XP Newbie

[MidgetsBro]

Ok. Here's the deal. I hate XP and I don't want to use it, but I just got a new laptop, and I am going to Hawaii tomorrow, and I don't want to f**k it up before I go. I am trying to get a Normal god damn network neighborhood window, but when I open My network Places, I get the folder of which I last opened over the network, which happens to be at work, not at home. Now, I just want to connect to my computer at home and transfer my music over to it, but for some god damn reason, I cannot see my workgroup or anything. All I see is the shared folders on the computer at work, which aren't accessible from home. I tried clicking on View Worgroup in the left panel, which by the way I hate and I want to get rid of as well. I want the panel over there like in Windows 2000, not hte XP one that doesn't help at all. This OS makes using a computer hard as hell for someone who knows how to use a real computer. Why did they do this to their god damn new OS???

[Pc_Madness]

Ok....

Well with the Panel thing, you need to turn off the Fancy colours of XP. Hopefully that will solve your problem.

With the network, you need to make sure that you and you other computer are running on the same workgroup.

Make sure you have shared folders on both computers as well.

If that doesn't work, then its something a little harder.

[MidgetsBro]

It is something a little harder.... I'm a network technician , I wouldn't ask this here if it was something as easy those fixes you mentioned. Turning of the fancy themes and such didn't get rid of that panel either, it's still there.

Thanks for trying

[markman]

it doesnt take long to install win2k....

[MidgetsBro]

Originally posted by markman
it doesnt take long to install win2k....

That's what I thought, so I did it. Then, here come the problems... I totally screwed the system up because I tried to install 2K on the 2nd partition (Vaios come with 2 partitions for only god knows why??) Well I got it booted up into windows 2000, so I thought COOL! I did it. So I start installing the drivers... video goes fine, everything except the modem goes fine, then I get to the network card. There are no god damn drivers for the network card (it's onboard, not PCMCIA)!! I couldn't get online with the laptop, so I used this computer to get the driver from the Sony site, except it was too big for a floppy. So, having every god damn program in the world on this computer, I opened TheFileSplitter and split the file into two pieces and transported it via floppy. I used the batch file to put it back together on the laptop, and tried to run the driver installer and, wouldn't you know it, the drivers don't like this adapter and won't install... the damn sony site said these drivers were for this system. I got pissed, threw in the restore CD, and let it restore it back to normal, meaning 2 partitions again and Windows XP. I even tried, before restoring, to reboot into XP and download the driver and try it without floppy, thinking it got corrupted, but then when I rebooted, I found XP unoperable. 2000 screwed with the MBR and rendered XP more useless that it already is. So, now I have about 8 hours to go before the plane leaves, and I am just going to deal with Windows XP. I WILL MAKE THIS WORK WHEN I GET BACK!!!!!

[Pc_Madness]

The panel is still there??
I have no idea what the panel is that your talking about so... can you remove it from the view menu?... Then again, I might know what your on about......

Heres a screen of my network Folder, is that what you have??




Well I'm a Networker in Training so....

Have you checked your cables?? Can you ping the other pc on the network and so forth. Just go up the layers until you find the problem.

[Sastraxi]

That's HIDEOUS!
I've never seen XP look THAT bad.

[MidgetsBro]

Originally posted by Pc_Madness
The panel is still there??
I have no idea what the panel is that your talking about so... can you remove it from the view menu?... Then again, I might know what your on about......

Heres a screen of my network Folder, is that what you have??




Well I'm a Networker in Training so....

Have you checked your cables?? Can you ping the other pc on the network and so forth. Just go up the layers until you find the problem.

Ping fine... I can put the files in my website directory on this computer and download them from the other computer, but I cannot connect via netbios. I know how to turn off all the panels and make it look kind of like yours, except there is no entire network icon. All I see is the shared folders on a computer that isn't on the network. I want the panel like there is in Windows 2000... just a preview of the files, not all those damn links that I don't need. I liked the interface in 2000, why did microsoft go and fuck it up?! Oh well, I am dealing with XP for now, but I want this network thing to work, so when I get back, I am going to make 2000 work.

Thanks for you responses.

[zmerlinz]

i am asuming here that you have got the right ip's set up and the subnet mask is alright, also i would set xp up so the default gateway is the ip of the other machine, for some reason this tends to help matters

[MidgetsBro]

Originally posted by zmerlinz
i am asuming here that you have got the right ip's set up and the subnet mask is alright, also i would set xp up so the default gateway is the ip of the other machine, for some reason this tends to help matters

I am on Verizon DSL. I don't know if it's supposed to work this way, but I have the modem going into the uplink on my hub, and each of my other computers gets it's own IP address... I have plugged in 3 computers running Win98, WinME, and Win2K without a problem. It uses DHCP, so I don't do anything to the TCP/IP config. It goes on the internet fine, it just doesn't network with the rest of the computers. It's like it wants to be stubborn and not know anyone else in the neighborhood. Well, I can't really say that anymore since there is no "neighborhood" anymore, now it's "network places."

[lordstyrafoam]

Did you install NetBEUI, if not that may be why you cannot see the 98 and ME machines. Here is a link to manually install NetBEUI under XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...EN-US;q301041&

[MidgetsBro]

Originally posted by lordstyrafoam
Did you install NetBEUI, if not that may be why you cannot see the 98 and ME machines. Here is a link to manually install NetBEUI under XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...EN-US;q301041&

I have no 98 or ME machines. They are all Win2K.

[lordstyrafoam]

Originally posted by MidgetsBro


I am on Verizon DSL. I don't know if it's supposed to work this way, but I have the modem going into the uplink on my hub, and each of my other computers gets it's own IP address... I have plugged in 3 computers running Win98, WinME, and Win2K without a problem. It uses DHCP, so I don't do anything to the TCP/IP config. It goes on the internet fine, it just doesn't network with the rest of the computers. It's like it wants to be stubborn and not know anyone else in the neighborhood. Well, I can't really say that anymore since there is no "neighborhood" anymore, now it's "network places."

My fault, I assumed you were running 98 or ME given this info. But you know what happens when you assume. Is the XP machine getting a local ip address? If it can get on the internet and not see your other PCs it seems like it is getting an outside ip (outside your home network at least) from your ISP. Check it against your others.

[MidgetsBro]

I think I have figured it out... since all the computers get outside IP addresses, Windows XP assumed that the other computers were outside it's firewall, and therefore would not let it see or connect to any of them. I disabled the firewall, and it kind of works now. I can connect to the laptop with my main computer, but not vice versa. As long as I can transfer data, I'm happy.

[Pc_Madness]

Yeah, I had a similar problem with Zone Alarm... I uninstalled and it worked fine...

[wrack]

Originally posted by Pc_Madness
Yeah, I had a similar problem with Zone Alarm... I uninstalled and it worked fine...

I also got a zone alarm but I have put win98 PC's IP address in trusted networks in zone alarm and it works fine...

[Lord Orwell]

ive had countless networking problems using xp. having to re-run the network setup wizard multiple times for the os to get it right, etc.
rerun it again after aol broke it, etc.