Network Win 7 Machine to a XP Machine

[balayage]

I have been running Windows 7 Home 64 for almost a year and have searched the Internet on and off all that time to find a way to get my Windows 7 machine to connect with the other two Windows XP Pro SP3 machines on the same network.

I have tried going the Homegroup route downloading special drivers so that Homegroup can be used on the XP machines. No success what so ever.

I have returned to the traditional networking setting all machines set to the same workgroup. I have limited success where;

• Under Network Map the WIN 7 machine CAN see that the other two XP machines are on the network.
• The WIN 7 machine CANNOT access any shared folders on the XP machines.
• The XP machines cannot see the WIN 7 machine when using Explorer and looking at the network.
• The XP machine CAN open the Public folder on the WIN 7 machine if I address it directly with "\\Aspire6930g\public" and I can copy file to and from the Public folder.
• The WIN 7 machine CANNOT see the printer attached to the XP machine even though it is shared.
• The XP machines CAN see each other, access the shared folders on both, and both XP machines CAN use the attached shared printer.

All testing of different setups was done with the firewalls disabled or shutdown so as not to be a possible hindrance.

All three systems are updated regularly. Running WIN 7 Home 64 on the laptop and XP Pro SP3 on the desktops.

I just want to be able to access the shared files on my XP machines. It would save many hours of copying files to Public and then to the destination folder or the use of sneakernet to copy files. This SHOULD be easy, not a major frustration.

Totally frustrated,

Tom

[Tinto Tech]

I suspect the root of your problem lies in the different "levels" of OS, i.e. Home vs Pro. It's quite possible that a local or group security policy has been set on the XP Pro boxes that prevent sharing over the workgroup. They may even be Domain Joined, but I imagine you would have noted that.

By going to an unrelated OS you can rule of one set of variables: Download and burn a Linux Live CD. Run the Live session on the Win7 machine and check that you can browse your XP shares. If you cannot browse the shares using Linux, the problem is on the XP boxes. If you can view and modify contents of the shares, the issue is on the Win7 box.

Assuming for one moment that you can browse the shares under Linux, Win7 requires the Workgroup to be the same and an account on the XP machines to be setup that has the same username as the Win7 box. You might also disable Homegroup and check password sharing setting on the Win7 box, but I guess that has already been checked.

On the other hand, if you cannot browse the shares under Linux, it would be worthwhile investigating the Local or Group Security Policy settings on the XP Pro machines.

During this process, you will also have built yourself a nifty little utility disk - Linux Live CD's are worthwhile keeping hold of for these kinds of head scratching times.

[Medico]

Perhaps this How To Geek article will give some insight to sharing files the way you want.

[balayage]

By going to an unrelated OS you can rule of one set of variables: Download and burn a Linux Live CD. Run the Live session on the Win7 machine and check that you can browse your XP shares. If you cannot browse the shares using Linux, the problem is on the XP boxes. If you can view and modify contents of the shares, the issue is on the Win7 box.

OK, I downloaded and created a Live CD of Ubuntu 11.04. It loaded OK when I rebooted my WIN 7 machine (after fiddling with the BIOS). Under "Network" I was able to see any other machines connected to my router. To verify that the network connection was working I was able to fire up FireFox and surf the Internet.

I do not know enough about Ubuntu to do any more.

Tom

[balayage]

Been there and have done all these things already. No luck.

[Tinto Tech]

OK Tom, I assume you mean "unable" to see any other machines?

That is odd, but might be a problem with the live CD session or perhaps v11.04 is broken - it works fine on v10.04. It may be worthwhile investigating more closely, or it may be a red herring. Up to you if you want to investigate that more, let me know...

Meanwhile, something that is missing from the "How To Geek" article is the encryption level. I've found setting 128bit encryption often breaks connections to XP Home Boxes. Go to Control Panel>Network and Sharing Center>Advanced Sharing Settings and look for the Files Sharing Connections setting. Make sure its set for 40/56 bit encryption. See attached image.

Assuming the Linux Live connection to your XP Pro boxes is a red herring for now, you may need to address how to connect XP Pro (as opposed to XP Home) connection to Win 7 Home. You may need to edit the registry, but with any registry editing there is a risk.

