I am having real problems connecting my Vista laptop to my XP Pro desktop for file and printer sharing. I would very much appreciate some help on this as Ive been trying to get this sorted for a couple of weeks now without any luck. My system details are as follows: Desktop Win XP with SP2installed Laptop Win Vista Ultimate with SP1 installed (x2 laptops) Wireless router Netgear DG834G Desktop connected to router via Ethernet cable Laptops wireless connect to router I have set the same workgroup on all computers, downloaded the Link Layer Topology for the Windows XP machine and enabled file and printersharing on all computers. On the desktop running Windows XP Pro within the My Network Places I can see the files on the Windows Vista Laptops within the shared folders; or I could up to a few minutes ago when they vanished! The XP computer has three external hard drives, one for images, one for video files and the third is 'My Documents'. In Windows Media Player on Vista I can see all of the files on the external drives for images and for video files. I have checked by adding a video to the drive and then checking in Media Player and it's there to play. I must comment though that if I go into the setup for Media Center and select an external drive connected to another computer to watch the drives for images and video don't show up, yet as said Media Center still picks up any files added to them. That would imply (to some extent (to me anyway)) that the connection between the Vista computer and the XP computer is working. When I go into Network on the Vista laptop and then to Network and Sharing Center and click on View Full Map I can see all of the computers (both laptops and the desktop). If I place the cursor over the laptops it changes into a hand pointing but when I place it over the desktop computer it stays as a pointer. It shows: Laptop = = = = = Netgear = = = = Internet I I 2nd Laptop = = = = I I Desktop = = = = Switch Both laptop computers connect to the internet alright and to each other. I have had this working before as I've been able to see the files on the desktop computer from both the laptops until the next day when they weren't there anymore. So you see, this has worked before so why not now? I'm very confused and upset that you almost have to be a network guru just to get this to work. I am a beginner when it comes to networking so if you do reply please try to explain what you mean and don't assume that I know what you're talking about. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi richard4911, I suggest checking the following points: 1. Can the Windows Vista laptops see each other on the network map? 2. Can the Windows Vista laptops ping the Windows XP desktop? Please check it using the command ping:2.1 Log onto the Windows Vista machine, click Start, type cmd in the Start Search box and press Enter.2.2 In the Command Prompt (cmd.exe), type ping <computername or IP address of the Windows XP machine> and press Enter to check the result. 3. If the Windows Vista laptop can successfully ping the Windows XP machine (the result of the ping command is Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss)), please try to access the share folder by using UNC path:Log onto the Windows Vista machine, click Start, type \\<computername or IP address of the Windows XP machine>\<Share Folder> in the Start Search box and press Enter.If it succeeds, you may access the share folder by this method. Otherwise, if it fails, please capture the error message for further research.

Joson Zhou - MSFT wrote: Hi richard4911, I suggest checking the following points: 1. Can the Windows Vista laptops see each other on the network map? (a) Yes they can 2. Can the Windows Vista laptops ping the Windows XP desktop? Please check it using the command ping:2.1 Log onto the Windows Vista machine, click Start, type cmd in the Start Search box and press Enter.2.2 In the Command Prompt (cmd.exe), type ping <computername or IP address of the Windows XP machine> and press Enter to check the result. (a) this is the result I got from pinging the 'Desktop' computer and as far as I can see (being an amateur) it looks alright Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.C:\Users\Richard>ping desktopPinging desktop [192.168.0.2] with 32 bytes of data:Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=128Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=128Ping statistics for 192.168.0.2: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 15ms, Average = 5msC:\Users\Richard> 3. If the Windows Vista laptop can successfully ping the Windows XP machine (the result of the ping command is Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss)), please try to access the share folder by using UNC path:Log onto the Windows Vista machine, click Start, type \\<computername or IP address of the Windows XP machine>\<Share Folder> in the Start Search box and press Enter.If it succeeds, you may access the share folder by this method. Otherwise, if it fails, please capture the error message for further research. (a) I typed in \\<Desktop>\<Share Folder> and got the following error message... Windows cannot access \\<desktop>\<Share I clicked on 'Diagnose' and got the following error message... Windows cannot find the host name "<desktop>" using DNS

"If it succeeds, you may access the share folder by this method. Otherwise, if it fails, please capture the error message for further research. (a) I typed in \\<Desktop>\<Share Folder> and got the following error message... Windows cannot access \\<desktop>\<Share I clicked on 'Diagnose' and got the following error message... Windows cannot find the host name "<desktop>" using DNS " Your UNC pathname should look something like the following: \\Desktop\ShareFolder1

Yes. richard4911, please do not include the brackets < and > in the UNC path. Please type \\Desktop\ShareFolderin the Start Search box and check the result.

