Member Avatar for jittor

Hello all,

I am running Window XP Pro and our office was on a small network. We have a shared folder on everyones computer that we share files between. All of a sudden my computer, and only my computer no longer connects to the network. I can connect to the internet with no problems, but no the network and the shared folder. I can see the computer that the shared folder is networked on in "My Network Places" but cannot access it. I have tried everything - resting the modem and router. Restarting computers, renewing IP addresses, firewalls are off. I am at a loss. Any ideas or suggestions would greatly help.

Also, this the error I get when trying to access the shared folder or the computer that the shared folder is networked on:

"\\Kellyann\kellyann © in not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.
The network location cannot be reached. For information about network troubleshooting, see Windows Help."

Here is the error I get trying to access the shared folder, I obliviously get this because I can't even connect to the network:

"The drive or network connection that the shortcut 'workgroup.lnk' refers to is unavailable. Make sure that the disk is properly inserted or the network resource is available, and the try again."

Thanks,

Jon

  • 2 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 231 Views
  • 3 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Spriggan

Dani AI

Generated

A few focused checks will usually fix the "internet works but Windows file shares fail" case. The problem is most often name-resolution/NetBIOS, a stopped Windows networking service, a binding/authentication issue on the local NIC, or a leftover mapped-drive/credential problem — not the router. was on the right track with registry fixes for anonymous/NetBIOS behavior, but try the simpler diagnostics below first (safer and reversible).

Start with basic connectivity and name tests from a command prompt:

ipconfig /all
ping 192.168.x.x
ping RemotePCName
nbtstat -A 192.168.x.x
nbtstat -n
net view \\RemotePCName

If ping by IP works but name fails, NetBIOS/name resolution is the likely culprit. If IP ping fails, check cabling, link lights and NIC driver. Remove any stale mappings or credentials:

net use * /delete

Then reboot.

Check adapter and service settings in the GUI: Local Area Connection -> Properties must have "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer Sharing" installed and checked. In Services (services.msc) ensure Workstation, Server, Computer Browser and TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper are running and set to Automatic. Also verify the machine is in the same workgroup and that Simple File Sharing / share permissions and NTFS permissions allow your user.

If those steps fail, reset the network stack and cached state:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

Reboot after running them.

Regarding 's registry suggestion: that approach changes anonymous/NetBIOS behavior and can help, but back up the registry or create a restore point first and ensure any .reg file is created with the proper registry script header and ANSI encoding before importing. Lastly, if the rest of your office runs modern OSes, note that very old clients (Windows XP) rely on legacy SMB/NetBIOS; many newer systems disable SMB1 by default — if that is the case, the long-term fix is to update clients or use a server-side compatibility option rather than re-enabling insecure protocols.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for Spriggan

copy the following reg edit into notepad and then save it as "NetFix.reg"...

;Issue this addresses: when one PC will "see" the other PC(s), but give an "Access Denied" or "Permisssions" error.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"restrictanonymous"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters]
"NodeType"=dword:00000008

;abda abda abda that's all folks!

then just double click it to merge it with your registry.

Member Avatar for jittor

Hi Spriggan,

Thanks for your reply! I copied and pasted

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"restrictanonymous"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters]
"NodeType"=dword:00000008

into a text doc and save it as NetFix.reg. Then doubled clicked it and received the following error:

"The specified file is not registry script. You can only import binary files within the registry editor."

I am not sure what that means, maybe the script you gave me is missing something? Any ideas?

Member Avatar for Spriggan

sorry, put this at the top "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00"

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.