Vista and Windows 7 Networking - Working one way only

I have both a Vista (sp2 patch applied) and a Windows 7 computer. They share the internet through a common router - both computers using wireless with no internet problems.

I attempt to share common folders on both computers by setting up a simple network using WORKGROUP on both computers.

Result:
Using Windows 7 I can see/read the shared files on the Vista computer
Using Vista I cannot see the files/computer on the Windows 7 computer - can anyone point me to a simple guide to networking please ? or what the problem may be

Other info:-- Both use WORKGROUP rather than Windows 7 HOME (Windows 7 type network only)
I get the error message (on the Vista machine) Cannot find //DELLDPN
(DELLDPN is the name of the Windows 7 machine)

I am sure it's something simple (Window 7 premissions maybe? ) so the how-to guide is my best starting point.

Regards David

A really stupid question - you state :

Cannot find //DELLDPN

Is that a typo? Windows paths to computers use \ not / - so should be \\DELLDPN

It could be that windows is converting it in the error but it could be as simple as this?

Sorry typo crept in...
Computer name wrongly spelt SHOULD have been \\DELLDPN

Just tried again from Vista computer ( network discovery switched on )

Action: Network
Display: Network listed including DELLDPN (WORKGROUP) Windows 7
Network listed including MOBILEJLN (WORKGROUP) Vista

I now click on DELLDPN and get an error message box

error message reads

Windows cannot acess \\DELLDPN
Check the spelling of the name.Otherwise their may be a problem with your network.

Further details...
Error code 0x8007005 Acess is denied
(Diagnose run on Vista computer reports no error)

It seems the problem may be internal to the Windows 7 computer

Hope this helps

Unfortunately I'm at work so I can't check the details of my setup, but we have set up networking between a Windows 7 and a Vista laptop. From memory I think that the issue might be what default "workgroup" used by the two operating systems - I think that my Windows 7 laptop may be in "HOME" rather than "WORKGROUP".

Try taking a look at this article, which looks like it may help: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1405566

Edited by deleted (Wed 18-Jan-12 13:07:42)

Short on time..

Windows doesn't really care about workgroup names if you connect using UNC path. It should just work.

Something is obviously misconfigured, most likely on the Windows 7 compyter.

Open network and sharing center :

Make sure you are on Home or Work network, NOT Public network.

In network and sharing center > advanced sharing settings

Make sure file and printer sharing is ON
Turn homegroup OFF

As a diagnostic turn on public folder sharing, then go to Vista and type in \\DELLDPN and see if the share then appears.

If you have shared a folder such as your "my pictures" then the NTFS ACL will stop the vista machine from accessing, unless you access from an identical account name with identical password on the Vista machine.

Still not working:

3rd party firewalls?
Check windows firewall that file and printer sharing is allowed.

Edited by Pipexer (Wed 18-Jan-12 23:20:35)