Basic setup: I have a home wireless network as such
1 PC desktop (Windows XP Media Center) that is serving as “central computer” (not a server, per se)
2 PC laptops (Windows XP on one, Windows Vista Home the other)
All of these work fine - connected to Internet via wireless router, and they can all “see” each other and I can drag-n-drop files between the shared folders.
Now I bring home another laptop - PC running Windows XP. It connects to my wireless router no problem, am surfing the 'net happily. But for the life of me I cannot figure out what to do to get it to see the “shared folder” on my desktop PC (or for that matter, any of the PCs on the home network).
Part of the problem may be that’s it a work computer - for example, under “Network Drives” it’s got a mapped drive to my company’s server. And it may be that the company has somehow blocked the ability to add this computer to any other network. (I know very very little about home networking, although I was able to get the home network set up and the other 2 laptops access to it, but now I’m flummoxed and frustrated).
My google-fu must be weak as I cannot find the answer to this.
It’s pretty simple - what folders/icons/whatever do I click so that this new laptop can see (and share) files with my desktop’s Shared folders?
Can it be a matter of the new laptop being in the wrong workgroup?
Go to Control Panel -> System (shortcut Windows key + Pause) and look for the workgroup. All computers should be in the same one – it’s possible the work computer uses a different one to match the company network.
Well, that was interesting. I went into that screen and in one setting had to change from “domain” to “workgroup”. Did that, typed in the workgroup name, got a message saying I needed to reboot.
Now, I’m completely locked out my machine I guess my login info is only good for logging into the computer under the work domain. I no longer have that option, and it doesn’t accept my login info.
Edit: Oh, if you’re using an older version of XP… at the login screen, try pushing CTRL-ALT-DEL twice (seriously). It might bring up a login screen that’ll let you type in any username. Try Administrator with no password and see if that gets ya in…
A decent IT department would not let you (as a user) change the domain options in the first place. So it was their fault
You could have connected to your home network shares without the change, but would not have been able to browse the workgroup - you would need to connect by \servername\share. Although the network settings may not have been appropriate for your home network, either.
I guess my login info is only good for logging into the computer under the work domain. I no longer have that option, and it doesn’t accept my login info.
