Network Geeks

Mrwurm · Oct 4, 2002

Mike and Peter, I went into folder options and changed the defaults. 'Show hidden files and folders' is now 'on' and 'hide protected os files' is off. I can now view the 'program files' folder from the win2000 machine without clicking through the 'idiot' warning. I thought this would be the ticket and allow me to see those files across the network when seated at the win98 machine. No such luck, I still get a script error when trying to open the 'program files' folder on the win2000 from the networked win98 machine. I don't really have any good reason to pursue this problem, other than it's a curiosity at this point.

MikePA · Oct 4, 2002

Jerry, can you post the full text, and perhaps a screenshot, of the error message you're seeing?

Mrwurm · Oct 4, 2002

I can do that tonight.
Thanks

Wingnut · Oct 4, 2002

yeah, my curiosity usually keeps me grinding away long after the need disappears .... just our nature I guess. I'll keep puzzling ...

MossRoad · Oct 4, 2002

I think it might be something related to the way your 98 machine is percieved by the 2000 machine. In the article that I put a link to, it talks about having to be a member of the power users or administrators goup to access shares, but you can access shares, just not this one. Perplexing.

Hank · Oct 4, 2002

In the article that I put a link to, it talks about having to be a member of the power users or administrators goup to access shares

Right. As a minimum, you have to be a member of some group that has permissions for that folder. Like others in this thread, I am of the type that wants to see lingering problems solved, just for the challenge of solving the problem. I guess that's why we are in the field we are/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MikePA · Oct 4, 2002

Do you login (userid and password) to the Win98 machine? I ask because most people do not. Win98 is fairly unsecure (big understatement) but the Win2000 machine needs to be presented with a userid to know whether the access should be allowed. At a minimum, what ever userid in use on the Win98 machine has to be defined to the local Users group on the Win2K PC. Attached is the security on my Program Files folder on my Win2K PC.

looch · Oct 4, 2002

I'd eliminate all security during troubleshooting - set both share and NTFS permissions to Everyone/Full Control.

Hank · Oct 4, 2002

I'd eliminate all security during troubleshooting - set both share and NTFS permissions to Everyone/Full Control. 

I agree 100% I just wish we still had a Win9x machine on our network so I could troubleshoot this. MikePA is getting to the heart of this. Your logon "credentials" are what is probably preventing your access.

looch · Oct 4, 2002

I'm thinking by changing the perms to everyone/full control that log on credentials shouldn't matter.

Hank · Oct 4, 2002

set both share and NTFS permissions to Everyone/Full Control. 

This is what I suggested earlier (or at least I thought I did)/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MossRoad · Oct 4, 2002

Do you think he needs to make the 98 machine join a workgroup? My thinking is he doesn't have a domain so he has to join a workgroup and you're suggestion is right along those lines. If you don't log in, there are no security credentials. However, he can access some shares on the 2000 machine from the 98 machine. He just can't access the Program Files share. Is this because it is a protected or special system share? If that is the case, he shouldn't be able to access the C$ share, the system folder, etc... I'm still stumped.

MikePA · Oct 4, 2002

I've gotten this to work by defining the same userid, with the same password on each PC, the logging in to each PC and mapping the drives in either direction.

MossRoad · Oct 4, 2002

So, if he doesn't log in, that means he skipped the password the first time he ever logged in. On the 98 machine he should go to start/logoff and he should get a log on prompt, then enter the same userid and password as he logs in with his 2000 machine. That will work as long as the original 98 login was not the same as his 2000 machine. If the original 98 login was the same as his 2000 machine, he will have to hit the ESC key at the login prompt, find the .PWL file for that user, blow away the .PWL file, then log off and back on as the 2000 userid with the correct 2000 password.... long sentence. Does that sound right?

MikePA · Oct 4, 2002

Hank · Oct 5, 2002

He just can't access the Program Files share. Is this because it is a protected or special system share? If that is the case, he shouldn't be able to access the C$ share, the system folder, etc.

The default W2K NTFS permission set for c$ is Everyone/Full Control, which is why he could access the c-drive share even without credentials, I believe. Even the \WINNT folder includes Everyone in its permission set.

The default NTFS set for the Program Files folder is more restrictive, and does not include "Everyone", but only Administrators, Power Users, and Users. All of these groups require some sort of credentials to permit access.

I think the simplest way to fix it (per pbenven) would be to grant "Everyone" Full Control on the Program Files folder. This is a potential security hole if connected full time to the Internet, but a personal firewall should take care of that.

Mrwurm · Oct 6, 2002

Sorry to leave you guys hanging. I've been kinda busy. I sent MikePa an email with some images of the problem. The images file is too large to post here. If anyone else wants to see them let me know and I will email them to you also. I might have time later to try some more of the suggestions.

Jerry

rf33 · Oct 7, 2002

Have you tried to map a drive to this share by using the \\computername\progra~1 nomenclature? Many times just by using the shortened file names, you can get this to work. Another trick is to put the whole name in quotes such as "\\computername\program files". The problem might just be in the way that the network subsytem interprets the space in the name of the share. If this does not fix the problem, feel free to e-mail me with any more specifics and I will do my best to help you out.