I now get a message stating... "A device attached to the system is not functioning"

Hi richard4911, Please open the folder System32, compare the file version on the Windows Vista machine and the file version listed in the KB article: Error message when you try to connect to a shared resource from a Windows Vista-based client computer: "A device attached to the system is not functioning" http://support.microsoft.com/?id=933664 If the version of the system files on the Windows Vista machine are the latest, please enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on both Windows Vista and Windows XP machine to check the result: 1. In the Network Connections panel, right-click the connection connecting to the network, select Properties, and double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). 2. In the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window, click Advanced, click the tab WINS, and select Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP in the NetBIOS setting section. 3. Click OK to apply the setting. If not, please submit a request to obtain the hotfix, install it and check the result. If the issue persists after performing the above steps, please capture network packets for further research: ============================================= 1) Download NetMon3.1 from the following website and install it on the Windows Vista and Windows XP machines:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=18b1d59d-f4d8-4213-8d17-2f6dde7d7aac&DisplayLang=en2) Log onto the machines, right-click the Netmon icon and select Run as Administrator to launch NetMon3.1.3) In the Microsoft Network Monitor 3.1 window, click Create a new capture tab 4) In the new tab, select all the Network Adapters in the Select Networks window.5) After that, press F10 to start NetMon.Note: Please start NetMon on both machines.6) On Windows Vista machine, open Command Prompt and ping the Windows XP machine.7) After it completes, in Command Prompt, type the following command to connect to the share folder on Windows XP machine:net use \\ip address of the Windows XP machine\share folder. Note: Please access the share folder created locally on the Windows XP machine rather than the one on the external drive. 8) Once the issue occurs, please let me know the error message and the error code. After that, go back to the NetMon window and press F11 to stop the NetMon.9) Press Ctrl+S to save the Netmon file and upload them to the following space:https://sftasia.one.microsoft.com/choosetransfer.aspx?key=dd9c8e42-24cf-4bd6-b6d0-aae958a08451 Password: 3E!riR@IZi3+6_ Note: Please let me know the IP address of the both machines. Please drop a quick note in the current thread to inform me after uploading the file.

Joson Zhou - MSFT wrote: Hi richard4911, Please open the folder System32, compare the file version on the Windows Vista machine and the file version listed in the KB article: a) My file version (Vista computer) is 6.0.6001.18000 Error message when you try to connect to a shared resource from a Windows Vista-based client computer: "A device attached to the system is not functioning" http://support.microsoft.com/?id=933664 If the version of the system files on the Windows Vista machine are the latest, please enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on both Windows Vista and Windows XP machine to check the result: 1. In the Network Connections panel, right-click the connection connecting to the network, select Properties, and double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). 2. In the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window, click Advanced, click the tab WINS, and select Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP in the NetBIOS setting section. 3. Click OK to apply the setting. a) Although this had already been done I did it again as requested. If not, please submit a request to obtain the hotfix, install it and check the result. If the issue persists after performing the above steps, please capture network packets for further research: ============================================= 1) Download NetMon3.1 from the following website and install it on the Windows Vista and Windows XP machines:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=18b1d59d-f4d8-4213-8d17-2f6dde7d7aac&DisplayLang=en2) Log onto the machines, right-click the Netmon icon and select Run as Administrator to launch NetMon3.1. a) I could log on as 'Administrator' on the Vista machine and run Netmon but on the XP machine I was asked for a password. I have never set a password on this computer (as far as I can recall) and leaving the password field blank didn't work. 3) In the Microsoft Network Monitor 3.1 window, click Create a new capture tab 4) In the new tab, select all the Network Adapters in the Select Networks window.5) After that, press F10 to start NetMon.Note: Please start NetMon on both machines.6) On Windows Vista machine, open Command Prompt and ping the Windows XP machine.7) After it completes, in Command Prompt, type the following command to connect to the share folder on Windows XP machine:net use \\ip address of the Windows XP machine\share folder. a) On the vista machine I pinged the XPmachine and it worked alright. I then typed net use \\192.168.0.21\share folder and got the response.. Error 64 has occured. The specified network name is no longer available. I then typed net use \\192.168.0.21\c:apex (a file on the C: drive I chose to share)and got the response.. Error 67 has occured. Thenetwork name cannot be found. Note: Please access the share folder created locally on the Windows XP machine rather than the one on the external drive. 8) Once the issue occurs, please let me know the error message and the error code. After that, go back to the NetMon window and press F11 to stop the NetMon.9) Press Ctrl+S to save the Netmon file and upload them to the following space:https://sftasia.one.microsoft.com/choosetransfer.aspx?key=dd9c8e42-24cf-4bd6-b6d0-aae958a08451 Password: 3E!riR@IZi3+6_ a) I have attempted to upload this file twice and both times I'm informed that 'An error occured on the page' Maybe I can e-mail it to you? Note: Please let me know the IP address of the both machines. The XP machine is 192.168.0.2 The Vista machine is 192.168.0.3 Please drop a quick note in the current thread to inform me after uploading the file.This morning (before doing any of this) I found that the files on the desktop computer were now available. I then turned off the Vista computer (leaving the XP computer still running) and went out for an hour or so. When I returned I could no longer see the files on the XP computer.Very strange behaviour.

Managed to get the file to upload using IE7 (I normally use Firefox).

Hi, I have checked the Netmon file and found that the error receivedwas Access_Denied. Thus, please ensure that the permission to the folder My Pictures on the Windows XP machine is correct. For more information about how to confirm file sharing in Windows XP, please refer to the following KB article: How to configure file sharing in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304040 Hope it helps.

For the moment everything seems to be working alright, so thank you very much for your time and effort, it's very much appreciated.