# How to network Vista Pc with XP Pc???



## warup89 (Mar 30, 2009)

Just recently i made myself a download/server PC with spare parts that i had, the pc has windows XP pro and i've been looking around how connect my main pc with vista in it with the other one, so i can share files But I still haven't been able to do it right, not only that but apparently Vista's network set up is kinda different from XP's. Also I'm trying to do this via router btw [Linksys WRT54G].


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## Akumos (Mar 30, 2009)

So how far have you got?

Have you shared the C drive, or download folder of the PC you are using as a server?

And then Map the folder or driver as a network drive...






So, right click the C drive of the server and go to properties, sharing. Then click the tick box to share to everyone.

On the client PC, go to my computer click tools and map network driver then type \\NameOfServerPC\folder

This should do it.


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## warup89 (Mar 30, 2009)

yeah i tried that, The folder/drive just wont show up on the network though =\.


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## raptori (Mar 30, 2009)

well this is the way i connected my two PCs vista and XP: old school way:
1- put "network discovery" in vista network center (ON).
2-make sure to give both of your computers the same workgroup name.
3-manually assign IPs:default gateway&DNS server the same IP for both PCs like 192.168.0.1, and the IP address for both PCs must be from the same range like PC#1:192.168.0.50 and PC#2:192.168.0.51
4-make sure to share the folder you want to.

hope that help ..... now i'm using another way by making the 1st PC a(gateway) and share the net connection locally and  put the 2nd one to obtain IP address automatically.


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## warup89 (Mar 30, 2009)

raptori said:


> well this is the way i connected my two PCs vista and XP: old school way:
> 1- put "network discovery" in vista network center (ON).
> 2-make sure to give both of your computers the same workgroup name.
> 3-manually assign IPs:default gateway&DNS server the same IP for both PCs like 192.168.0.1, and the IP address for both PCs must be from the same range like PC#1:192.168.0.50 and PC#2:192.168.0.51
> ...



Part 3 and down kinda got me confused , im noobish to the whole new networking thing, i forgot to mention that i connected both Pc's before and it worked, and one day my XP pc disappeared from my network and i just forgot how to get it back on again. I've been trying some basic ways to get it back but i still cant make it appear on my network. what i did:

XP:
1. Control panel > Network and internet connections > set up or change your home or small office network > run trough wizard name my PC and Workgroup name.

2. Right click my C: drive > sharing and security.. > select* share this folder.

Vista: 
1. Turn on: Network discovery, File sharing, public folder sharing.
    Turn off: Password protected sharing.

2. Right click* Computer > properties > change settings [under "PC name, domain...] > change workgroup name to same name as XP's.

-After all that my pc still wont show up[used to] after i click on network.

EDIT:
so far i gotten for my XP pc ["3000xl"] to show on my network map but that's about it.


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## Akumos (Mar 31, 2009)

Use DHCP for IP's. No need to make them static. Make sure you have a username and password on the Server machine.

What error do you get when trying to map it?


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## warup89 (Apr 1, 2009)

Akumos said:


> Use DHCP for IP's. No need to make them static. Make sure you have a username and password on the Server machine.
> 
> What error do you get when trying to map it?



ill try i just dont rly know how to do that , but i dont use password on the server/client PC, apparently that's necessary right? and well i dont get any errors when i map it on Vista, but thats the only way vista recognizes my client system any other than that no-go


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## theeldest (Apr 1, 2009)

Do you have Vista Home or Vista Ultimate/Business?

I'm pretty sure that in Vista Home, (as in XP Home), you can't connect to network drives.


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## frankie827 (Apr 1, 2009)

theeldest said:


> Do you have Vista Home or Vista Ultimate/Business?
> 
> I'm pretty sure that in Vista Home, (as in XP Home), you can't connect to network drives.



nope, in home premium you can connect to network drives. i do it. i have my old xp pro pc as my media server. so all of the vista's pc's in my house play videos and music off of the xp box.


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## jamesprx (Apr 1, 2009)

*Re*

Want to connect your new Windows Vista machine to your existing XP box? It's not rocket science, but it's not quite as simple as you might expect. To help, Jason Kerluck provides a step-by-step guide to connecting your Vista machine to your XP computer.

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1165037


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## Akumos (Apr 1, 2009)

Passwords are necessary unless you turn the feature off.

DHCP is used auto if you don't put in a static IP.

You didn't say the actual error message... follow my steps in my first post and tell me what it says when you type:

\\ServerName\\Share


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## warup89 (Apr 2, 2009)

jamesprx said:


> Want to connect your new Windows Vista machine to your existing XP box? It's not rocket science, but it's not quite as simple as you might expect. To help, Jason Kerluck provides a step-by-step guide to connecting your Vista machine to your XP computer.
> 
> http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1165037



Thanks! great guide but still didnt work for me 



Akumos said:


> Passwords are necessary unless you turn the feature off.
> 
> DHCP is used auto if you don't put in a static IP.
> 
> ...



I tried it and i still get an error, which pretty much is telling me to check my spelling, i also typed \\*pc name* and still nothing, although i did noticed that i can ping my xp from vista and vice-verca.


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## Akumos (Apr 2, 2009)

does it let you access the folder from 'start', 'run'?

In vista, have you turned on file sharing?


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## warup89 (Apr 3, 2009)

Akumos said:


> does it let you access the folder from 'start', 'run'?
> 
> In vista, have you turned on file sharing?



Yeah and still nothing, so i got frustrated and did a system restore on the XP pc as my last resort and it work, the XP pc was back on the network and everything was fine, apparently something was wrong with the XP pc.

-Thanks for the help Akumos and everyone else that helped


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## Akumos (Apr 3, 2009)

np, glad to hear you solved it.


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