Sharing a printer over network with Windows XP

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Dark|Dragon

Veteran X
Ok, I'm trying to help a friend get their printer shared. For the sake of this thread we'll just call the computer with the printer Server and the one that wants to use it Client.

I ran the Network Setup Wizard on both computers, set up File/Print Sharing and all that jazz. Shared the printer. Firewall is disabled on both computers. Now when I go to add the printer it isn't there. Only the Server computer is listed. I type in the printer address manually \\server\sharename and it asks for a password. The user box is grayed out. No matter what I type it says something along the lines of Could not connect to the printer. This operation could not be completed.

It won't even let me access the computers in Network Places. I click on Server with Client and it asks for a password. I click on Client with Server and it asks for a password. There are multiple user accounts on both computers but they're all set to Administrator and don't have passwords.

Anyone know what the deal is? Sounds like there is some strange security thing that I need to disable.

Some additional details:
1. Both are Home editions
2. Both are on the MSHOME workgroup

Well I found a site with someone having a similar problem. They typed in "control userpasswords2" in the Run box and then unchecked "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer." I'll give that shot next time I'm at my friend's.
 
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Are you able to see the other computer on the network when you browse through windows explorer?

If not do this:

start->run->gpedit.msc
windows settings
security settings
local policies
user rights assignments

double click "access this computer from network"
add use or group
Type guest

go back,

double click "deny access to this computer from"
remove guest

make sure guest account is on

restart


I don't know if this will fix the printer part but this generally fixes my network problems.
 
That sounds like it would work - only problem is gpedit.msc isn't available under Windows XP Home. I might end up just putting Professional on there if the control userpasswords2 thing doesn't work.
 
I figured it out, here is the solution if anyone ends up having the same problem. What Trop posted above should work fine if you have Windows XP Professional, but if you are a Home user this is the only way to go (do all of this on the computer that has the files/printers you want to access, the "server"):

Download and install Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&displaylang=en

Go to the Start Menu -> Programs -> Windows Resource Kit Tools -> Command Shell

Enter these commands:

net user guest /active:yes

ntrights +r SeNetworkLogonRight -u Guest

ntrights -r SeDenyNetworkLogonRight -u Guest

Now open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA

Look for RestrictAnonymous and set it to 0. Restart the computer.
 
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