Workgroup Permission Denied (Usually)

Hi!



I am having trouble getting my home network workgroup to completely connect
all the time, and get messages similar to this one (extracted from Microsoft
Knowledge Base article 318030)



Workgroup Name is not accessible. You may not have permission to use this
network resource



I have a desktop and a laptop as the (only) two machines on my home
workgroup.


From the desktop:

a.. I am usually able to see the workgroup, the desktop itself and the
laptop as expected:
My Network Places

Entire Network

Microsoft Windows Network

[workgroup name]

[desktop name]

[desktop shared files]

[laptop name]

[laptop shared files]

[Desktop Shared Files]

[Laptop Shared Files]



(By "seeing", I mean only that the name of the workgroup or computer appears
in Windows Explorer, as opposed to "opening", by which I mean that clicking
on that line will open whatever may be underneath it.)

a.. Occasionally, attempts to open the workgroup (to see the desktop
itself and laptop underneath) result in permission denial. (This of course
means I can't see either the laptop or desktop underneath the workgroup.)
b.. Also, there have been other times when I can open the workgroup, but
attempts to open the desktop (under the workgroup) are also similarly
denied. (I can, curiously, seem to open the laptop in these circumstances.)
c.. Most (but not all) of the time, however, I can open the workgroup, the
desktop and laptop underneath, and the shared files underneath both machines
successfully.


The laptop is usually able to:

a.. see the workgroup;
b.. open up the workgroup and see the laptop underneath (sometimes it also
sees the desktop underneath);
c.. open up the laptop and the shared laptop files underneath


Of the times that the laptop has been able to see the desktop, perhaps only
once has the laptop been able to open up the desktop and the desktop's
shared files. Most of the time when the laptop sees the desktop, it cannot
open up the desktop (and gets the "not available" message shown above).



I have recycled each machine numerous times, and am unable to determine any
specific pattern that correlates to anything.



Background setup information:

a.. My home network is supplied by the cable TV supplier through a cable
modem. The modem feeds my wireless (Linksys) router, which in turn feeds
the (wireless) laptop and desktop, (which is connected to the router via
Ethernet cable).


a.. Both computers are running Windows XP Home with Service Pack 2.


a.. I have gone through the Network Setup Wizard on both machines several
times to ensure the setups are identical. The workgroup has the same name
on both machines (why does the Wizard always provide MSHOME as a default
instead of what the workgroup is already named? Is there a clue here?)


a.. I have conformed both machines to the contents of the Microsoft
Knowledge base article 318030 on this problem, and have taken the advised
steps below on both machines:


· NetBIOS over TCP/IP is not turned on (enabled) on one or more
computers in the workgroup.



· The Computer Browser service is not started or is turned off on
one or more computers in the workgroup.





I am suspecting the problem is really with the desktop setup somewhere, but
I don't know where else to look. Any advice, suggestions much appreciated!



Thanks,

Bob

Bob Ryan

It's possible I may have found a solution, thanks to stumbling across some
other postings in this newgroup that I'd not seen the first time.

I had been running Black Ice (firewall) in addition to Windows Firewall
earlier, but in setting up the workgroup (several days ago) I turned off
Black Ice by moving it from my Startup folder to some other folder so it
wouldn't be initialized every time I started up the desktop. As expected,
the Black Ice icon no longer appeared in my System Tray.

However, today (after any number of recycles) I took another look at the
host file that Black Ice creates, and noted an entry in the file dated after
I had turned off Black Ice. I consequently concluded that some small
residual piece of Black Ice was still running on my machine somewhere
(perhaps being pulled in by autoexec.bat or config.sys), so I uninstalled
Black Ice entirely. Since then, I've been able to reach my desktop from the
laptop with at least a couple of recycles on the laptop to date.

I have noticed a number of people not having trouble accessing the laptop
from their desktop, but having trouble accessing the desktop from the
laptop. I suspect they may have the same history I did -- start with a
(possibly third-party) firewalled and hardwired desktop, and then get a
wireless laptop and router and connect them all up into a workgroup. This
suggests the firewall on the desktop as a likely source of the problem for
such folks.