This short thread provides a link and brief description to what's needed. Add a DWORD called LmCompatibilityLevel to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa and set it to a value=1. The article says value=2, but in this XP Pro to Win 7 Home scenario, I believe it should be value=1. Always backup your registry before editing!

[balayage]

Sorry, yes I meant "unable".

> "Make sure its set for 40/56 bit encryption."
Checked, my Advanced Sharing Settings is the same as your example image. Files Sharing Connections setting was set for 40/56 bit encryption.

> "edit the registry"
I wasn't sure from your note and the referenced post whether to edit the WIN 7 registry or the XP, Also, I am assuming "HKLM" is "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE".

When I started regedit and searched for "LmCompatibilityLevel" I found the following;

Windows 7 Home Premium machine

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Ls a
LmCompatibilityLevel Value data: 3 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Control\Ls a
LmCompatibilityLevel Value data: 3 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Lsa
LmCompatibilityLevel Value data: 3 hexadecimal



XP Pro machine

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Ls a
lmcompatibilitylevel Value data: 0 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Control\Ls a
lmcompatibilitylevel Value data: 0 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Lsa
lmcompatibilitylevel Value data: 0 hexadecimal

Tom

[Tinto Tech]

Windows 7 Home Premium machine

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Ls a
LmCompatibilityLevel Value data: 3 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Control\Ls a
LmCompatibilityLevel Value data: 3 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Lsa
LmCompatibilityLevel Value data: 3 hexadecimal

XP Pro machine

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Ls a
lmcompatibilitylevel Value data: 0 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Control\Ls a
lmcompatibilitylevel Value data: 0 hexadecimal

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Lsa
lmcompatibilitylevel Value data: 0 hexadecimal

Yes, I think this is diagnostic (famous last words!).

The entry on the Win7 Box means: Clients use only NTLMv2 authentication, and they use NTLMv2 session security if the server supports it. Domain controllers accept LM, NTLM, and NTLMv2 authentication.

On XP Pro: Clients use LM and NTLM authentication, but they never use NTLMv2 session security. Domain controllers accept LM, NTLM, and NTLMv2 authentication.

See here.

So on the Win7 box you want to set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Ls a to value=1 which keeps it compatible with Win 7 NTLM/NTLNv2 and legacy LM.

Remember to take a backup of the registry before editing!

[balayage]

Way to difficult! Why does Microsoft need to make things so difficult?

Anyway, some success. I now can sort of see my shared folders on one of my XP Pro machines (the important one, the wife's machine can wait).
network.JPG
Going to Network in Explorer will not display the XP computer but if I type in the XP computer name it will display. I was able to make a shortcut on my desktop for the computer, so that is some success.

ScrnCap00047.jpg

Same on the XP Pro machine. The shared folders on the WIN 7 machine will not display in under "Microsoft Windows Network\Workgroup", but if I type in the computer name for the WIN 7 machine the shared folders show and I can create shortcuts to them.

Thanks for your help. I am a lot further on than I was before. There is no need for this aggravation.

Tom

[Tinto Tech]

Thanks for your help. I am a lot further on than I was before

You're very welcome.

The main difficulty is the difference in the levels of OS: Pro vs Home. It would be much easier with XP Pro to Win 7 Pro, or Win 7 Home to XP Home but that's for another day......Main thing is it's working now.

[tfspry]

I have a small home network with a mix of Win XP, Win 2000, Win 7 as follows:
A. Wireless desktop - Win 2000 Pro SP4
B. Wireless laptop - Win XP Pro SP3
C. Wired desktop - Win XP Pro SP3 with USB printer
D. Wired Network Drive
E. Wired Desktop - Win 7 32 bit (SP1 not installed)


Observations -
All of the computers can print to the printer.
Devices A thru D are part of one workgroup.
The Win 7 machine shows up as part of a workgroup named "Workgroup"
Using Win Explorer, the XP computers can access Win 7 and Win 7 can access the XP computers.
Using the laptop, I am able to logon the laptop as a Limited User and access Win 7 files/users using an admin name and password that is registered on the Win 7 machine.
All shared folders are accessible to/from Win7/XP computers.

HTH