Windows XP and OS X 10.5.2 file sharing

Question

Hello,
I want to be able to transfer files between my Dell PC and Mac. With my limited knowledge on these things, I was able to connect the PC to the Mac (via "Map Network Drive"). Also, the Mac recognizes my Dell PC (it is listed under "Shared" in Mac HD), but when I select the PC the connection fails. Two things are bothering me about this: 1) When I click "Connect to Server" I am able to access the shared folder on the PC, 2) The Mac is able to connect and share with a Dell Laptop with no problem.
Any suggestions? Thank you in advance for your help.
-Johnny

Answer 1

Johnny-
I have a Dell 4500 (P4) and a PowerBook-G4 and have always found filesharing to be a bit "quirky" (as in, "Today it works, tomorrow, it don't ;-)). I am also at 10.5.2.
To start, I can communicate both ways now--without mapping drives--and after trying everything in these forums with varying success, I only got full two-way sharing when I TURNED SIMPLE FILESHARING ON on the Dell!
Okay, while I marvel at the elegance of some peoples' solution here, I can offer offer several settings I'm having success with, without knowing whether they are are all necessary. But with all the aggravation associated with networking since Leopard, I assume you'll take it if it works.
Not exact chronological order, but close...
I tried a tip I read and set up a Sharing-Only "Guest" account ON THE MAC. First, via the "System Preferences->Sharing->Check File Sharing, click on OPTIONS, and then "via SAMBA" for the Mac-to-Dell communication. Note: When you do that you will be checking your main user account name as the shared account.
Alright, over to Mac's User Accounts (in System Preferences). There I set up a user called "Guest" and gave it "SHARING ONLY" status. I remember reading that this "sharing-only" Guest user should be given the SAME LOGIN PASSWORD as your own Mac account AND that you should give this account ADMINISTRATIVE status. Hey, I did it. It works. I will leave it to others to explain why this might lead to your eventual death by parasitic dysentery!
Over these many years of trying to get my Dell and Mac to make nice, I also heard that giving your Dell account and your Mac account the same password is also "a good thing."
Moving right along ...
On the Dell, I used to hear about turning off the Guest account, but then "enabling it via the Terminal"--I mean, what's up with that?? Far as I can see, you just have to check one thing about the guest account on the Dell.
In Terminal on the Dell--Ooops, Excusez-moi, svp! At the "Command Prompt" , type "net user guest" ("without the quotes" yada, yada) and hit Return. It should spew out some info on the Guest account. ONLY ONE VALUE MATTERS: About 1/4 of the way down, look for the "Active" property (left-hand column) and make sure it says "YES" to its right. If you haven't turned off your guest account, it should.
But just in case it doesn't, Type: "net user guest /active:yes" (I could have sworn that "active=yes" used to work ... oh well) and then hit Return. Windows should respond with "Command completed successfully" (which, of course, Windows would display even if the command did absolutely nothing!). Then again type "net user guest" and be sure "Active" equals "YES."
We're almost there.
BIGGIE: I could only make all of this work when I assigned STATIC IP ADDRESSES to each computer on the home network (Linksys BEFSR41_v2 and Linksys WAP54G_v1). Of course, since Leopard/10.5 I have also had to convert to Zoroastrianism to make Airport stop doing all the incredibly mean and spiteful things that everyone else is writing about. Plus, I've had to put the wireless access point so freaking close to the Powerbook that I can actually unplug the access point and connect the Ethernet right to the PowerBook! But then the wire runs "all the way across the living room"--which my wife believes just isn't appropriate. BUT IT ALL WORKS! (The marriage and the network.)
Johnny, at the Dell I just went to "My Network Places," "Add Network Place", ignore that screen that "pretends" to be browsing for I-have-no-idea-what, then press NEXT (?) and for the name of the server type:
\\<the Powerbook's IP address>\<the FULL NAME of your Mac user account>
For me that's "\\192.168.1.100\Paul Revere"
and when you press NEXT, Windows converts what you entered into the name it intends to assign to the Powerbook server and allows you to modify it.
Funny thing? If you set up that "share-only" Guest account on the Mac, you can substitute "Guest" for your username. Hopefully someone will chime in and explain what the heck is going on here. Maybe one's better? I use one on each of two computers.
Then, when you double-click that beautiful yellow thingy with your Mac's name below it, Voila!, you see all the shares you (hopefully!) set up over in "System Preferences->Sharing" (which is another whole lesson, I'm afraid--but I bet you've got that down already).
LAST THING: Well, not really. I want to say I was only kidding about having to convert to Zoroastrianism for this to work (Gawd, I hope there aren't really any Zoroastrianists (?!) still around, in which case I sincerely apologize and meant no disrespect!) NOW the LAST THING (really!): In Leopard you probably already know that you have to enter the Windows/Samba "Workgroup" name in the WINS tab at "System Preferences->Network->Advanced button->WINS tab." BUT, DON'T FORGET TO TAP APPLY WHEN YOU GET BACK OUT TO THE NETWORK PANEL or everything you did at Advanced->WINS won't "take."
Then on the Powerbook, I just click Shared in the Sidebar, double-click my Dell's icon, and -- only the first time -- I enter a username and password ("Save to my ..."). And here's the real username versus Guest issue again: If the Dell is set up like mine, Guest WILL (should) work. If not, enter the full name of the Windows user account--the passwords will all be the same. Then the Finder window will fill with all of the shared folders on your Dell. It brings tears to my eyes every time! (I think my wife's secretly contacting calling a shrink ;-)).
Johnny, on the Dell I just go to "My Network Places," double-click on "Entire Network" and then on "Microsoft Windows Network." A second or two later that blue tripod-like icon appears with my workgroup name below it (magic!!), I double click it and then I see the computer I'm sitting at (very useful), my Powerbook, and any other box that's powered up!
Phew!
Feel free to ask for clarification. Good luck.
kaz