Vista+Win2k Notwork

April 17, 2007 10:41 PM

Networking Vista and Win2K. They can't 'see' each other.

I have both machines on the default workgroup: WORKGROUP (go figure). I can ping with no problem and have added a user account with the same name and password to each PC. The two are connected to a gateway that was previously used to connect XP and win2k (and winME beforehand) without any difficulty. I've tried two different procedures, found through googling, that turned on LLTD and something else. The vista machine is set up as belonging to a 'private' network. Firewall is not a problem. This is nuts.

What should I try next?

posted by IronLizard to computers & internet (9 comments total)

Is Client For Microsoft Networks turned on? Is NetBios enabled over TCP/IP? Do you have anything set for WINS setting? Have you messed around with preferred Master Browser settings? Are these machines using DHCP, and if so what is the DHCP server (router/Windows server/etc.)?

How can you be sure this is not a Firewall issue?
posted by stovenator at 11:32 PM on April 17, 2007

I turned off the firewall while testing and print/file sharing is allowed through a rule, regardless. NetBIOS is enabled over TCIP. WINS, no idea will check. Client for MS Networks is installed. The router (gateway) is the DHCP server and the configuration worked before with XP and win2k (everything worked seamlessly, in fact). The Vista machine has been assigned to .100 and the 2k to .101. Master Browser settings? I don't even know what that is, unless it has something to do with Internet Options.
posted by IronLizard at 11:47 PM on April 17, 2007

IsDomainMaster key is set to false on the win2k machine.
posted by IronLizard at 12:27 AM on April 18, 2007

I'm guessing that the XP machine was the Master Browser, and that it is disabled on the 2K machine to prevent election conflicts. However, the Vista machine is failing in it's attempt to be the master browser (the Master Browser keeps the knowledge of what systems are on the network for all other Windows Network machines). I haven't dealt with this on Vista, but the browstat tool from the resource kit may help. You may also have to enable the guest account on the Vista machine for some weird reason, but this is a guess.
posted by stovenator at 12:47 AM on April 18, 2007

Also, try just going to the Run dialog (Win key + R) and typing in \\192.168.1.100\ (or whatever the IP is of the machine you want to browse to) and see what that gives you.
posted by stovenator at 12:50 AM on April 18, 2007

Remember that you're dealing with two separate services. First, do the thing that stovenator suggests: on each machine, do start/run, and type:

\\other.machine.ip.address

and hit enter. If they're connected and sharing anything, you'll get a login prompt... unless they have the same username/password, in which case you'll just get a window showing the shares on the other computer.

If that works, that means you're connected and talking, but the computer browser service is failing. Most likely, the Vista machine is winning any election, because it's the most recent version of Windows, but for some reason it's not providing the service correctly. You might want to look up 'domain browsing Vista' and/or 'workgroup browsing vista' and see if you can find any hints at the Microsoft site.

And remember that if the \\ trick works, you can just use that to map some drives and be functional, even if your browsing is busted.

Another thing to check: make sure the machines are on the same subnet. If they're on either side of a router, they won't generally see one another with the network browser, although you can still connect with the \\ip number syntax.
posted by Malor at 2:50 AM on April 18, 2007

Oh, another thought: make sure the Computer Browser service is started on both machines.
posted by Malor at 2:52 AM on April 18, 2007

Microsoft changed the NTLMv2 authentication scheme in Vista. This screwed up connections to Linux boxes running Samba, and all previous Windows installations, which use NTLMv1. You have to change a setting in Vista to allow the previous authentication scheme to be used.

Here's the solution:

--login to Vista as an admin
--run secpol.msc (type it into the "search box" in the Windows menu)
--Go to Local Policies->Security Options
--Look down the list for Network security: LAN Manager authentication level
--Double click and change to send LM and NTLM

If you have Vista Home (or whatever the cheapest Vista version is) secpol.msc might not exist, and you might have to make a registry change. Google.
posted by jellicle at 6:07 AM on April 18, 2007

Stovenator: Ok, The Vista PC can see the win2k machine using the \\ trick (Thanks!) though browsing is still not working and the win2k machine cannot see the vista machine. I did enable the Guest account, though I'm not sure if it did anything (I vaguely remember having to do something like that a couple of years ago). Also, WINS appears to be MIA.

Jellicle: That was the other thing I turned on earlier.

This is enough to get me transferring files over and while getting browsing to work might be nice, it's not that important right now. Thanks for the help!
posted by IronLizard at 7:02 AM on April 18, 2007