can't get W7 computer to see XP computers on home network

Can't get my Windows 7 computer to see my XP computers on home network. XP computers can see W7 'puter but can't access it (under impression W7 only shares with other computers running W7) but that's OK cause I need to get files off old computers not from the new one. Thank goodness for flash drives . Home network is standard XP network with default name MSHOME and W7 is default WORKGROUP. Have tried changing networks to have same name both ways but didn't work. Any suggestions and help will really be appreciated. Sorry if this has already been covered but didn't have any luck when searching forums for this particular problem Thanks.

If possible please download and read this document. It will help with most if not all Windows 7, sharing issues. Download details: Windows 7 & HomeGroup: Downlevel Sharing take a look at pages 5 and 6 and see if that helps. Same workgroup names are really going to make your life easier. Adding identical usernames and passwords will also help, and understanding that when prompted for a password from your Win7 machine you need to include the MachineName\UserName format of a user on the machine you are attempting to access as well as the password for that user. Hope this helps, if not, post back with more specifics as to what is actually happening when you, say type \\machinename\sharename into the run dialog box. Windows 7 will share with downlevel client machines, it's just the whole HomeGroup thing that has us all confused a little, but if you treat it the same as you used to in XP, set the workgroup name the same on all PCs and use UNC (Universal Naming Convention) names you should get through it ok.

Thanks, Downloaded the doc file and will check it out.

You're Welcome, I certainly hope it helps. Not exactly the sharing bible, but it solved all of my issues, and answered most of my questions.

Sometimes it is extremely slow for XP and Windows 7 io connect, I mean like 15 min. It seems worse if either of the PCs have been in hibernate or sleep modes. I gave up trying top find a fix to speed things up.
Joe

Dear All,

The windows 7 is not 100% User friendly. even i am using windows xp from last 5 years it is user friendly
and end user can understand it easily. But the windows 7 is may be some new futures having it but not
user friendly. I am totally confused here coz i wanted to unistall some programs but unable to find it in control panel coz the controll panel is totally confused everything in windows7 is confused.

suggestion needed.

It's not Win 7 that is confused - it is you!! Yes, it does take quite a while to learn where things now live. The uninstall is control panel/Programs and Features.

But please don't overlook the usefulness of the search box (click orb and type). For example, try typing 'unistall program' and you would get the link you needed. This is very very useful. Experiment with this search and save yourself time and frustration.

Keep at it and soon you will forget XP!!

Hugh, W7 and XP can happily share files both ways. Forget Homegroups as this only applies between W7 computers.

If the XP folders are set up to share, W7 should see them. As it is not, check ctrl panel/Network and Sharing Center in W7. Click on Advanced sharing settings and make sure that network discovery is set on, file and printer is on (if you want to share W7 to XP), and turn off password protected sharing.

Wait for several minutes and see if the XP shares then become visible.

Originally Posted by Joe S

Sometimes it is extremely slow for XP and Windows 7 io connect, I mean like 15 min. It seems worse if either of the PCs have been in hibernate or sleep modes. I gave up trying top find a fix to speed things up.
Joe

Joe:
You are absolutely correct and while networking and power saving is not completely mutually exclusive, I often have to explain to clients that they need to pick one or the other. Attempting to have both is a bit counter intuitive since networking frequently negatively impacts power saving schemes, and as you've found out power saving schemes often cause problems with networking. I've been doing networking since DOS, 10 base 2, and lantastic and networking generally, whether client/server or peer to peer, is about high availability of share resources and there is a lot of things taking place under the hood when a client machine is polling for resource availability that just doesn't play well with hibernation or sleep mode. Sorry but you should probably decide which one is more important to you, networking or green computing.....together they could lead to the frustrations that you've been experiencing.

Trouble, downloaded and read it. Might have missed it but all I saw was how to get XP to access W7 computer files. Might have missed it but didn't see anything specific to my problem. Have my power set to high performance. Would that have any effect?

Lindsay, Thanks for the reply. Everything was already setup the way you suggested but W7 still doesn't find my other computers. Think they have been found twice in the week that I have had this new computer but doesn't find them when I want to get files off the old computers. Been on now for over an hour and wife is on her laptop for almost as long but can't find hers on the network.

Joe, thanks. If I ever find an answer will let you know