XP Sharing issue driving me insane

L

LoStMaTt

2[H]4U
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Feb 26, 2003
Messages
3,180
No Active Directory
Simple File sharing

For some reason 2 or 3 PC's will randomly drop authentication with a share on our "server".

When you try to go to the share via \\servername\share it wants me to provide a username and password.

I type in the information for the remote machine and it doesn't work....reboot the computer -- still no go.

But here is the thing -- I am using Guest sharing -- it should never even bother to ask for username and password.


The other strange thing is that the share will randomly re-authenticate and let me back in without me doing anything. Than 5 minutes later it drops again.

This is for a restaurant point of sale -- the application accesses the share over the network. All of a sudden the software stops working because it can no longer access the share -- that is when I try all of the above -- rebooting doesnt work -- any credentials i type in do not work -- so I give up -- 5 minutes later the POS application pops back up and the share is accessible again.

I am dumbfounded.
 
I never use guest access or simple file sharing personally.

Create accounts on the system that is sharing the folder and apply permissions as appropriate. Map the drive from the client machines and make it persistent with a uniform drive letter.

If your shares are dropping randomly you are probably having some sort of network issue or something else weird is going on like a machine has an incorrect cached password and is causing a temporary account lockout of whatever account is being used for the folder access. You can check the local machine security policy to see what the lockout duration is.

Turn on auditing to see what is causing the lockout as well.
 
I also make a blanket account that matches exactly on each machine and map via that account logon.

Like User: POS
Password: PleaseGawdGetaServer

Also I think you may be able to use the add a network Place wizard and access the share that way. You will have to do that fo reach machine, but it may hold the auth everytime.
 
None of the above works.

I am familiar with XP sharing -- have shared files in all Microsoft OS's for years and have never seen this issue.

It is happening again.


Let me try to clarify/simplify what is occurring.

SILVER1 (Computer Name): Shared folder called Forsys (everyone must have access to this, read/write/fullcontrol)

SILVER2-SILVER8: All of these workstations need to be able to access \\silver1\forsys

Currently what happens is the share works fine -- everything works -- the network application runs great.

All of a sudden the application randomly crashes because it can no longer access \\silver1\forsys

When I go to one stations (SILVER2-SILVER8) and try to access the share via \\silver1\forsys it prompts me for a Username and Password instead of pulling up the share like it is supposed to.

No matter what I type into this login box -- it doesn't work. Doesn't even tell me an error if I make something up.

Then, randomly the share will become available again and the network application shoots right back up.

I am still dumbfounded.

Am not sure what is causing the share to behave this way and ask for credentials when none should EVER be required.
 
I wonder if you're passing the 10x max concurrent inbound connections of XP pro..although you should get a different error. But you state that then this POS application crashes..and you go to restart it...maybe that crashed session holds the connection open for a bit...so with 8x client PCs...one or two crashes will put the total connections past 10.

Is this all XP Pro? Or are there any XP Homeless in the mix?

Is the XP rig running as a server also running local apps...being used at a desktop? Or sitting in a corner dedicated?
 
Make sure these services are running as Automatic:

* Computer Browser
* Workstation
* Server
* Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
* Net Logon

For your "Local Area Connection" or whatever, these are the defaults that are there:

* Client for Microsoft Networks (should be set to Locator)
* File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
* QoS Packet Scheduler
* Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Also make sure that everyone is in the same network group (ie. WORKGROUP). It sounds like everyone on your network already is though.

Hope this helps. :S Otherwise you should make a post at Technet.

PS. I once had a similar problem to yours, and I have a feeling there is one thing I did not mention here that might have all to do with resolving the problem...
 
Cerulean said:
Also make sure that everyone is in the same network group (ie. WORKGROUP). It sounds like everyone on your network already is though..
Click to expand...

This here is actually a false...."myth". Computers from different workgroups can access each other just fine. Workgroups only provide a visual layer when browsing network places, you jump out of one workgroup, and drill down into another workgroup. All it does is provide a way for computers to visually organize in groups when browsing the network....computers in the same workgroup will "show up" in each others network places. It's not related to access control in any way.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
This here is actually a false...."myth". Computers from different workgroups can access each other just fine. Workgroups only provide a visual layer when browsing network places, you jump out of one workgroup, and drill down into another workgroup. All it does is provide a way for computers to visually organize in groups when browsing the network....computers in the same workgroup will "show up" in each others network places. It's not related to access control in any way.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is true. I had forgotten about this.

And if you are wondering, my post was not written with fanboyism or anything like that. I just have a lot of experience fiddling around with various parts of XP and was sharing what I know. Simple as that. :)
 
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