Win2k File Share enable question...

[bnsmith001]

On Win2k, my "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" Properties button is not enabled. Any ideas on what to try?

Here's more of the story...

Okay. I have three Win 95 desktops with 10/100 Ethernet Cards. They are all three very happily talking to the internet AND each
other p2p through a cable router.

I've also got a Win2kProf Thinkpad with a 10/100 Etherjet adapter. It is also very happy talking to the internet AND each
of the other Win95 Shared devices p2p through the cable router.

I'm now to the point where I would like to identify the win2k laptop and devices connected to it to the p2p group.

I'm on as Administrator. I go into "Network and Dial-Up Connections". I'm looking at the "Local Area Connections 2" Properties. I click on "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks", and the Properties button is not enabled.

Thanks.

[rpertusio]

The properties button cannot be enabled. File and Printer (F&P) sharing is not something that can be disabled in Win2k/XP. In Win98, the only options you had from that "properties' button was to enable/disable F&P sharing.

What exactly are you trying to find?

Maybe what you want is the Shared Folders/sessions information. You can access that by:
Start Menu -> Run... -> fsmgmt.msc

- rp

[bnsmith001]

> What exactly are you trying to find?

I'm trying to figure out why none of "Properties" links for the Win2k drive or folder (appropriately named "My Shared Folder")
have a share tab on their Properties... and why share doesn't come up on any context-sensative menu... aka right-click.

I assumed that Sharing had to be enabled (like in 9x), since the
Sharing tab and the menu option do not show up where they were in 9x. As you pointed out, 9x required that you enble File-Share under the File-Share Properties before you mark a folder/drive as sharable... even though the tab and the menu option showed up.

So I looked in the Win2k Help under enabling File and Printer Sharing. The "Help" told me to go to the "File and Printer Sharing", and click enable... but I can't get into the Properties.

I'll try the program you suggested... as soon as I get the password to unlock the Win2k again. CMOS-level passwords are such a stupid invention, when the OS has to reboot everytime you change/correct something.

The CMOS password is the next thing to be deleted... at least while I'm trying to fix my Pop's computer. He can just love the security he gets from that CMOS password. I see them (ESPECIALLY in our post-DOS world where you constantly are forced to reboot your computer because your operating system doesn't REALLY support it's own concept of PnP) as just stupid.

Everytime I work in his laptop, I forget that he has that stupid CMOS password until after he's gone. Such a frelling pain...
for arns, it is!

Thanks again.

[rpertusio]

I might be remembering incorrectly, but the administration of shares can only be done by administrators or users, and not 'guests'. You're not using a guest account are ya?

- rp

[bnsmith001]

Nope. Actually all three of the accounts (except Guest) are in the admin group, so they can do everything they need to.

Pops got the computer from his former company... there's an 'administrator' id, an 'install' id, and his personal id. As far as he knows there are three different passwords... not counting the CMOS password.

Ain't security a grand thing? *grin*

Anyways, he has his id (admin group) and password, and he knows the CMOS password.

I wish I knew a way to reset the 'administrator" password for him, but that's not the problem.

My goal is still to make a 'C:\Share' on the win2kprof laptop available to his Win95 (soon to be Win98SE) workstations.

Thanks for any more 2K pointers that I receive.