How many computers?

[Lewis]

I'm in the process of learning about Windows Sharing, but thus far my
Windows 7 and my Windows XP computers don't want to talk to each other
or share files. I can't even find the second one from the first one.
I'm thinking this may be because Windows XP and Windows 7 are not
compatible as file sharing OS setups.

Nope, both use SMB shares and should see each other just fine. Are their
IPs the same except the last (like 192.168.1.4 and 192.168.1.106) or do
they differ in one of the other numbers (192.168.1.4 and 192.168.2.106)?

 

[Char Jackson]

I'm in the process of learning about Windows Sharing, but thus far my
Windows 7 and my Windows XP computers don't want to talk to each other
or share files. I can't even find the second one from the first one.
I'm thinking this may be because Windows XP and Windows 7 are not
compatible as file sharing OS setups.

No, they are definitely compatible. Make sure you aren't using a
Homegroup on the Windows 7 computer. Use the same Workgroup as you're
using on the XP computer. There are numerous detailed guides on the
Internet, so I won't try to recreate them here other than to confirm
that XP and 7 will definitely talk to each other.

 

[relic]

Here they go again. $149 in the States and £149 in the UK. MS ripping
us Brits off as usual.

I've always wondered why too. For years, visiting co-workers from Europe
went home with suitcases full of Hardware and Software they purchased while
they were in the states.

 

[ray]

Here they go again. $149 in the States and £149 in the UK. MS
ripping us Brits off as usual.

There are many of us who consider $149 a ripoff - there are other
alternatives you can exploit.

 

[Tinkerer]

On the Windows XP computer, find and select "Simple File Sharing", then
make sure that you have an account with a password - without a password
it won't work.

It will if you are accessing the Win XP system from Win 7. I have no
passwords on my systems and it works fine. Win XP to Win 7 though is a
different kettle of fish. Win XP can see the shared folders on 7 but is
denied access to them.

 

[Char Jackson]

It will if you are accessing the Win XP system from Win 7. I have no
passwords on my systems and it works fine. Win XP to Win 7 though is a
different kettle of fish. Win XP can see the shared folders on 7 but is
denied access to them.

He may have simply misspoke. Simple File Sharing is the opposite of
password-protected sharing, so it stands to reason that Simple File
Sharing doesn't require a password.

 

[Char Jackson]

I'm in the process of learning about Windows Sharing, but thus far my
Windows 7 and my Windows XP computers don't want to talk to each other
or share files. I can't even find the second one from the first one.
I'm thinking this may be because Windows XP and Windows 7 are not
compatible as file sharing OS setups.

Here's a network sharing tutorial from Microsoft that appears to be
tailor made for your situation.

<http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/...mputers-running-different-versions-of-Windows>

 

[Tinkerer]

He may have simply misspoke. Simple File Sharing is the opposite of
password-protected sharing, so it stands to reason that Simple File
Sharing doesn't require a password.

Ah. Thanks.

 

[Big Steel 99 the X factor Droid]

It will if you are accessing the Win XP system from Win 7. I have no
passwords on my systems and it works fine. Win XP to Win 7 though is a
different kettle of fish. Win XP can see the shared folders on 7 but is
denied access to them.

Most likely due to Authenticated user group is not being used in the
fs. The other way around it is to use the Everyone user group on the
fs.

But you should use Authenticated user group.

If access is being denied, then it's a user permissions issue. I
suspect that xp has the Everyone user group on the share, and on win
7, the Everyone user group is not on the fs.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Here they go again. $149 in the States and £149 in the UK. MS ripping us
Brits off as usual.

It's probably vengeance for the hard times you gave us in 1776 and 1812.

No, I'm not in the least serious. I agree it's a rip-off, but I wonder
if there are some UK tax issues buried in the price difference...

How are the prices in the Euro countries? Also high?

 

[Stephen Wolstenholme]

Yes, they do the same thing with the Eur, pretend that it's at parity
with the dollar. So does Apple, btw.

It was possible to order items from the USA in USD to be sent to the
UK. The orders are than redirected to UK based distributors but still
charged in USD. I have not tried that recently so the loophole may now
be closed.

Steve

 

[Tinkerer]

It's probably vengeance for the hard times you gave us in 1776 and 1812.

No, I'm not in the least serious. I agree it's a rip-off, but I wonder
if there are some UK tax issues buried in the price difference...

How are the prices in the Euro countries? Also high?

