Accessing my Windows machine

Question

I can not access my Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2machine.
I have activated 'Sharing' (in Internet & Network' in the System Preferences, by checking 'Windows Sharing' in the Services tab.
I can see my Windows computer. It shows the workgroup (which is 'Workgroup') and I enter my Windows username and password at the :SMB/CIFS File System Authentication' dialog box. When I enter the correct information I get the 'Select SMB/CFIS shared volume you want to connect to and clock on OK I then get a message saying:
'The alias "Dell" could not be opened, because the original item cannot be found' and then I'm pretty much in an infinite loop.
What is the secret here?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Be sure you create a shared folder on the Windows machine, not just sharing the drive. Here are some articles that may help:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1161.html
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1163.html
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2003/03/18/samba.html
http://joelshoemaker.com/computer/mac/macfilesharing.html
Connecting to Windows shares - fix Several users have been receiving the message "The Alias YOURSERVER could not be opened because the original item cannot be found" when trying to connect from a Mac running running Mac OS X 10.3.3 to Windows systems via the Finder.
MacFixIt reader Peter Monahan has found what appears to be a fix:
"Your Windows XP or Windows 2000 Computer must have at least One Shared Folder. Sharing only the Drive is not adequate in 10.3.3 If you do not have a shared folder (directory) then you will receive the "original item cannot be found" error when you attempt to connect from a Mac.
• Create a shared folder and double-check the Windows security privileges.
• If you want to share an entire Drive on a Windows XP or 2000 Computer, the share name must be Eight Characters or less (i.e. C_PETER or C_DRIVE) or you will not be able to view it or select it from the Finder drop down menu.
"In some cases you may need to delete the Windows Share and then establish a new share if you connect but can't see the contents of a drive. Once done and if you still have connectivity problems, either Restart the MAC, or delete the cached information by using the finder and selecting GO>>FOLDER and then type /var and hit enter. Then look in the "automount" folder and delete the folder called "network".
"Aliases now work as a result. Username and Password are now stored in Keychain. We can connect from finder in 10.3.3 to Windows Computers (as long as there is at least one shared folder). We can select aliases to load at start-up under System Preferences>>Accounts."