Vista - Home Network: can only access media, cannot share printer & files

I have a new Acer Aspire Desktop with Vista Home Premium and a Acer Satellite
Notebook with the same OS. I have followed all the suggested settings to
share files and printer, but the only thing being shared is media. I can see
the desktop on the map of my connections, but not when I vew computers and
devices. I'm using ATT DSL with a 2wire 2701 modem with integrated router.
I have tried opening ports and taking down all the firewalls just to see if
that would help. ATT said it's not the router and Acer hasn't responded yet.
I tried downloading something called "Network Magic" and it couldn't find my
router, so that was a waste of time. I'm sure this is just a setting, but I
can't figure it out. What am I doing wrong? B y the way, I have no idea what
I'm doing. I'm a stay at home mom and all I want to do is be able to print
from the laptop on a home network, without having to leave my daugther in
another room. I've been searching the net for 48 hours trying to get a
solution to what was not a problem when I had 2 HP's on a XP os. Where is the
"wizard" to simplify my life?

Assuming you have enabled file sharing, have you assign permissions in the
Security tab? Or this search result may help,

Vista Permission IssuesCan I assume the external drive used to be connecting
to other computer and you just re-connect it the the Vista? Check the
permission using this command: . ...
www.chicagotech.net/vista/vistapermission.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


"Stitch in time" <Stitchintime@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:46AE4931-DB8D-403A-B713-778400B063C1@xxxxxx

Your assumptions are correct.

I checked the link you sent...could see the answer to my problem.

MORE INFO: If I got to network and sharing and click on "view map" I can see
my desktop from notebook. But If I click on desktop, right click 'open' I
get the following error message: " cannot communicate with desktop (address).
network diagnostics pinged the remote host but did not receive a response.
Contact ISP or network admin. ISP not helpful. what should me settings be?
What do I need to allow? I thought I knew, but I don't.

"Robert L. (MS-MVP)" wrote:

If this the LAN, I don't see any issues with the ISP. Can you net view the
remote computer by using net view \\remotepcipadderss? If not, what's the
system error?

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


"Stitch in time" <Stitchintime@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:92533B95-3453-42A1-834F-CB4CE7595DE3@xxxxxx

I know this is simple check of a few boxes, I just CANNOT figure out where
the problem is.

From the laptop:This is a wireless Network Connection. I tried what you said
and the error message was the same as above:

" cannot communicate with desktop (address).
network diagnostics pinged the remote host but did not receive a response."

From the desktop: I can see the laptop and see shared files only if I sign
in as a guest. As a guest, though, I can't access the files:

Error message: "\\Laptop\user is not accessible. you might not have
permission to use this network resource."




"Robert L. (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Make sure you have assigned permissions in the Security tab. Or this search
result may help.

Vista Permission IssuesCan I assume the external drive used to be connecting
to other computer and you just re-connect it the the Vista? Check the
permission using this command: . ...
www.chicagotech.net/vista/vistapermission.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


"Stitch in time" <Stitchintime@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B4ECE5C3-92F3-4D23-8CF3-3BD5B764A5BB@xxxxxx