MS (and many other Stateside software producers) claim it is due to the
shipping costs but they belie that by charging the same price whether you
have a physical copy or a downloaded one. The same applies with computer
books. The same figure shown for dollar, pound and euro. The only
applicable tax is VAT (Value Added Tax) and books are VAT exempt. Not sure
whether software is but at 17.5% I should imagine it is similar to your
sales taxes although I know they vary according to which state one is in.

 

[Bob I]

I'm in the process of learning about Windows Sharing, but thus far my
Windows 7 and my Windows XP computers don't want to talk to each other
or share files. I can't even find the second one from the first one.
I'm thinking this may be because Windows XP and Windows 7 are not
compatible as file sharing OS setups.

Probably due to your firewall settings. But anyway, on the Win7 box,
press Win key+F1, type into the search box, "file sharing" without the
quotes and then click on the 4th link.

 

[Paul]

I'm in the process of learning about Windows Sharing, but thus far my
Windows 7 and my Windows XP computers don't want to talk to each other
or share files. I can't even find the second one from the first one.
I'm thinking this may be because Windows XP and Windows 7 are not
compatible as file sharing OS setups.

I've tested it here, between a Windows 7 laptop, and a WinXP desktop.
The first day I set it up (sharing WinXP C: drive with Win7 laptop),
it didn't work. I rebooted both computers... and it didn't work.
Then, the next day, it decided to work. Later on that day (no
reboots), it wasn't working again.

So if you can afford to wait a day, test it tomorrow

I've also seen slow behavior of the protocol, in virtual machines.
I have a Ubuntu VPC2007 machine and a Win98SE machine, and I
tried to get file sharing working between those. It takes
about five minutes, before it starts to work. And in that
case, the networking is "all local", between VMs.

These cases, will be using different protocols, so they're not
all comparing "apples to apples".

*******

Assuming I've got the right article, you can see this is a
giant "can of worms". Not the SMB part, the Network Neighborhood
part. Perhaps your connection would work better, if you specified
an IP address instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_Message_Block

For example, this guide shows a way of using an IP address.
And perhaps that will avoid the location protocols ?

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-two-router-sharing,review-151-4.html

I'm going to give this a try now, and report back later.
I want to see if this is any faster at getting the job done.
(Than waiting a day for it to start working...)

Paul

 

[Paul]

For example, this guide shows a way of using an IP address.
And perhaps that will avoid the location protocols ?

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-two-router-sharing,review-151-4.html

I'm going to give this a try now, and report back later.
I want to see if this is any faster at getting the job done.
(Than waiting a day for it to start working...)

Paul

That worked well, and connected right away.

Paul

 

[xfile]

I'm in the process of learning about Windows Sharing, but thus far my

Windows 7 and my Windows XP computers don't want to talk to each other
or share files.

Another alternative for you to consider is to purchase an inexpensive NAS
(network attached storage) device which can be turned on 24 hours a day and
accessed by multiple computers on LAN (and/or via wireless network).
Nowadays, NAS devices for SOHO are inexpensive and gaining popularity, and
for more information, you may refer to the following links:

NAS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-attached_storage

http://www.google.com.tw/search?hl=...NAS+devices&aq=f&aqi=g6g-m4&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Example:
http://computershopper.com/networking/reviews/western-digital-my-book-world-edition-1tb

Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[Char Jackson]

Another alternative for you to consider is to purchase an inexpensive NAS
(network attached storage) device which can be turned on 24 hours a day and
accessed by multiple computers on LAN (and/or via wireless network).

Agreed. I recently built a 30TB NAS and it's been extremely handy. Oh
wait, you said inexpensive.

 

[Bob I]

Agreed. I recently built a 30TB NAS and it's been extremely handy. Oh
wait, you said inexpensive.

Less than a Ben Franklin
http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-Network-Attached-Storage-34337/dp/B001OC5JM2

 

[Char Jackson]

Less than a Ben Franklin
http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-Network-Attached-Storage-34337/dp/B001OC5JM2

Way too small (only 1TB) to be of much use for me, but I agree that
it's probably affordable for others.

 

[xfile]

Agreed. I recently built a 30TB NAS and it's been extremely handy. Oh

wait, you said inexpensive.

Yes, "inexpensive" one, LOL.

Handy, low power consumption = low electricity bill, easier to learn,
install, and maintain, cross-platform, small space requirement, etc. Simple
file sharing and file servers are yesterday's thing - at least to me