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lexus

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Shared printer not visible to XP systems.

I want a printer to be shared to everyone in the network, while restricting several computers from having a NT login to the network server.

I installed the local printer on a win98 system with "share level access control" and print sharing enabled.  All win98 systems on the network can now use this printer, even those that do not have access to the NT server.  ...except those with an XP OS.

If I change from share level to user level from the NT group, only those that have logins to the NT server can see the printer.

How do I get the XP systems to find the printer?  They do not even see the other machine when a directory is shared.
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JammyPak
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Can the XP machines ping the '98 box?
From XP, can you so Start - Run, and then \\<98machinename>

I would try to explicity connect to the 98 machine (ie don't use browseing)

Report back any error messages received...

JP
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lexus

ASKER

I can ping the machine with its IP address, but cannot ping any of the machines on the network with their machine name path.

I tried to connect to the machine directly with its path, but it will not find it.  It only sees it if I change the share back to user-level on the w98 machine.

XP is home, not pro.
if you can't ping a machine with it's computer name, then that will explain why it can't 'find' the computer.

Try this - add a line to the lmhosts file like this:
<ipaddress of win98>  <computername of win98>

and try again - make sure to remove any .sam on the lmhosts file.

JP
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ASKER

What is the "imhosts" file?  I did a search for imhosts on the XP machine, and nothing came up.
sorry - l as in Larry lmhosts file
Look in \$systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc
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XP will look at the hosts file first. The hosts. file is in the same directory.

If you use the lmhosts entry, be sure it is in this format:

<ipaddress> <tab> HOSTNAME <tab> #PRE

In order for XP to look at the LMHOSTS file, you  need to enable Netbios over TCP/IP on XP:
Enabling NetBios over TCP/IP in WIndows XP
Step 1: Turn On NetBIOS over TCP/IP
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Network and Internet Connections.
Click Network Connections.
Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
Click the General tab, and then click Advanced.
Click the WINS tab.
Under NetBIOS setting, click Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, and then click OK two times.
Click Close to close the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
Close the Network Connections window.

Here's some other information for networking XP and non-XP:

--------------------
First and formost, make sure there is no firewall software running! XP has built in PFW.Turn off the Internet Connection Firewall ICF in the advanced settings for the Lan Connection. Check for Norton Internet Security AV/Firewall, BlackIce, ZoneAlarm, PC-cillin (yes, some AV products have built-in firewall), VPN cliet (Raptor Mobile, Cisco VPN), et al.
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Next, check your XP networking setup:
http://support.chartermi.net/support/pipeline/windows/winxp_network.html
Although this link says to set netbios over tcp/ip to "default", follow the instructions below...
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Turn on "Simple file sharing" on the XP (Pro only) machine. Open explorer, click tools, click folder options, click the view tab and scroll down until you see "Use simple file sharing" then check the box..
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For the duration of testing, enable the Guest account on XP. If all works, you can deal with that issue later (username/passwords for everyone on every PC)
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Client for Microsoft Networks needs to be the primary network logon for all other machines

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxpwin9x.htm
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All machines are in the same workgroup
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References:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318030
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314366
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315267
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/slowbrowse02.htm
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxNetwork.htm

Install NETBEUI on XP only if all else fails and/or you have no other choice:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=301041


Can you ping your Windows98 machines from your Windows2000 server?  If not, you've got a name resolution problem that should be your first concern.

How are the Win98 machines configured for the network?  Are they using DHCP or static IP?  If DHCP, is your server providing DHCP or something else?

Get name resolution fixed.  Using lmhosts is ackward and troublesome to maintain.
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ASKER

I can't help but think we're getting off track.  The network is NT server, but when the w98 machine with the printer is set at user-level access control, the XP machine can use the printer (and all other machines that are part of the workgroup).  It is when I change the share to "share level access" so NON logged in workgroup users can access this printer, then the XP machine will not find the printer.  Could this be a problem with XP Home version and networking?
you mention a NT Server and yet you use the word workgroup....

which are you in a domain or a workgroup... or even worse both ?? arrrghhhhhhhh


It may well be that XP home is a problem as it's networking functionallity is greatly reduced from the professional version with notable problems in application permissions and security etc..

good luck..
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Les Moore
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ASKER

"If you have XP Home, you will not be able to use share level access"

Thanks for the help.  This explains it.  Unfortunately, not all questions have answers that I like.  It's sad that M$ keeps removing useful features in each new OS version, and adding useless ones.  When w98 has a network feature, you don't expect it taken away.

ps: I give up trying to get it to work and installed a basic network print server.