Member Avatar for troy19

Hi ... first of all i have a router that connected to my main pc (Computer A) .. and i have another pc (computer B) which connected by wireless (usb flash) when i acess the workgroup by computer A to the computer B ... it says : \\(computer B) is not accessible. You might not have permission blah blah blah contact your admin. thats one ........ the second problem when i access the workgroup from computer B (wireless) to compter A it opens a windows which i need to enter a password for the username :(computer A/GUEST) but i dont have password even i didnt create a password ..... So please any suggestions ??

Thanks Alot

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Dani AI

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Symptoms reported by show two classic causes: name/permission resolution and account/security settings. Browsing the Workgroup finds the machines, but access fails (access denied) and the remote machine prompts for (ComputerA\Guest) credentials — that means the connection is being mapped to the Guest account (which usually has no network rights or no password), or the share/NTFS permissions and firewall/router settings are blocking the session.

Quick diagnostic checklist (in order)

  1. Confirm basic network reachability: run ipconfig /all on both PCs and verify they have IPs on the same subnet, then ping the other PC (ping <other-PC-IP>).
  2. Check Workgroup/ComputerName: both machines should use the same Workgroup name (Control Panel → System → Computer Name).
  3. Verify services and client settings: on the target PC ensure the Server service is running and that File and Printer Sharing and Client for Microsoft Networks are enabled on the network adapter.
  4. Test firewall/router: temporarily disable the Windows/third‑party firewall on both machines and disable any router option named “Wireless Client Isolation,” “AP Isolation,” or “Guest SSID” that prevents Wi‑Fi clients from reaching wired LAN devices. Re-enable after testing.

Why the Guest password prompt appears and how to fix it

  • That prompt usually means the connecting user wasn’t authenticated and Windows is falling back to Guest. Many Windows installations block network logon for accounts with blank passwords. Either create a local user on the target PC and set a password (then use ComputerA\username and that password when prompted), or explicitly allow access by granting the Everyone group rights to a specific share for testing. When testing with Everyone/Guest, be sure to revert the change—it is insecure on a shared network.

Permission checklist (common pitfalls)

  • Share permissions and NTFS (Security tab) both must allow the desired access; giving Everyone read in the share but denying via NTFS will still block access. If administrative shares (C$, ADMIN$) are being browsed, Windows will require an administrator account and password.

If these steps don’t resolve the problem, capture exact error text and IP addresses and note whether both machines are XP Home or Pro (XP Home forces Simple File Sharing; XP Pro can use user‑level security).

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Member Avatar for Kraai

Can you tell us how did you set up this work group? Are you only sharing folders, or how was it set up?

What I normally do when I want to share a folder, is to create the folder on pc A, on the c drive, and right click it and mark it to be shared. On pc B, I open "My Computer" and type in the address bar the path tothis folder on pc A, \\pc A Ip number \foldername
and save it in the favourites.

Member Avatar for troy19

ill try this .. but that's not what am looking for ...... i didnt setup anything i just entered the my network places and on the left tab i choose the "view workgroup computers" and then i can see the other computers that connected by wirelsss or cable .

Member Avatar for Kraai

OKay, you can see the computers connected, but you wil not be able to access them, without those computers allowing you the access. Therefore, on the computers you want to access, permissions must be set up.

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