords

the media device does access the DABOSS machine without asking for a username and password for some reason, wheras it will not access the MEDIACENTER one without. I have found an updated firmware for the device tho that lets me add username and password, so it works.
unfortunately it now means that the mediacenter will not boot directly, it needs input to log it in, but its not a major problem..
i am sure that there is some issue somewhere here with simple file sharing and no password etc, but it works nearly perfectly now..

thanks again

OldGrayGary

Congratulations on your hard work -- and good outcome.

Sorry it took so long for me to reply, lots of repairs here locally (& PTA!). . .

Once again, thanks for letting us know -
. . . Gary

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