I've had a local lan setup with two Vista business boxes (one desktop and one laptop) and two other XP laptops and one XP Desktop. Peer-to-peer worked fine and we used the one Vista desktop as a common file drive. Vista Laptop is a MPC Transport T2400 which came with Vista Business and has 2G ram. We changed our router to a Checkpoint Edge device and, ever since, we have XP<->Vista desktop connectivity, and Vista Desktop to Vista Laptop, but not Vista Laptop to other local machine. It "Sees" the Vista Desktop, but can't browse it. I've tried all the standard fixes and checks - all seem fine and I've changed them all several times. I've opened the Vista ports on the Desktop. I can access the internet through the Edge device and some servers in the greater network behind corporate firewalls but cannot connect the Vista Laptop to the Domain server which we connected all others to as a fix for the peer-to-peer credential validation. I also tried removing and re-installing the adapter. I've used all these suggestions: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx http://www.howtonetworking.com/Troubleshooting/notaccessibale0.htm http://www.howtonetworking.com/index.htm http://www.chicagotech.net/netforums/viewtopic.php?t=883 http://www.chicagotech.net/netforums/viewtopic.php?t=273 http://www.chicagotech.net/vista/vistanotaccessible.htm http://www.ezlan.net/faq#trusted http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/33307acf-0698-41ba-b014-ea0a2eb8d0a81033.mspx#E%20MGAE microsoft.public.windows.vista.networking_sharing In most cases, one way sharing is firewall issue. Do you have 3rd party security software? Or this post may help too. Can't share between XP and Vista because of Norton http://www.chicagotech.net/netforums/viewtopic.php?t=5821 http://www.jimmah.com/vista/content.aspx?id=6 I just tried a Vista upgrade in-place repair and, of course, it wouldn't let me do that with the factory (non-sp1) DVD and I don't have a SP-1 DVD media. I thought about simply removing all Networking registry keys, but that seems rather draconian. Any other thoughts? Thanks! Jim jamesski@jlsce.com Jim Szatkowski, PE, NSPEJim Szatkowski, PE, NSPE

Hi Jim, Thank you for your post. I noticed that you have changed the router, if you change the router back, will the issue occur? Please also let us know the exact brand and model of the new device. Please also let us know which changes have been made on the computers recently before the issue occurred. Based on my research, I would like to suggest the following: 1. Please ping the computers with the computers IP Address and computers names. You can also try to access the computer by the both type \\computer name and \\XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX(IP Address). Let us know if it works. 2. Access computers share with both \\XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX(IP Address)\folder and \\computer name\folder [type them one by one in the Run command (Win+R)] to see if it works. 3. Ensure NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers ==================================================== 1) Go to Control Panel - Network Connections. 2) Right-Click on the connection and click Properties. 3) Find Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Version 4 in the list. 4) Click Properties, and then click Advanced. 5) On the Advanced TCP/IP settings windows, go to WINS tab. 6) Under NetBIOS setting, click Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, and then click OK. 4. Temporarily disable or remove your security software (such as antivirus software, firewall, etc.) to see if this problem is gone. 5. Please perform a Clean Boot on the computers to check the issue. Clean boot ================= 1) Click the Start Button type "msconfig" (without quotation marks) in the Search box, and then press Enter. Note: If prompted, please click Continue on the User Account Control (UAC) window. 2) Click the "Services" tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and click "Disable All" (if it is not gray). 3) Click the "Startup" tab, click "Disable All" and click "OK". Then, restart the computer. When the "System Configuration Utility" window appears, please check the "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" box and click OK. NOTE: we can go back to normal boot by running msconfig again and checking on Normal Startup in the General tab. In the Clean Boot Environment, the third party services and applications are disabled, please check if the issue reoccurs at this time. If the problem does not occur, it indicates that the problem is related to one application or service we have disabled. You may use the MSCONFIG tool again to re-enable the disabled item one by one to find out the culprit. Meanwhile, since the Windows Vista Desktop could not be accessed by the Windows Vista Laptop, may I know if there were a error message appeared? If so, please let me know the details. Hope this helps. Thanks.Nicholas Li - MSFT

I've tried 1-4 already - I haven't tried #5 yet, but will and get back to you.Thanks!!JimJim Szatkowski, PE, NSPE

Tried #5 - no change in problem (although my computer (Vista Bus) did run notably faster!).Sorry,JimJim Szatkowski, PE, NSPE

One more data point - while I don't get the same errors while trying to connect to a domain vs the origninal workgroup, it won't let me do that either - It opens a window Searching for Credential Tiles... After a great while comes up with Username/Password blanks - I enter the credentials and after a while comes back with network unreachable.Jim Szatkowski, PE, NSPE