So far, things now seem to be okay for me, but if I still have problems,
I'll post again (and probably eat my words, but oh well.)

Thanks,
Bob

--"Bob Ryan" <> wrote in message
news:U6mdnWwfGODOScbeRVn-...
> Hi!
>
>
>
> I am having trouble getting my home network workgroup to completely
> connect all the time, and get messages similar to this one (extracted from
> Microsoft Knowledge Base article 318030)
>
>
>
> Workgroup Name is not accessible. You may not have permission to use this
> network resource
>
>
>
> I have a desktop and a laptop as the (only) two machines on my home
> workgroup.
>
>
> From the desktop:
>
> a.. I am usually able to see the workgroup, the desktop itself and the
> laptop as expected:
> My Network Places
>
> Entire Network
>
> Microsoft Windows Network
>
> [workgroup name]
>
> [desktop name]
>
> [desktop shared files]
>
> [laptop name]
>
> [laptop shared files]
>
> [Desktop Shared Files]
>
> [Laptop Shared Files]
>
>
>
> (By "seeing", I mean only that the name of the workgroup or computer
> appears in Windows Explorer, as opposed to "opening", by which I mean that
> clicking on that line will open whatever may be underneath it.)
>
> a.. Occasionally, attempts to open the workgroup (to see the desktop
> itself and laptop underneath) result in permission denial. (This of
> course means I can't see either the laptop or desktop underneath the
> workgroup.)
> b.. Also, there have been other times when I can open the workgroup, but
> attempts to open the desktop (under the workgroup) are also similarly
> denied. (I can, curiously, seem to open the laptop in these
> circumstances.)
> c.. Most (but not all) of the time, however, I can open the workgroup,
> the desktop and laptop underneath, and the shared files underneath both
> machines successfully.
>
>
> The laptop is usually able to:
>
> a.. see the workgroup;
> b.. open up the workgroup and see the laptop underneath (sometimes it
> also sees the desktop underneath);
> c.. open up the laptop and the shared laptop files underneath
>
>
> Of the times that the laptop has been able to see the desktop, perhaps
> only once has the laptop been able to open up the desktop and the
> desktop's shared files. Most of the time when the laptop sees the
> desktop, it cannot open up the desktop (and gets the "not available"
> message shown above).
>
>
>
> I have recycled each machine numerous times, and am unable to determine
> any specific pattern that correlates to anything.
>
>
>
> Background setup information:
>
> a.. My home network is supplied by the cable TV supplier through a cable
> modem. The modem feeds my wireless (Linksys) router, which in turn feeds
> the (wireless) laptop and desktop, (which is connected to the router via
> Ethernet cable).
>
>
> a.. Both computers are running Windows XP Home with Service Pack 2.
>
>
> a.. I have gone through the Network Setup Wizard on both machines several
> times to ensure the setups are identical. The workgroup has the same name
> on both machines (why does the Wizard always provide MSHOME as a default
> instead of what the workgroup is already named? Is there a clue here?)
>
>
> a.. I have conformed both machines to the contents of the Microsoft
> Knowledge base article 318030 on this problem, and have taken the advised
> steps below on both machines:
>
>
> · NetBIOS over TCP/IP is not turned on (enabled) on one or more
> computers in the workgroup.
>
>
>
> · The Computer Browser service is not started or is turned off on
> one or more computers in the workgroup.
>
>
>
>
>
> I am suspecting the problem is really with the desktop setup somewhere,
> but I don't know where else to look. Any advice, suggestions much
> appreciated!
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bob
>

[ffrut]

Thanks - you pinpointed my problem very well.

I had upgraded from Windows 2000 Pro to XP Pro and was then unable to see any other systems in the workgroup. Additionally, the other systems in the workgroup were aware of the XP system but unable to connect to it.

Along with the XP upgrade, I had added Norton Internet Security and it was the Personal Firewall in Norton that was preventing this system from joining the workgroup. Once it was turned off, normal workgroup communications resumed and I was able to access shared folders.

Thanks again.