Networking Windows 7 & Win'98
I wanted a answer expanded that was for another posters thread. I thought it better to post there and keep subject matter together. It has been roughly 2 days without further posting so therefore I start this thread to get attention. This could be because the old thread is marked as answered. Hope doing this does not upset anyone. The thread is Windows 98 cannot access shares or printers on Windows 7 http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpronetworking/thread/fa615b6b-55e6-485b-977b-e8ae8c2c1dec Some help would be appreciated. Thanks Steve
May 12th, 2010 2:30pm

Hi Steve, To access the Windows 7 machine from Windows 98 machine, you should modify the registry key on Windows 7 which Nicholas has already listed the steps. You should modify the LMCompatibilityLevel value to 1. If the value does not exist on Windows 7, please manually create one. Please do the same method on Windows 98 machine. Note: Before modifying the registry key, please backup the data first to avoid unexpected situation. Thanks, Novak
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May 14th, 2010 5:17am

Novak you obviously did not care to understand my original post in http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpronetworking/thread/fa615b6b-55e6-485b-977b-e8ae8c2c1dec You have not provide anything to help. The details of the steps that Nicholas listed are in the Microsoft articles that are linked. They are two different method. Article one LmCompatibilityLevel (Windows 7) gives no detail of how to achieve the registry edit. Article two How to enable NTLM 2 authentication (Windows '98) step 4 says, 4. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value: Value Name: LMCompatibility Data Type: REG_DWORD Value: 3 In my registry editor under the edit menu there is not a Add Value. So the instructions are wrong. I tried using the Edit/New but the method is foriegn and I dont think I am getting the correct result. Steve
May 15th, 2010 12:03pm

Steve as this is a froum for IT Pro's at times posting the answer assumes some skills. Google would have told you how. For PRO and above click the start button and type secpol.msc in the search function. Browse to "Local Policies" -> "Security Options". Now look for the entry "Network Security: LAN Manager authentication level" and open it. Click on the dropdown menu and select "Send LM & NTLM - use NTLMv2 session security if negotiated". Apply the settings. For Home versions 1. Launch regedit from Start Search box. 2. Find the following branch. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa 3. Create a DWORD key under Lsa and set: Name: LmCompatibilityLevel Value: 1 4. Restart. As for the 98 end of things, I can not help you there...I retired that OS like 15 years ago.
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May 15th, 2010 2:40pm

Bubbapcguy, sorry I offend you by asking such a simple question. I might have been a bit lazy it just is not my area of expertise. Some people like old cars, some people like antique wares and I might like to make use of old computers. I will leave your froum now for PRO and above. I am so glad that you retired Windows '98 in 1995 it proves how good your skills are. No further posts neccessary
May 15th, 2010 3:46pm

I tried to follow the above method, and it doesn't seem to work. I was able to connect from Win 7 PC to Win 98 PC and work with shared folders. But it was working before without modifying Registry or installing extra security packages in Win 98, just by selecting proper Win Networking settings. However, I can't connect from Win 98 PC to Win 7 PC and its shared printer, despite both are visible in Win 98. When clicking on Win 7 PC, the error message says: "PC... is not accessible. The request is not supported by the network". I wonder if it has something to do with MSV1_0 key, suggested to set in How to enable NTLM 2 authentication. Is that key optional? What value would fit the best? Or may be the cause is different? We also have a XP PC, and they connect without problems with Win 98 PC. The XP PC uses the same values for LmCompatibilityLevel=1 and MSV1_0 set to 0x0 for both client and server, as Win 7 PC. Win 98 PC has LmCompatibility=3 and MSV1_0 set to 0x0 also for both client and server. I tried different values for MSV1_0, and with some was unable to connect to XP PC, but no value change in Win 98 allows to connect to Win 7. If I change LmCompatibility=1, password window pops up, and it doesn't work either. I also followed all steps from How to make Windows 7 work with older Windows versions for networking and file sharing post. Further suggestions?
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June 17th, 2010 3:30am

I was finally able to access Win 7 PC from Win 98 after following the above method. Don't try to open Win 7 PC via Network Neighborhood in Win 98. Instead, open a Win 7 shared folder using it's UNC path, like \\workgroup_name\share_name from Run dialog or Win Explorer's address bar in Win 98, then map the share to a network drive. Win 7 PC folders will mount inside an Unknown workgroup, while the same PC in the current workgroup is also visible and remains unaccessible. These mapped drives disappear on next Win 98 reboot though, and need to be added again. Now I'll try to improve security of this connection by playing with MSV1_0 settings, if it makes sense. I'm still struggling to access a USB printer connected to Win 7 PC. Despite Win 7 says, the printer is Shared and Ready, Win 98 PC's Add Printer Wizard says "This network printer is currently offline", when I put its UNC path. Any attempt to add it as a local printer first in Win98, then change its pass to a network printer at Win 7 PC results in "Printer Offline" message at printing time. Any suggestions?
June 17th, 2010 7:36pm

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