Integrating a MAC in to a Windows Domain

I put your failure squarely on the shoulders of the users involved.

There are WIZARDS for setting up networking to share files and such. And for gaming/lan parties, you don't need access to each others computers, but you might need to adjust your firewall settings (if the application isn't relatively modern and can help you adjust it).

 

in this case, operator error = design error. if a guy who's been using computers for 20 years can't set it up properly, it's a failure of the design.

 

the lan parties always require updates and patches to get everybody using the same version of games. inevitably we use the same guy's system because it's the one that seems to work.

i suspected a firewall was the issue with my two xp machines not speaking, but one the desktop can connect to the laptop (access drives, for example) but the laptop can't connect to the desktop. but the mac can connect to the desktop.

 

You need to turn off all the XP firewalls - if that's not to difficult for your savvies.

 

what is it you trying to do? do you have a windows machine that is not xp that you're trying to connect to a mac network?

 

they're off.

 

i have a laptop that has windows xp home.
i have a desktop that has windows xp pro.
i have a g5 that has tiger.

the g5 can connect to the desktop with no problems.
the desktop can connect to the laptop with no problems.
the laptop can see the desktop, but i am unable to access the machine (printers, drives, etc.) i get the "unauthorized" popup.

the laptop (and the g5 and the desktop) can all connect to my network drive with no problem.

so, since the desktop can mount the laptop's drives, clearly they can communicate -- whatever ports involved are open and accessible. the laptop can mount the net drive, so it's not like it can't mount stuff for some unknown reason. when these things happen with windows, i find work-arounds are generally more expeditious than trouble shooting.

 

The username you're using on the laptop must have a corresponding username on the desktop for share access. Maybe you got lucky going the other way?

 

really? that seems like a strange requirement. when i mount my network drive, it asks me for a login and password to use. you'd think it would do that for the xp desktop as well instead of just kicking me off.

but the point is moot, because i have the same username and password on both machines.

i'm wondering if it's something disabled in xp home. i notice i must re-login to my net drive every time i start it up (even tho it's a mapped drive). my pro desktop box understands enough to keep the login/password info somewhere so it'll automatically reconnect to the drive. home has other weird disabilities that i've come across, as well.

 

Can't join Home to a domain, for one thing. Don't know if that plays into your situation, though.