1/10/2020 You cannot access shared files and folders or browse computers in the workgroup with Windows XP

You cannot access shared files and folders

or browse computers in the workgroup
with Windows XP
Applies to: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional

To continue receiving security updates for Windows XP, make sure that you are
running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this
Microsoft Web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows

Symptoms

On Windows XP-based computers that are configured as members of a

workgroup in a peer-to-peer network environment, you may experience one
or more of the following symptoms:

You cannot access shared folders or files.

You cannot locate other computers in the workgroup.
You receive the following error message when you double-click the
workgroup in My Network Places:

Workgroup Name is not accessible. You may not have

permission to use this network resource.

Note In a peer-to-peer network, each computer is equal and can initiate

communications. In this manner, it differs from a client/server network.

Cause

This behavior may occur if all the following conditions are true:

NetBIOS over TCP/IP is not turned on (enabled) on one or more

computers in the workgroup.
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1/10/2020 You cannot access shared files and folders or browse computers in the workgroup with Windows XP

The Computer Browser service is not started or is turned off on one

or more computers in the workgroup.

This behavior may also occur if File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks
is not installed or is blocked by Windows Firewall.

Resolution

Method 1: Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and start the

Computer Browser service

To resolve this issue, make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is turned on and
that the Computer Browser service is running on each computer in the
workgroup. To do this, follow these steps.

Step 1: Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Network and Internet
Connections.
2. Click Network Connections.
3. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
4. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
5. Click the General tab, and then click Advanced.
6. Click the WINS tab.
7. Under NetBIOS setting, click Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, and then click
OK two times.
8. Click Close to close the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
9. Close the Network Connections window.

Step 2: Start the Computer Browser service

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.

2. Double-click Services and Applications.
3. Double-click Services.
4. On the right side, right-click Computer Browser, and then click Start.
5. Close the Computer Management window.

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1/10/2020 You cannot access shared files and folders or browse computers in the workgroup with Windows XP

Method 2: Install File and Print Sharing and make sure that it
is not blocked by Windows Firewall

Step 1: Install File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks

1. Click Start, click Run, type ncpa.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. Click the General tab, and then click Install.
4. Click Service, and then click Add.
5. In the Network Service list, click File and Print Sharing for Microsoft
Networks, and then click OK.
6. Click Close.

Step 2: Make sure that File and Printer Sharing is not blocked by
Windows Firewall

1. Click Start, click Run, type firewall.cpl, and then click OK.
2. On the General tab, make sure that the Don't allow exceptions check
box is not selected.
3. Click the Exceptions tab.
4. On the Exceptions tab, make sure that the File and Printer Sharing check
box is selected, and then click OK.

Did this fix the problem?

Check whether the problem is fixed. If the problem is fixed, you are
finished with this section. If the problem is not fixed, you can
contact support .

More Information

The Computer Browser service maintains an updated list of computers on the

network, and it supplies this list to computers that are designated as browsers.
If this service is stopped, the list is neither updated nor maintained. If this
service is turned off, any services that explicitly depend on it do not start.

For more information about the Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP, click
the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
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1/10/2020 You cannot access shared files and folders or browse computers in the workgroup with Windows XP

Base:
 
308522 Description of the Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP

 
For more information about file sharing in Windows XP, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
 
304040 How to configure file sharing in Windows XP
 
For more information about how to set up workgroups in Windows XP Home
Edition, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
 
813936 How to set up a small network with Windows XP Home Edition
(PART 1)
 

Last Updated: Apr 17, 2018

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