XP won't Network with Vista

Hi guys/gals.

Now I added a comment on a similar problem in another thread Vista won't Network with XP.

I have a couple of problems. Over the weekend I had problems with my Vista laptop every half an hour you would get the BSOD for a couple of seconds then it would restart the laptop. I didn't have chance to check the message or the stupid number. I couldn't start in Safe Mode to do a system restore it just stopped at the file loading screen.

Problem 1.
I decided to do a rebuild as it hadn't been done for 16 months. Now a friend on another forum was having trouble running an app I made on his Vista x64 so I decided to install Vista Ultimate x64 to see if I could sort the problem. I couldn't sort it, its just the compatabilty problem with 32 and 64bit machines. I did a rebuild with my Vista Home Premium 32bit again.

Now I can connect to my XP desktop with the Vista laptop via wifi no problem. When I look for the laptop on the desktop it finds it but when I try to open a folder it says access denied on them all. Now I tried setting all folders on Vista so they are shared on the Network by clicking the Share button on all folder properties and I tried to add the desktop computer name ULTIMA-WARLORD but it says unable to connect user. I added \\ in front of the name as a Network name but it still couldn't find the user. I tried adding the username afterward but it still could find it. If I look in Netword connection my desktop in there.

Problem 2.
After I tried Vista 64bit and decided I didn't like it I put Vista 32bit back and what it normally does is it renames the Windows folder to Windows.old and Program Files to Program Files.old when I've rebuilt before. Now this time because 64bit was install that must have used Program Files (x86) even though (x86) is 32bit. Anyway I can't delete this folder as it says You need permission to perform this action.

Now I've searched the registry for any reference to Program Files (x86) or (x86) but nothing shows. There are 4 folder in there Common Files, Windows Collaboration, Windows Media Player and Windows Sidebar and 1 file settings.ini in Windows Sidebar. I tried setting admin rights to this folder as they weren't set but it won't let me access denied.

Does anyone know hope I can remove this useless folder?

Any help will be appreciated, cheers.

Hello and welcome.

Please follow this tutorial for the BSOD...

http://www.vistax64.com/crashes-debugging/282419-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

Thanks for the info but I'm not really bothered about the BSOD as I've done a rebuild.

I've just managed to remove the C:\Program Files (x86) folder after Googling it. here they say use the command prompt

Open command prompt with Admin Privilege and write:
takeown /f "C:\Programs Files (x86)" /r /d n
icacls "C:\Programs Files (x86)" /grant administrators:F /t

Then delete the folder Program files (x86)

Click to expand...

but that didn't work. Another site said you have to Cut it and Paste it somewhere temporarily then you can delete the folder. Now this seems strange to me, to cut it you must need admin rights? Whether after using this command it allowed me to cut and paste I don't know.

So its finally gone now which only leaves the Network rights connection from XP desktop to Vista laptop?

Cheers.

The laptop has been working of since the rebuild last weekend but last Friday I had the BSOD but it stopped on for a few seconds this time and I made a note of the file in question, it was atmfd.dll. After the restart I searched for this file which was in Windows\System32. The properties said Adobe Type Manager, copyright Adobe Systems.

I uninstalled my Adode Reader 8.1.3 but the file still remained. It would let me delete it as it was obviously in use in the system. Now I was looking at Adobe files on the web prior to this fault showing thats all. I installed Adode Reader 8.1.3 again but everytime I did a shutdown and restart it would do a chkdsk of the drive. This is actually a pain in the backside as it takes 2 hours or more to scan the drive. I had to Google ways of stopped chkdsk from running everytime I restarted and it said.

Run Command Prompt as administrator and type in

chkntfs /d

fsutil dirty query C:

Which shows dirty drive. I did a full scan of the drive a week ago and it was ok.

I disabled chkdsk from running from How to disable Check Disk (chkdsk) at startup in Vista and it worked.

I still haven't sorted why my desktop doesn't have right to look at files on my laptop yet?

Cheers.

Hi,

Have you run the "Setup a network" wizard on both machines? As this sets the shared user rights on them.

Thanks for the reply Lottiemansion.

Yes I've tried running Network Wizard on the desktop but its a total waste of time for the fact thats they have both been connected and working perfectly for months.

Since I rebuild the laptop I scanned for Network connection and it found the desktop. I can access all folders with full admin rights.

I used the Network Wizard on the desktop and give it the laptop computer name and it says already exists. Its a pain that you can't delete the connection and let it scan for a new one just in case some settings have changed since the rebuild.

The other stupid thing about Network Wizard is a I gave a new name LAPTOP and it showed no errors can't find or connect but it renamed my desktop to LAPTOP so I had to do a system restore for a day to change things back.

Now I can access 4 folder on the laptop with full admin rights. I've check the properties of each folder on the laptop and given them all rights but I still can't connect to the others.

Any other suggestions?

Hi,

The firewall could be restricting the access since it has been re-built.

What virus & firewall have you got on the Vista laptop?

I have the standard XP firewall and the standard Vista firewall. I've checked the setting in XP and there was one not ticked in Exceptions Remote Desktop so I ticked it and thats made no difference.

On the Vista firewall there were loads unticked so I ticked them all and Apply but I still have no connections to folders.

Oh I said I could access only 4 folders? I can but I don't have rights to copy and paste files. All the other folder I click on to view it says You don't have permission to use this Network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.

I use the latest Avast! Free Antivirus 6.0.1091 on both machines.

Will this help

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/126633-network-view-browse-computers-devices.html

Tutorial thanks to Brink

Thanks for the link ilikefree but everything on there refers to Vista which I don't have a problem with I need my XP destop to have full admin rights with all files and folders on Vista.

In Visa's Network and Sharing Center

Network Discovery is on
File sharing is on
Public folder sharing is on
Printer sharing is off because my printer isn't turned on
Password protected shared is off, it was off before but I could still access files and folders
Media sharing is off

If you click on Show me all the shared Network folders on this computer they all show up.

I do appreciate your help, Cheers.

Try this old thread

http://www.vistax64.com/vista-networking-sharing/118510-cannot-access-vista-computer-xp.html

Thanks again ilikefree but that link and the links inside don't cure my problem.

I did notice when I connected to Xp from Vista and I checked the properties of a folder it said it was MSHOME network well it isn't its WORKGROUP which is default on both machines so I don't know where it gets tham from?

I've just checked it again and it now says WORKGROUP, strange.

Ok I think I've found it a similar problem was posted on Bleeping Computer.

It appears you have to make it a Public Network in Network and Sharing Center. Then you add the Guest as a shared user and give that user full control in Permissions. I can now access all folders and files and can cut, copy and paste anything, we will see how long it lasts. I will make a note of this procedure for when I rebuild the next time.

Thanks for your help guys.