it-admin

The problem is on the machine you are trying to connect to.
Simple file sharing uses the guest account on the machine you are connecting
to.
This requires that the Guest account is:

1) Enabled; and
2) Granted permissions to log in across the network.

Starting with (1):

The option to turn the Guest account on and off from the control panel is
mis-labeled. It does not actually disable the account when you turn it off
here. It just sets an option on the account called Deny Local Logon. What
is required is that the guest account is active behind the scenes, which is
what is required for network access.

On XP-Pro:
R-click 'My Computer' | Manage | Local Users and Groups | Users
Check the Guest account does not have a red X on it.
If it does, then double-click the Guest account and un-check 'Account is
Disabled'.

XP Home is missing some essential tools to manipulate user accounts and
permissions. So on XP-Home, we need to use a command. ( This will work on
both XP-Home and XP-Pro ) :

Go to a command prompt ( not start | run ), and type:

net user guest

The output should contain a line like this:

Account active Yes

If it shows the account is not active, then type:

net user guest /active:yes

( It can remain off in the user control panel app, so long as it is enables
as per the above. )

Now, on to (2).
( This is the cause of your error. )

On XP-Pro, start | Run | secpol.msc
Local Policies | User Rights Assignments

Double-click the policy "Access this computer from the network".

Add the 'Everyone' group if it's not there:
'Add User or group' button;
Click 'Advanced' button;
Click 'Find Now'
Select 'Everyone' on the list, and OK all the way out.

Now double-click the policy "Deny access to this computer from the network".
Remove the Guest account if it's listed there.

OK your way out of there.
That should grant the necessary permissions.


For XP-Home,

Download and install the Windows 2003 Server Resource Kit Tools:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&displaylang=en

To run it, go to:
Start | All Programs | Windows Resource Kit Tools | Command Shell.

A command prompt window will open.
Type these commands, be carefull to use capital letters exactly as shown:

net user guest /active:yes

( this enables the guest account, necessary for XP-Home Simple File
Sharing )

ntrights +r SeNetworkLogonRight -u Guest

( This grants the user 'Guest' the rights to log on across the network )

ntrights -r SeDenyNetworkLogonRight -u Guest

( This ensures the Guest account is not explicitly prohibited from accessing
the machine across the network. )

Then check this worked by using these commands:

showpriv SeNetworkLogonRight
showpriv SeDenyNetworkLogonRight

Ensure the Guest account is listed in the first, and not in the second.