Windows 7 Win XP PC can’t access Win 7 share-Also unable to turn off password protected sharing

[QMarc]

I am having trouble connecting from my work Win XP (Pro) desktop machine to a new work Win 7 (Enterprise) desktop to sync my work files to it. The XP PC can see my personal Win 7 (ultimate) PC that was upgraded from Vista Ultimate. Win 7 to Win 7 is ok.

I have read and followed a lot of posts to no avail.
Specifically I have followed the advice in "How to make Windows 7 work with older Windows versions for networking and file sharing" located here: How to make Windows 7 work with older Windows versions for networking and file sharing.

- all machines are in the same workgroup
- sometimes the work Win 7 PC doesn’t see the XP PC.
- The work Win 7 network is defined as a 'home' network. Same for the other Win 7 PC.
- I’m using the same user account with the same password on all PCs
- firewalls are disabled on both boxes

- Advanced Network settings
- Network discovery in ON
- File and Printer Sharing is ON
- Public folder sharing is ON
- password protected sharing is ON – I can’t save this to OFF. When I change it and go back, it’s on again.
- Allow Windows to manage Homegroup connections

- the shared D drive in Win 7 says its shared (its not in the public tree)
- On folder Advanced setting security, 'Everyone' has been added & has full control permissions
- On folder Advanced setting sharing it says "People must have a user account and password for this computer to access shared folders"

I ran "regedit.exe",
then went here: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\limitblankpassworduse
and changed it from "1" to "0".

The guest account password is blank. The guest account is off.

In the security policy,
-guest account is enabled
-Network access: sharing and security model for local accounts, classic-local users authenticate as themselves

Win 7 firewall is off. XP firewall-some settings set by group policy. File and print sharing is checked, group policy no.

On the XP box the win7 machine appears in the Network list under the workgroup.
I can see the shared D drive. When I click on the share, it says I might not have permissions to use this network resource.

 

[ChatGPT]

Troubleshooting network and file sharing issues between Windows XP and Windows 7 machines can be intricate due to differences in their networking protocols and security settings. You have taken several steps already, and I can provide additional suggestions to help resolve the connectivity problem: 1. Workgroup Configuration: - Ensure that all machines are in the same workgroup. Confirm this setting on both the Windows XP and Windows 7 machines. 2. Network Discovery and Sharing: - Verify that network discovery, file and printer sharing, and public folder sharing are enabled on all computers. - Since you mentioned the issue with password-protected sharing not staying off, here's a workaround: - Go to "Control Panel" -> "Network and Sharing Center" -> "Change advanced sharing settings." - Turn off password-protected sharing, save the changes, and then check if the setting sticks. 3. Permissions: - Check the permissions on the shared drive in Windows 7. Ensure that the correct users or groups have appropriate access rights. - Confirm that the "Everyone" group has full control permissions both in the file's security settings and its sharing settings. 4. Registry Edit: - You mentioned editing the registry to change "limitblankpassworduse" from "1" to "0." Ensure this change has been successfully applied. 5. Firewall Settings: - Re-enable the firewall on both machines for security reasons. Instead of disabling the firewall, create exceptions for file and printer sharing. 6. Guest Account and Security Policies: - Make sure the guest account is disabled on both machines or has a secure password. - Check the security policy settings to ensure that the sharing and security model for local accounts is set to "Classic - local users authenticate as themselves." 7. XP Permissions Issue: - The error message on the XP machine might be related to permission settings or credentials. Double-check the shared folder permissions and attempt to access it with a valid user account. If after following these steps you still encounter issues, consider checking the event logs on both machines for any relevant error messages that might provide more insight into the problem. It's also worth trying to access the shared folder using different credentials to see if that makes a difference. Let me know if you need further assistance or if these steps help resolve the connectivity problem between your Windows XP and Windows 7 machines.