Windows 7 - xp network
I have a new windows 7 machine connected to an xp machine via crossover cable and a USB aircard for internet. When I first set up the windows 7 machine I was able to connect the windows 7 and xp machine for file transfer and I think internet with no problem. As I set up the machine and installed software something went wrong. My xp machine can now see the 7 machine, but not the shared files. The 7 machine can't see the xp machine. The aircard is on the 7 machine, with no problem connecting to the internet, but I can't share the connection to the xp machine (sharing is on). The error on the xp machine, when I try to connect to the 7 machine is \\7machinename is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of the server.... I am the administrator I guess I don't have the permissions set up right. The local areal network is seen on the 7 machine as Unidentified network, Public network. On both machines the connection has the name mshome. The ip address on the 7 machine is 192.168.0.1 and on the xp machine it is 192.168.0.3 .Help :(
April 17th, 2010 5:28am

Hi ArtPd, You only need to review your network and sharing configurations. Help and Support will provide you the needed process. Does the XP computer have it's own internet connection? If so, disconnect the crossover cable. On the Win 7 computer, Click Start>Help and Support and type "network different" and search and you will find resources for netowking and sharing withe computers running different versions of Windows If the Xp computer does not have it's own internet connection, connect the crossover after the Win 7 is set-up and working fine. Then Start>Help and Support(on Win 7) and type internet connection sharing and search. Also, in Win 7, file sharing, would be a useful search topic. You want a HOME network setup (not homegroup, Win 7 computers only). Also, Start, right-click Computer, select properties, and confirm both computers are in the workgroup called WORKGROUP.
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April 17th, 2010 3:34pm

I'm still stuck. It looks like maybe I need to kill off the network I set up originally because it is public and change it to home. I can't see how to do that. The instructions from the location you sent me to were: To change a network location Click to open Network and Sharing Center. Click Work network , Home network , or Public network , and then click the network location you want. but these options didn't seem to be available at network and sharing center. There were no work network, home network, or public network words, that I could see. Thanks, Art
April 18th, 2010 5:53am

HI, Start>Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center Click on the blue letters under the existing network and a dialog box will open to choose a location. Select Home.
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April 18th, 2010 1:42pm

Hi, I don't see any blue letters under the existing network. If you go to the web site owequine.com/scrnshot.jpg you can see what my network and sharing center looks like. The workgroup only takes me to workgroup status where I can go to properties and change IP addresses and things like that. If there are other screen shots that may be helpful, let me know and I'll put them up on the site. I appreciate your attention on this. Hopefully between the two of us we can get it solved. Thanks Art
April 19th, 2010 5:00am

Hi Art, Thanks for the screenshot. Ok, on the Windows 7 computer, click Start>Help and Support type connect two computers and search. You will find connect two computers using a crossover cable. This should get you closer with the configuration. Note the comment about an XP computer being in the same workgroup. That should get the two computers communicating. If yes, be sure to enable the file sharing on the XP computer. type Using ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) in the help and support on the Win 7 computer and share the aircard connection with the XP computer.
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April 19th, 2010 5:45am

I tried sending this once, but I don't think it worked (I don't see it). Hi, You're going to love this. I followed the instructions above as best I could. After going through the steps on the xp computer to set up a home or small office network in the network connections screen, in the same way I had done before, the xp computer could see the windows 7 computer and all the shared folders. I was able to work with the files on the windows 7 computer using the xp machine. Everything seemed fine. I still could not share the network connection even though network sharing was turned on. Also, the 7 machine could still not see the xp machine. Note that if I use the same crossover cable between the xp machine and another xp machine there is no problem. I then said, OK, what happens if I turn off the xp machine and turn it on again. Now the xp machine can see the 7 machine, but I get the not accessible message again. I tried following the same steps again (not sure I did it exactly), but the 7 machine can't see the xp machine and the xp machine can see the 7 machine but not share anything. The icon on the bottom of the screen on the xp machine says connected, with no ip address problem, however, if I try a repair it can't renew the ip address. The current ip addresses are as follows: xp general automatic alternate 192.168.0.3 mask 255.255.255.0 7 general automatic alternate 192.168.0.1 mask 255.255.255.0 Thanks Art
April 19th, 2010 7:29pm

Art, Back to help and support 1. Type "bridge network" and read what it is #4 ...Hmmmn 2. Then hit the back arrow to the result page and select #1 Create a network bridge
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April 20th, 2010 6:15am

