Using my Vista system I set my drive J and K as shared drives. My dad and my sis can access them from their XPs.However now using Windows 7 I set drive J and K as shared, but nobody in my home network can access. They get "<IP address> is unavailable" something like that.

Do they log in to their XPs using a password? If not, try setting your W7 to "Turn off password protected sharing". Then, if that doesn't work, just for the heck of it, reboot.

Eddiexvf is on the right track with turning off password protection. Additionally, it may be a security conflict. Windows 7 has many new security enhancements that make it even stronger in the business world; but a bit more difficult for users at home like us. I had trouble sharing any folders/files/extra hard drives with my other PCs using older Windows versions. After turning on all my sharing attributes, I could see my other desktop and laptop on the network and they could see my desktop with Windows 7. However, even though they all recognized each other I still couldnt get access. One was running XP and we have Vista on the other. I could get into files on them, but they couldnt get into the desktop with Windows 7. I made a step by step post on my fix after hours of tinkering around. Maybe this fix would work for your trouble? Here is the link to my step by step: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpronetworking/thread/033c418b-1096-4df7-bfad-fd3d431f3cd5 Id love to hear what your result is, if you try it, could you reply either way? Id love the feedback! Thanks!

Okay I have password protected sharing turn off cuz I thought it would be more convenient. But on Vista it's enabled. Do I need to make an account on my W7 if it's enabled?

ok i dont think it works :(

Help!!!

Hi Fterh, Can you access other computers from the Windows 7 beta computer, or can you access Internet on that computer? From your description we suspect that this is a network connection issue. I suggest that you temporary disable the anti-virus and firewall, and then check the result. If the issue persists, try to ping the Windows 7 beta computer from other computers and let us know the result. If the connection to other computers and Internet do not work, I suggest that you reinstall the network adapter driver. If the issue reoccurs, we could consider that the driver does not work with Windows 7 beta. If there are not other available drivers, I am afraid that we cannot make the network adapter work. Arthur Xie - MSFT

I can see other computers, but can't access them.I can access the internet.I tried pinging the W7 computer from a XP one and if I recalled correctly it didn't work (could not find the computer) :( Neither did pinging the XP from the W7 :(

Hiturn on network discovery and turn on file and printer sharing options must be set in advanced sharing options. also you may want to set turn off pasword protected shares optionset

ShockDoctor7Many thanks for your link to the step by step guide. I followed it and low and behold I now have fully functioning network from my XP Laptop to my multiboot Windows 7 Desktop and visa-versa. It was so easy, I couldn't believe it when I sat looking at my Laptop network screenwondering what I should do next when it refreshed itself and up came my Windows 7 PC.To add jam on it, when I opened the Printer options, it had automatically foundall the network printers. Two of the three worked immediately and the third, a Samsung laser, had to be "found" using the add network printer option and then that worked fine as well.Again, many thanks for a simple andeasy to follow guide.

I reinstalled my network drivers with the latest one from the manufacturer's site with the compatibility mode of the setup.exe changed to Vista.I think it didn't work because my dad's XP isn't in a workgroup; instead it is in a domain. But it works with my Vista, hmm weird?

Fterh said: I reinstalled my network drivers with the latest one from the manufacturer's site with the compatibility mode of the setup.exe changed to Vista.I think it didn't work because my dad's XP isn't in a workgroup; instead it is in a domain. But it works with my Vista, hmm weird?I cannot understanf that, can you specify.

Hi Fterh, Please let us know how the computers are connected. Additionally, I suggest that you ping the router and let us know if it can get replies. Arthur Xie - MSFT

You have probably used the "HomeGroup" option in Win7, and it is no longer a member of the 'workgroup' of the Vista machine.Rating posts helps other users Mark L. Ferguson MS-MVP