Vista<-->XP File Sharing Woes

Scroll down for updated post halfway down page.


Normally I am on here helping people, after my recent Vista install I've been on here asking questions. This one has me stumped as I have tried absolutely everything (to my knowledge and from my web searches) to fix this issue.

I had XP before and was able to modify, read, write files from my XP home computer on my network. I was also able to print on the other computer. The other computer could see my machine, but file sharing was off on mine so nothing was ever done that direction.

After installing Vista I can see the XP computer on the full network model picture, but I am unable to connect to it, ping it, or do any kind of file sharing with it. I run off of a switch with a cable modem. The IP is obtained through the gateway and directly to the internet without doing anything related to the network itself for an IP.

-I can see the XP computer on the network model, but I cannot connect via "net use \\IP", "\\IP", "\\computername", or through the network screen (it doesn't show up there, only my computer does).
-The XP computer can not see the Vista computer.
-File sharing is enabled on both computers.
-NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on both computers.
-All protocols on the vista computer are checked and enabled.
-All protocols on the XP computer are checked and enabled.
-I have rebooted my network switch, and restart both computers.
-I ran network setup wizard on the XP computer.
-I am part of the WORKGROUP workgroup on both computers, the spelling has been checked twice.
-Both computers are able to access the internet.
-My windows firewall has allowed access to file and print sharing, including the direct ports that deal with windows file and print sharing on both computers.
-The XP computer also has Norton Internet Security, which I allowed file and print sharing under, added ports to the exception window, and fully disabled during tests.


Basically I am stuck at the beginning phase. The vista computer can see the XP computer on the large network scale model only, not in any other method. I am unable to ping either computer's direct IP address. (could be blocked by firewall when I did that test). I cannot see the Vista computer on the XP computer. I am unable to connect to the XP computer from the Vista computer in any way.


Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I tried everything I found on the microsoft forums and none of the options worked. I tweaked and played with and messed with both OS's for over 2 hours without a solution. I am lost and tired and I need a new eye on what to try next. Everywhere I look I see the same generic responses which DO NOT WORK for me!!! ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I had a similar problem of not being able to see each computer when I had XP installed on both computers, I installed IPX on both to solve the problem. The XP computer still has IPX installed, but since there is no Vista IPX support I cannot try that method. I am lost!

buy an external hard drive



















KIDDING !!

Considering you can't even get ap ing response, I would consider disabling all firewalls wtc entirely. Even when firesharing is totaly non dunctional a ping should be no problem.

Hmmm give me a few min here and i'll see if I can come up with anything on this. For some reason I don't think I had any issues with XP <-> Vista transfers between the 2 computers and the XP computer is defaintly not special at all its even home edition.

And no issue here at all both public or shared directories/drives. No idea what would cause this but I have UAC, and firewalls enabled. Might be because I have a password protected account but not sure.

If you come up with anything deathman20, let me know. I seriously could not figure it out and the only problem I can see is that perhaps when I disabled the norton firewall on the XP computer, it didn't actually disable fully.

Xp patch

I had similar problem with Xp to Vista file sharing. After hrs. of searching I found this link with patch for Xp system:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120/en-us
It resolved everything. I am able to file share and print share. Hope this works for you too.

Already ran that, all it allows me to do is see the XP computer on the network map, which I have already stated I can do. This patch does nothing more than that and does not enable or make file sharing more compatible. Are you sure you didn't do anything other than this patch at the same time?

Since you can not even ping the other computer this is not an OS issue per se but a network one.

Disable NIS.

Can you see/ connect to the computer now? If so then you need to find out how to enable a specific PC through NIS.

Secondly make sure that PCs are in same Private IP range.

Thirdly a user account should have a password on both PCs. When you "map a network drive" It gives you the option to change from the Username and password on the PC, to one that resides on the networked PC.

I make this easy on my self and just add me and my password to every computer i own

Issues with norton will never end. My reccomendation, IF you have the NIS disk and your valid code still handy. I would run SymNRT so that there is not a single file left over by the crummy Norton. See if this fixes the problem.

Anytime I have to troubleshoot A Network/Drive mapping Problem on one of our companions laptops, I always delete Norton completly (99.9%) of the time it fixes the issue.

I ran the patch on Xp system, set up Vista system as private network, enabled network discovery, public and print sharing, didn't bother with password, named work group same as I did in Xp wizard. Also added "Micro$oft TCP/IP version 6" to XP system network properties. Rebooted both computers and was then able to add shared printer on Xp system through control panel-printers & fax- add printer function. All seems to work fine.

Ahh stepp, I haven't addedd IPv6 to the XP computer yet. I wonder if that will help or make a difference. I will try that now.

too lazy to read all the post and not sure if you have found the answer. I installed Vista on mine and tried to connect to my other computers with XP. Vista won't connect. I then assigned the vista computer with a static IP and it worked.

Did you enable your share permissions and your security permissions correctly?

Share permissions give access to see the share

Security permissions give file read and write access to the share.

Any updates on this?????

Since I put Vista on here, the LAN browsing is hit and miss at best.....

Sometimes it wont see anything, sometines it see's a few, I have 6 PC's on my little lan here, and all the other PC's can see and browse the Vista machine.......

I don't think Vista uses SMB... I know there are compatibility issues with Vista and samba because Vista uses SMB2, which is not compatible with SMB, used by XP/2K/NT/etc. There may be patches for it, or it may be possible to make Vista use SMB, I'm not sure...

I never solved this issue. I didn't ressurect the thread because I didn't solve it and ran out of ideas, sorry!

Ressurecting this.

1 computer running XP Pro.
1 computer running XP home.
1 computer running Vista Home premium 64bit.


I have NOD32 running on all computers now and Windows Firewall where applicable.

The two Xp computers can print and share with each other fine and see each other's files.

The Vista computer can "see" the two XP computers on the full network map, but cannot see them within network file browsing.

Private network is enabled.
UAC is disabled. (Tried with it enabled also)
File sharing is on.
IP addresses are assigned dynamically when the computers are turned on.

It's basically like the Vista computer is seperated from the rest of the computers, since I can't really see or communicate with the other systems and they can't see or communicate with me.

All computers are on the 'WORKGROUP' workgroup.


On further checking, it appears as if the Vista computer has a different subnet mask (255.255.252.0 on XP and 255.255.224.0 on Vista) and gateway than the XP computers even though they connect through the same modem... is this hurting me somehow?



The seperate gateways are what got me.

After completely disabling the internet and using sharing only through the switch, all computers were on the same subnet mask and same gateway (of the switch). I could then quickly share files between any of the computes, print, and do whatever I wanted.

Upon reconnecting of the internet, the XP computers turned to the 72.24.xxx.xxx gateway and the Vista computer turned to the 67.60.xxx.xxx gateway.

Even forcing one or the other gateway for the computers, they stayed with those respective numbers. When I am connected to the internet the XP computers can only share with each other and the Vista computer is on its own.


Now that I figured out the issue, is there anything I can do about this? With a dynamic type IP address I can't force an IP or a gateway for some reason, it automatically chooses based on if the computer is XP or Vista. Is this a problem with my ISP? Or can I possibly set up the gateway and subnet mask based on my network switch and try to get internet access through it instead?

Feels good to finally find somewhat of a solution and get closer to solving this problem.