Network user name

i am setting up a home network with 3 PCs. a desktop with Win 2000 Pro, another desktop with XP home, and a laptop with XP pro. they can all see each other. files can be shared with the XP home and the 2000, but when i try to logon to the XP pro it prompts me for a username and password. i didnt set up anything like that. so i was hoping if you could tell me where i could find out the username or another way to solve the problem

Thanks
DW

 

Go to My Computer, Tools, Folder Options. Scroll to the bottom and put a check in simple file sharing.

It will then use the guest account for access, like XP Home.

 

ok it says that the user name is guest but it still requires a password

 

That would be correct. When a networked computer is asking for Username/Password, it is expecting you to log in as a user (administrator, guest, user). In order to utilize File sharing, you will have to set yourself up as a user on all computers, due to you are not using an Exchange server, or running in a Domain setting.

 

but it wants a password in order to log in as guest and i have no idea what it is using

 

Are all computers using "Simple File Sharing" on them? That would cause it to ask for a password as a guest. It is safer to not use 'Simple File Share', and log into the share as the user you have set up on all machines.

 

Try just hitting the "enter" key. That sometimes works for a password that was not set up.

 

ive tried that and it doesnt work either

 

Ok, XP didn't setup all of your network components properly on install. Thats the reason for the greyed guest username.

Run the network setup wizard, there is a link inside Network Connections.

Setup a small home or office....yada yada.

Run it on both the Home and Pro machines, to make sure. Then, if you will need to disable the Windows firewall on both of those machines, or allows file and printer sharing through them.

When you get to the scenarios, I always tell people to hit next on the first page, and choose the first scenario on that page.

 

Adrynalyne, you forgot about the warning about the fact that Network Setup Wizard likes to "Bridge" connections if more then one WiFi adapter.

Just to add, if a "Bridge" is created in Network Connections, it is okay to delete said "Bridge".