Windows XP FAQ

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about networking with Microsoft Windows XP.

Q: I have two XP Pro machines and another computer running Windows ME. When I try to access network shares on the Windows XP machines, I receive the following error:

\\PC1 is not accessible. You might not have permission to use the network resource. Contact the administrator of the server to find out if you have access permission.

Not enough server storage is available to process this command.

A: The problem is on the machine you are attempting to connect to. It's not on the machine you see the error message. On the computer you are connecting, check the Event Viewer for an Event ID 2011. If so, you need to fix the IRPStackSize that is indicated in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base Article. Norton Antivirus can cause this to happen.

Antivirus Software May Cause Event ID 2011
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;177078

Back to Top

Q: The "Wireless Networks" tab is missing in the Wireless Network Connection Properties. I only see the General and Advanced tabs. How do I restore the Wireless Networks tab?

A: The Wireless Networks tab appears when your network adapter fully supports the Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) service. Check with your wireless adapter vendor for a version of a driver that supports Windows XP and the WZC service. Make sure the WZC service status is started. Click Start, Run, and type "services.msc". Open Services and scroll down to the Wireless Zero Configuration Service, start the service and set it to automatic.

If it does not show in the list of Services:

1. Run regedit and find

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WZCSVC

2. Add a DWORD entry named "Start" and value "2".

Warning! If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. I cannot guarantee that you can solve your problem from using Registry Editor, so use the Registry Editor at your own risk.

Back to Top

Q: How can I get Windows XP Home to join a domain?

A: Windows XP Home cannot join a domain. The behavior is by design. You can connect to domain resources. For more details, see the following links.

Windows XP in a Domain Environment
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/overviews/xpindomain.asp

Why Windows XP Professional is Best for Domain-Based Networks
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/overviews/joindommore.asp

Back to Top

Q: Is there a maximum number of computers I can have networked using Windows XP?

A: There is no limit to the number of computers that can be networked with both Windows XP Home and Professional. However, there is a different limit. No more than 10 other people can connect to your computer at one time if you are using Windows XP Professional. For Windows XP Home Edition, the limit is 5. These limits cannot be changed. For more details, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base Article.

Inbound Connections Limit in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314882

Back to Top

Q: I want to share a folder but require a password to open it over the network. How do I password protect a folder in Windows XP?

A: Windows XP doesn't use passwords for shared disks or folders. If you are running Windows XP Professional, you can disable Simple File Sharing and assign different levels of permissions for each user, and NTFS file permissions for folders and shared resources. Many programs let you password protect individual files (for example, Microsoft Office applications), and with Compressed zipped folders, you can define a password to it. For more details, see the following links.

Windows XP Professional File Sharing
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

HOW TO: Use Compressed (Zipped) Folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306531

Back to Top

Q: What does a Network Bridge do?

A: The Network Bridge is a new feature of Windows XP. It combines two or more separate networks into one logical network. Adapters that have Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) or Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) enabled cannot be part of the network bridge. For more details, see the following link.

XP ICS - Network Bridge
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/networkbridge.htm

Back to Top

Q: I'm trying to run ipconfig but the problem is that the command prompt window flashes on my screen for a brief second then disappears. How do I get it to stay on the screen long enough so I can read it?

A: This can happen when you are running the ipconfig command from the "Run" box. Instead run ipconfig at the command prompt. Click Start, Run, and type "cmd" (without quotes) and press ENTER. At the command prompt, type ipconfig and press ENTER. If you want to run ipconfig from the "Run" box, type cmd /k ipconfig.

Back to Top

Q: What is the 1394 Network Connection?

A: Windows XP detects a 1394 Network Connection when a 1394 network adapter is installed. This device is actually your firewire network card. Windows XP allows firewire networking. You can simply connect two computers with a firewire cable if the other machine has a 1394 adapter. Unless you are using the connection, you can simply disable it or ignore it and still allow your network to function.

Back to Top

Q: I have a network with two computers. One of the computers is having trouble. The one computer is telling me that it has a "Limited or No Connectivity" and this problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address to the computer. The computer is receiving the following error:

Limited or no connectivity: The connection has limited or no connectivity. You might not be able to access the Internet or some network resources.

If Windows XP says your network adapter has limited or no connectivity, it could be due to several different problems, including a failed Internet connection, a misconfigured router, or a misconfigured network adapter. Follow these steps in the following MS KB Article troubleshoot the problem.

You may receive a "Limited or no connectivity" message on a computer that is connected to the Internet by a DSL modem or a cable modem after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892896

Back to Top

Q: I have a computer that is running Windows XP Home Edition and I would like to add the computer to my Novell network to access some data. However, I cannot find the Client Service for NetWare when I attempt to add one. I don't know whether or not if Novell provides a client for XP Home. Any suggestions?

A: The Client Service for Netware isn't included in XP Home. You can upgrade to XP Professional which has the Client Service for Netware included. The Novell client may work on XP Home but it definitely isn't supported. The Novell client was not designed for that operating system. For more details, please see the following link.

Will Novell provide a client for Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition?
http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10065595.htm

Back to Top

Q: I have two computers on the network and they are both running Windows XP. The problem is with one of the computers on the network. I can access shared files on one computer. When I try to access any of the shared files and connect to the other computer I get the following error:

PC#1 is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.

Logon failure: the user has not been granted the requested logon type at this computer.

A: On any XP Pro computer check the Group Policy settings. Check your Local Security Policy (Click Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools). Click to expand Local Policies, then click User Rights Assignments. Click "Access this computer from the network" and make sure that the Everyone group is included. Click "Deny access to this computer from the network" and make sure that the Everyone group is NOT included.

If the computer runs Windows XP Home Edition, the "secpol.msc" program isn't available to make the required user right assignments. Use the ntrights utility that is part of the Windows 2003 Resource Kit Tools to make the change. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Download and install the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

2. Click Start | All Programs | Windows Resource Kit Tools | Command Shell. Type these lines at the command prompt. The second and third commands are case-sensitive, so type them exactly as shown. Note the "+r" in the second one and the "-r" in the third one:

net user guest /active:yes
ntrights +r SeNetworkLogonRight -u Guest
ntrights -r SeDenyNetworkLogonRight -u Guest

Last updated: 2007-09-17