Windows 7 laptop can see Windows XP desktop but cannot ping or connect to it
I've seen hundreds of threads describing problems similar to mine but none of the suggested fixes have worked in my case so I'm starting a new thread. I purchased a new laptop with Windows 7 Home Edition. My setup prior to the new laptop was as follows:Cable Modem---->NetGear WGT624v3 Router---->Windows XP Home Edition SP3 DesktopI setup the Win 7 laptop with the same workgroup name as the XP desktop. The user name and password are the same on both. File and printer sharing is enabled on both. The XP desktop displays the Win 7 laptop in the workgroup under Network Places. It can successfully ping the Win 7 laptop. It can access shared folders on the Win 7 machine without any issues. My problem is that the connection seems to be one-way. The Win 7 laptop will usually display the XP desktop as part of the Network when Windows Explorer is opened. It always displays the XP desktop in the network map in the Network and Sharing Center. However, I cannot map a network drive to the XP desktop using either the computer name or IP address. I can't even ping the XP desktop. But if I start the XP desktop in Safe Mode With Networking, the Win 7 laptop can both ping and access shared folders on the XP desktop.I've tried turning off the firewall on both machines. I've confirmed the correct ports are open for file sharing on both machines. The safe mode results suggest that the problem lies with Windows XP but I've run out of things to try. And the various solutions I've seen in similar posts sound like urban legends. 1 person needs an answerI do too
February 13th, 2011 8:00pm

Hi Rohair,Method 1:I would suggest you to check if temporarily uninstalling the anti-virus software on the Windows XP computer lets you connect properly.But do not forget to install the software after the troubleshooting is done as your computer will be under risk.Method 2: If issue persists you may even perform clean boot on the Windows XP computer and check if you can identify the application causing issues in the clean boot state.To perform the clean boot follow the step 1 mentioned in the below article and then try checking in this clean boot state -http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353If the issue gets resolved check which non-Microsoft service or program is causing the problem; referring to the article and following other steps.After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start as usual:a. Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.b. On the General tab, click the Normal Startup option, and then click OK.c. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart.Hope this helps.Thanks,Meghmala – Microsoft SupportVisit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think
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February 14th, 2011 1:41pm

Hi Meghmala,Thank you for the excellent advice. You got me pointed in the right direction. After configuring my XP machine for a clean boot I was able to ping, see, and access shared files on the XP desktop from the Win 7 laptop. I then examined the services and startup programs which has been disabled for the clean boot. I found a Cisco VPN service which I had used previously to attach to my office intranet. I disabled this service and the corresponding startup file for my next selective boot. I was still able to connect to the XP desktop. I believe the VPN service was causing the problem even though I did not have an active VPN session open. Thank you again for resolving this problem. I have been trying to fix this for weeks.
February 15th, 2011 12:28am

Hello, Good to know the issue got resolved and thank you for sharing the information. Do let us know if you face any further issues with Windows operating system in future. Regards,Meghmala – Microsoft SupportVisit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think
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February 15th, 2011 10:14am

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