Hi Jim, Thank you for update. May I know the results of the previous troubleshooting steps, such as if all the computers can ping others successfully, or if they can access the shares with \\XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX(IP Address)\folder and \\computer name\folder, etc.? Your efforts are highly appreciated. At this time, lets try the following: 1. I know that the Windows Vista laptop cannot access the Windows XP computers and the Windows Vista Desktop. Additionally, I would like to know the following: 1) Are all the computers in a domain or workgroup? If they are in a domain, did the Windows Vista laptop join it successfully? 2) How does the Windows Vista laptop connect to the network, via a wire or wirelessly? Are the computers on the same network segment? You may also check if other network settings are proper on all the computers, such as subnet mask, default gateway and the DNS settings. 3) Please go to the Properties of the Windows Vista laptop connection and check if the Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks are checked . 4) Can the Windows XP computers access the Windows Vista laptop? 2. Please make sure that the Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) has been enabled on the Windows Vista computer and the Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) Responder has been installed on the Windows XP computers. Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) Responder (KB922120) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4F01A31D-EE46-481E-BA11-37F485FA34EA&displaylang=en Please check if you can see other computers via the Windows Vista laptop then. 3. Ensure you log on the computers with the Administrator account. 4. Please turn off the Password Protected Sharing in the Network and sharing center of the Windows Vista computer. 5. If you have enabled simple file sharing on Windows XP computer, please check if Guest account has also been enabled; you can also disable the simple file sharing and reconfigure the sharing on the Windows XP computer with the following Knowledge Base: How to disable simple file sharing and how to set permissions on a shared folder in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307874 6. Just as a test, you can disable the share and re-configure the sharing on the computers and ensure that you have assigned the Full-Control permissions to Everyone on both Sharing and Security tabs of the share folders properties. Then try to access the shares and see if it works. 7. If it is possible, you can change the router with another one and check the results. Meanwhile, please check if the router you are using is compatible with Windows Vista with the following site: Windows Vista Compatibility Center http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility If the issue persists, please capture a screenshot on the error message appeared for our further research. Capture a screenshot ============== 1) Press the Print Screen key (PrtScn) on your keyboard. 2) Click the "Start" menu, type "mspaint" in the Search Bar and Press Enter. 3) In the Paint program, click the "Edit" menu, click "Paste", click the "File" menu, and click "Save". 4) The "Save As" dialogue box will appear. Type a file name in the "File name:" box, for example: "screenshot". 5) Make sure "JPEG (*.JPG;*.JPEG;*.JPE;*.JFIF)" is selected in the "Save as type" box, click Desktop on the left pane and then click "Save". Please use Windows Live SkyDrive (http://www.skydrive.live.com/) to upload the file and share its URL with us. Hope this helps. Thanks. Nicholas Li - MSFT

Thanks Nicholas:To answer the ping question, yes they can ping both ways. The Vista Desktop can access the shares on the Vista Laptop and can "see" when browsing the XP Pro machines. All of the peer-to-peer functionality worked before the Edge Device and, I must correct the record here, after it too until we had a connectivity glitch and the profile was rebuilt within the Edge device. Since then, all works except the Vista Business Laptop. It cannot connect to the peer-to-peer network and, since then, we've attached all to a domain controller. The Vista Business laptop cannot "join" the domain - it requests credential tiles, then when credentials are entered, comes back with cannot reach the domain. Here's a copy of the results from pinging and what I get when I try in a dos window to connect:Pinging Office-Server [fe80::b172:864:ecf0:bca7%308] from fe80::bd1e:de85:a6b:f323%308 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from fe80::b172:864:ecf0:bca7%308: time<1ms Reply from fe80::b172:864:ecf0:bca7%308: time<1ms Reply from fe80::b172:864:ecf0:bca7%308: time<1ms Reply from fe80::b172:864:ecf0:bca7%308: time<1ms Ping statistics for fe80::b172:864:ecf0:bca7%308: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms Pinging 172.20.0.40 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 172.20.0.40: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.40: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.40: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.40: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Ping statistics for 172.20.0.40: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms Pinging 172.20.0.36 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 172.20.0.36: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.36: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.36: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.36: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Ping statistics for 172.20.0.36: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms Pinging Edith [172.20.0.34] with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 172.20.0.34: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.34: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.34: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Reply from 172.20.0.34: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128 Ping statistics for 172.20.0.34: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms LEGEND:Office-server => Vista Business DesktopEdith => XP Pro Desktopall ping'ed from Vista Business Laptop If I try to " c:\Users\Jim>\\office-server\c " where c is a shared drive on the Vista Business desktop machine,I get the same error back in the dos window that I got on the windows alert trying to browse to it: "The network location cannot be reached. For information about network troubleshooting, see Windows help." Again, these all were working before a problem occured in our CheckPoint Edge device (router and VPN) which was fixed,however, I've not been able to connect since. We tested the layout without the Edge device just using a switch, and get all these same results. Is there a "map" created somewhere that can be pointing to the wrong location like hosts orlmhosts that needs to be purged and reset??To answer your question:1. 1) They are now and no, the Vista Bus Laptop cannot join the domain. 2)Wire, all on the same segment 172.20.0.33->40. The Edge device is 172.20.0.33 - all computers show it as the gateway and all are set to same DNS location. 3) Client for MS Networks and File and Print Sharing are checked. 4) the XP Pro boxescould access the Vista Laptop too when we were configured in a peer-to-peer workgroup, but not since the domain.More later... thanks!Jim2.Jim Szatkowski, PE, NSPE