I'm afraid that doesn't apply. The network bridge instructions are: Create a network bridge Create a network bridge A network bridge is software or hardware that connects two or more networks so that they can communicate. You can create only one network bridge on a computer, but one bridge can handle any number of network connections. Click to open Network Connections. Hold down the Ctrl key and select each network connection that you want to add to the bridge. Right-click one of the selected network connections, and then click Bridge Connections . If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Warning You shouldn't create a bridge between an Internet connection and a network connection because it creates an unprotected link between your network and the Internet, which makes your network accessible to anyone on the Internet. There are only two connections on the network connections screen: 1) Mobile broadband connection AT&T shared and 2) workgroup unidentified netowrk NVIDIA 10/100 ethernet card.... The AT&T one is the internet connection and the warning says not to do that. I tried anyway, but it wouldn't let me. The bottom line is that the windows 7 machine won't let me build a bridge between the two. If I disconnect from the broadband, I don't have internet and I have only 1 LAN. I still can't get the computers to talk with each other with just the one LAN as crossover. I don't have a router to try. Maybe this will help?? On the network screen I see computer (1) myname media devices (1) my name network infrastructure (1) internet gateway device Thanks Art
April 21st, 2010 5:07am

Thanks for the suggestions. I had tried all of that. I'm not having problems getting around the obvious things. There is or are setting(s) somewhere that I have messed up badly. I now have messed up my xp machines so they can't share files. At this point I'm trying to just get back to where I can share files between machines. Both xp machines can see each other and I can work with files from A on B, but I can't see files from B on A. When I click on it I get an error message that says \\B is not accessible... the network path was not found. I've gotten something messed up and I can't tell how to get things back to where they need to be. TCP/IP seems to be set up OK, is there something else that is critical? After writing this I did some reading on my xp help. I did a ping using the ip address with no problem. The ping using the computer name fails. It looks like I have a dns problem. How should that be set? Thanks Art
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April 22nd, 2010 4:48am

I had a very similar problem to you and I found the following information in a thread in this forum tried it and it has worked! I ran this on my laptop (Win 7) only. Before you run the "Fix it for me" what happens on each if you type "net view" in the cmd.exe, on mine xp would list the pc's in the workgroup, Win 7 wouldn't. I also had exactly the same ping issues. To reset the TCP/IP stack go to this article and either click on "Fix it for me" or follow the instructions to fix it yourself: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357 . Hope this helps. I have tried to connect my laptop (Win 7) to my PC (xp) using a crossover cable, it does not work and I have to run the above software each time to get my laptop and pc to see each other? John
April 22nd, 2010 4:50pm

Hi John, Thanks for the note. It looks to me like you solved my problem. I gave up on the crossover and am using a router now. It seems to work, but it takes some time for the machines to see each other. To some extent the problem healed itself, or I got a setting or two right because now the two xp machines can see each other again via crossover. The crossover did work at first. When I got my windows 7 desktop I connected to my old xp desktop to transfer lots of files with no problem using a crossover. Sometime later that ability went away. I didn't use the support instructions you sent me to, since they say it is not appropriate for windows 7. Since my xp machine seems happy without doing it I decided not to do that either. The inability to use a crossover any longer is interesting. I find it amusing/frustrating that whenever MS comes out with an improvement, I lose capability. :) Thanks again, I was really spinning my wheels on this one. Art
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April 25th, 2010 1:02am

I'm also having the ssame problem. I have Windows 7 installed on my laptop and i'm unable to connect to a Windows XP network but i'm able to connect to a Windows Vista network. I need to be able to connect to a Windows XP network using Windows 7 so I can send and recieve files. Can this problem be solved? Stacey C
April 25th, 2010 7:35am

Hi Stacey, Sorry to hear you're having the same problem. It gave me several sleepless nights. :( Try this: I use for the windows 7 machine: ip auto alternate 192.168.0.1 mask 255.255.255.0 dns auto . I hope you know how to get at these things. Important - need to have the connections name the same on both computers. Changing it on the 7 machine is difficult. I can never remember how to get there. Go to network and sharing center. In the upper right is a "search control panel". Type in change connections name. It will give you change network name. Click on that then hit change. Change the workgroup name here so it is the same as on the xp machine. The ip on the xp machine for me is auto and alternate is 192.168.0.2 mask 255.255.255.0 dns is auto. You may need to change the .2 to a .3 or .4 if the number is already used. I think one of the machines on the network needs to have the number .1 . You do need to wait a while for the machines to see each other. See the note from John above with the check mark in the upper right. He solved it for me. Art
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April 25th, 2010 4:56pm

Hi All I'm back to square one, I have started a new topic, I have found that after installing critical updates that the problems re-occur. I went back to an earlier restore point and installed each update by one, the following updates cause the problem: - KB978601 , 979301, 979683, 981332, 975496. I have had no problems with a laptop running WIN 7 Pro? John
May 9th, 2010 11:23pm

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