Vista, XP and Router don't work

Sorry about the double posting - mine doesn't work all the time.

I've read some of the other posts but don't know which apply to me.
Here are my specifics:
3 PC's (Windows XP Home, Windows XP Pro and Vista Home Premium
The two XP's work flawlwssly with simple file sharing and printer
sharing - the Vista has a problem. All I care about having work, for
now, is simple file sharing with no user restrictions and printer
sharing.
All Workgroups are the same.
The two XP's use Zone Alarm
The Vista uses the built-in Microsoft firewall
Some login Usernames are different on the three machines.
The router is a Linksys WRT160N

Situation: The XP's are fine. The Vista shows the networking map OK
(I think). The reason I say I think is that, under the router icon -
is a switch icon. I have no switch that I know of. At least the Vista
machine recognizes that there are three machines in the network.
Internet works fine on all three machines. However, in Explorer, under
Network, on the Vista machine, only the Vista machine shows up with
its' shared folders.

Hope this is enough info to get started with and I hope someone out
there can solve my specific problems. Thanks

Hi,

In the Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center, have you enabled network
discovery, file sharing, and public folder sharing? The first allows the
system to see other systems on the network and to be seen by them. The
second allows sharing of any folders that you have designated as network
shares. The last allows automatic sharing of any files placed in the
\Users\Public folders.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

<> wrote in message
news:...
> Sorry about the double posting - mine doesn't work all the time.
>
> I've read some of the other posts but don't know which apply to me.
> Here are my specifics:
> 3 PC's (Windows XP Home, Windows XP Pro and Vista Home Premium
> The two XP's work flawlwssly with simple file sharing and printer
> sharing - the Vista has a problem. All I care about having work, for
> now, is simple file sharing with no user restrictions and printer
> sharing.
> All Workgroups are the same.
> The two XP's use Zone Alarm
> The Vista uses the built-in Microsoft firewall
> Some login Usernames are different on the three machines.
> The router is a Linksys WRT160N
>
> Situation: The XP's are fine. The Vista shows the networking map OK
> (I think). The reason I say I think is that, under the router icon -
> is a switch icon. I have no switch that I know of. At least the Vista
> machine recognizes that there are three machines in the network.
> Internet works fine on all three machines. However, in Explorer, under
> Network, on the Vista machine, only the Vista machine shows up with
> its' shared folders.
>
> Hope this is enough info to get started with and I hope someone out
> there can solve my specific problems. Thanks

"Yes" on all three counts.

On Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:48:52 -0400, "Rick Rogers" <>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>In the Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center, have you enabled network
>discovery, file sharing, and public folder sharing? The first allows the
>system to see other systems on the network and to be seen by them. The
>second allows sharing of any folders that you have designated as network
>shares. The last allows automatic sharing of any files placed in the
>\Users\Public folders.

My first step would be uninstall ZA. I have seen more problems o
networks blowing up because of ZA than anything else. ZA is a waste o
resources and not needed even on XP. Same with any Internet Securit
Suite, I have seen them all blow up Peer networks, eventhough al
settings are what they should be. They corrupt and it's all over til
you uninstall and sometimes reimage

Also,, install "Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) Responde
(KB922120)" on the XP systems. This may help

Vista is like XP Pro, so you need to treat it as such. Simple Fil
sharing is not always the best way to get things working. You may, agai
may have issues with the XP Home system in this setup

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, it can take a while for the PC'
to figure out who the Top Dog is. They can get confused as to who is th
Master Browser. They sometimes need time to figure it out (15+ minutes)
One way to aleviate this is turn the main system on, and log in fully
then start the next one and so forth. Peer Networks are unfortunatel
not an exact science and require a bit of artistic influence

Make all user names and passwords the same on all PC's in the sam
workgroup. Even if not all PC's are logged on with that username. Thi
helps tremendously in the file sharing and access side of things. It i
one of those magic things

Try those

--
Tepid

Have a read of info below:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb727037.aspx

Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.

Permissions/Share info is there as well.

If using Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro I.S., make sure file and printer
sharing is enabled in THEIR firewall (or LAN allowed, depending on how their
Exceptions are worded in their Firewall)

1st thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is
the SAME.

In Vista Network and Sharing:

Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)

Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)

File Sharing: ON

Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s Shared
Docs)

Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and
passwords on ALL computers in your Network) If you have it ON, and no
identical usernames/passwords set up, you will be asked for a username and
password when you try to access a Vista computer from an XP computer, or a
Vista computer.

Also, run the XP’s Home or Small Office Network File and Printer Sharing
Wizard on the XP Computers, even if you had an XP Network set up prior to
adding a Vista computer to it(redoing the Wizard seems to work for XP
machines!).

In “My Network Places�: “Set up a Home or Small Office Network�
OR under Accessories > Communications > Network Setup Wizard > Allow File
and Printer Sharing.

--
Mad Mike


"" wrote:

> "Yes" on all three counts.
>
> On Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:48:52 -0400, "Rick Rogers" <>
> wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >In the Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center, have you enabled network
> >discovery, file sharing, and public folder sharing? The first allows the
> >system to see other systems on the network and to be seen by them. The
> >second allows sharing of any folders that you have designated as network
> >shares. The last allows automatic sharing of any files placed in the
> >\Users\Public folders.
>