Member Avatar for g-fer

Hi All,

I have an office desktop using xp. Recently I bought a laptop running Windows 7. I set the laptop up for the wireless router ... no problem there, the internet is visible, but I can't see my xp machine, which is connected to the router by network cable. The XP machine can also connect to the internet properly, but it can't see the laptop. The laptop is set up for home network, meaning that it is visible, and file and printer sharing is allowed on the windows xp machine.

Why can't my computers see each other?

G-fer.

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Dani AI

Generated

Short troubleshooting summary and a clean checklist that fills gaps in the replies from this thread.

Windows 7 uses the new HomeGroup feature while XP does not, so you can’t make XP “join” a HomeGroup — use classic workgroup sharing instead. (support.microsoft.com)
As suggested, third‑party security (Norton, ZoneAlarm, etc.) commonly blocks discovery; as pointed out, mismatched workgroup/network profile settings are another frequent cause.

Quick checklist (work top→bottom)

  1. Verify basic connectivity: run ipconfig /all on both machines and confirm IPs are on the same subnet (e.g. 192.168.1.x). Use ping <other_IP> to confirm reachability.
  2. On the Windows 7 laptop set the network to Home (not Public) and enable Network Discovery + File and Printer Sharing in Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Change advanced sharing settings. (windows.microsoft.com)
  3. On XP enable File and Printer Sharing and make sure both machines use the same workgroup name (default Win7 is WORKGROUP; XP Home often uses MSHOME). See Microsoft’s guidance for mixing Windows versions. (windows.microsoft.com)
  4. Check firewalls: temporarily disable any third‑party firewall/AV and, if that fixes it, re-enable and add an exception for File and Printer Sharing (or allow the feature through Windows Firewall). (windows.microsoft.com)
  5. If discovery still fails, reset the network stack (run as Administrator then reboot): netsh int ip reset and netsh winsock reset. This fixes corrupted TCP/IP/Winsock problems. (learn.microsoft.com)

Quick commands (run in an elevated cmd):

ipconfig /all
ping <other_IP>
net view
net use \\<other_IP>\ShareName
netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset

A full XP reinstall can work (as reported) but is usually extreme. Also note Windows XP is out of support (April 8, 2014) — remaining on XP has security and compatibility downsides; upgrading a legacy PC is recommended when practical. (learn.microsoft.com)

Recommended Answers

All 4 Replies

Member Avatar for Rik_

Does the XP machine have that Norton rubbish in it? If so, that's why you can't see it on the network!

Member Avatar for mjdodd

this may seem a silly question but are they both in the same workgroup? Win 7 uses homegroup and xp uses workgroup. It does help to have them both in the same workgroup!
M

Member Avatar for g-fer

fixed thanks folks ... took a full xp reinstall to do it though. no idea why .....

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