Sharing between Vista and XP

[pctech]

I don't know if this has been talked about here on FR (I assume it has but I couldn't find a thread on it) but I have been trying to get file sharing to work between Windows XP and Vista. I got all the correct network protocols installed on my XP computer but I couldn't get it to see the lone Vista computer on the network.

Before you ask, my son has to run Vista because of network requirements at Purdue University. When he brings his computer home it messes up the entire network since I'm running XP on all my other computers.

Then it hit me, maybe my anti-virus / firewall is causing the problem. I've been running AVG 8.0 for a year or so now on all my XP computers but I don't remember having the problems before having a Vista computer on the network. Last night I uninstalled AVG from my computer and when I did then all the computers on the network showed up on my XP computer.

So I got online last night and I noticed that there is a setting in AVG to ensure file sharing works correctly. When I set it to ensure file and printer sharing worked correctly, I'm still not seeing the Vista computer unless I do a search for it through the Start/Run command.

During my search online I found out that people are starting to endorse Avast over AVG, and that Avast isn't as complicated to operate as AVG is getting to be and file sharing isn't affected. I wanted to find out what people think about both programs before I make a decision to switch from one to the other. Perhaps someone knows something about AVG that will help me and I won't have to.

Thanks for any input you all can lend me.

Cheers!

[ikka]

It may not be AVG, more likely it is a tighter security setting on Vista.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I don't have any suggestions as I can't even get sharing to work among XP PCs I own.

Could you perhaps post the steps to find this "setting in AVG to ensure file sharing works correctly"? I'd like to give that a shot.

[DYngbld]

Good luck. I have vista on two machines, and xp on three, I have yet to get them to all play nice. I just gave up on it, and use removable media to share files.

[pctech]

That does not sound good. There has to be some way to getting these things to play nice, I just gotta figure out how to do. Thanks for your input.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Maybe you need an old computer running Linux and samba to manage the interface to the outside world...and your network.

[bubbacluck]

Our firewall is Zone Alarm. All the IP addresses must be in a trusted zone. You may be able to configure this through your router, also.

[Stentor]

I found out that people are starting to endorse Avast over AVG

Works great.Hope you don't mind a deep voice telling you that "virus database has been updated at 3:00 AM.

[JSteff]

Do you use passwords for logon? If so go to advanced sharing create the share from there in the same window
you have a option for permissions, in there you are able to set the permissions for everyone or add a specific user.

[pctech]

I turned off the password protection in Vista.

[thoolou]

Not sure about the Vista/AVG thing, but I can heartily endorse Avast! Been using it for about five years, and have *never* had a problem. Looking at getting the Enterprise edition for the office network. :)

FWIW, I have read a few things about AVG 8 being a bit “twitchy”. Can you go back to 7.x?

[Arizona Carolyn]

Good luck. I can’t even get one of my programs that works on XP work on my computer that is XP Pro..

[listenhillary]

Works great.Hope you don't mind a deep voice telling you that "virus database has been updated at 3:00 AM.

Turn off the sounds. There's a setting to turn it off.

[pctech]

I don’t think 7.X is supported now, though I am going to research it. I’m leaning towards Avast though, as I’m getting tired of fighting this battle.

[JSteff]

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/e20e6875-7210-47bb-bf19-5c60e6ae86151033.mspx

File sharing essentials

[waynesa98]

Sharing is possible between vista and xp. First remember that both have firewalls. Find your intranet ip address it will be something like 192.xxx.xxx.xxx, for all the computers on your net work and any router you might have. Depending on the firewall (windows or norton for instance) you will need to make the router, if you have one, a trusted network. You will need to make the computers trusted as well, and then set the specific folders/drives on both machines to be shared.

[JSteff]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

Configuring File and Printer Sharing Behavior in Windows Vista

[MahatmaGandu]

I will pray for you.

[raybbr]

Tech ping

[McGruff]

You beat me to the file sharing page. It maybe as simple as this

"The default workgroup name in Windows Vista has been changed to WORKGROUP. In Windows® XP Home Edition, the default workgroup name is MSHOME."

I'm running Vista and the other 2 running XP and seem to remember having this problem.