Cannot connect to peer to peer computer.

[BigEd1977]

I have a problem. I have two computers connected in a peer to peer network. Both computers have Windows XP Home installed. One computer seems to be working fine. But on the other, I can't see the first computer. I have assigned static IP addresses to both computers. I can ping each computer from the other, but when I try to either browse from the first computer to the second, or map a drive to the shared drive on the first computer from the second, I get no response.

When I try to check Windows Firewall on the second computer, I get a message telling me that Windows Firewall cannot be started. When I try to start the service manually, I get a message telling me that I do not have permissions to do it. I have tried resetting the winsock with: "netsh winsock reset" to no avail. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[stduc]

Are they both in the same workgroup?

Have you checked you haven't a virus or spyware issue?

What do you see if you "view workgroup computer" and "Microsoft Windows Network"?

I suspect the firewall is a separate issue. Log on as administrator, rather than any admin user and re-try from there. If that fails and you are sure you don't have an issue with malware then you probably have registry or driver corruption. You could try going back to a known good restore point, or possibly the quickest solution is to re-install windows over the top, although you will have to re-apply all updates since your windows CD was built afterwards.

 

[BigEd1977]

Yes... They are both in the same workgroup. There isn't another firewall running. I thought the same thing. Looks like there might be something wrong with the windows networking. Yes?

 

[stduc]

Lets go back to basics. On each machine in turn....

Go to Network Connections & right click the ethernet connection you are trying to use and right click it and select properties.

As a bare minimum you need Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer sharing for Microsoft networks installed. You also need Internet Protocol TCP/IP installed if you plan to use that - or one of the others, but I suggest that is the best one to use.

To avoid confusion I suggest (for now anyway) you untick any other protocols such as IPX.

You say you are assigning manual IP addresses. Again to avoid confusion and ensure you are using a private network, right click TCP/IP and assign one machine to
192.168.0.10 subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and the other to
192.168.0.11 subnet mask 255.255.255.0

ignore the other settings for now.

Please report back and please answer my earlier questions.

 

[BigEd1977]

I'm with you. The only Protocol enabled is TCP/IP. I have assigned 192.168.1.221 to computer one. (It is seems to be working fine.) 192.168.1.222 to computer two. (The one with the problem.

I have no problem pinging each computer from the other. I just can't see them through network places.

 

[stduc]

I assume you have re-booted both PC's? To save a lot of messing around why not over-install XP again? Although you will have to re-apply all updates, you shouldn't lose anything else and it will be quicker than trying to fix whatever is wrong.