Networking Vista on an XP Network?

How do I get my new Vista laptop to show up on my network so the vista machine shows up my XP machines (My Networks). I have tried everything. No firewalls. All the XP machines on the network show up in Vista. Vista can exchange files with them, and I can explore the XP machines. Vista is invisible to them. There is no security or firewall softare enable on Vista, and sharing is enable and yes they are all on the same workgroup. Bonus points if there is something I can do to drain the time out of microsoft engineers and execs who invented this cr*p.





Thanks!

Networking Vista on an XP Network?
1,You have to change the network groups' names to the SAME. For example, if your XP PC's workgroup name is "Workgroup", you should change your Vista PC's workgroup name to "Workgroup" as well. To do this in Vista,go to system properties(right click on Computer - Properties-Advanced system settings - Computer name- Change). Under Computer name, its the network group name.You need to restart after changing workgroup name.





2,In Network and Sharing Center, make sure that "Network discovery" is ON, "File sharing" is ON, "Password protected sharing" is OFF. And your network is "Private network" (unless you want it to be public.)





3,Then you can share folders.Right click on a folder - Properties-Sharing - Click "Share" -Choose "Everyone" in the drop down list - Click Add.(This is very important, otherwise you cannot access the folder from your other PCs.).Then Click on "Advanced Sharing"- Check "Share This Folder" - OK.





Now you're all set! Go to your XP's Network and refresh it to see if your folder is there.
Reply:I had the same issue and I had to disable the IPv6 under the network card settings to get it to work.
Reply:Most computer professionals agree that the best fix for Vista, right now, is to get rid of it for at least two years until the bugs are out of it. More and more of us are fed up with Microsoft hassles and some of us are doing something about it.


What I am doing is to dump Microsoft completely and install instead a really easy to use Linux system called Kubuntu. It is available for free at www.kubuntu.org Some of the advantages Kubuntu have over Vista are:


1. Never an activation hassle with Kubuntu. They encourage you to share the disk with your friends, instead!


2 Security. There are over 114,000 virii that infect Windows boxes that Kubuntu is immune to.


3. Speed. With Kubuntu, you can be online from a blank hard drive in 10 minutes, while Windows requires about 2 hours to be online with formatting, configuring, updating and installing antivirus software.


4. Maintenance. Since Windows throws data any old place on the hard drive, it needs to be defragmented regurarly. Kubuntu has no defragmenter as it is not needed. This saves you time.


5. Security. Kubuntu is MUCH more secure than out of the box Windows. For example, in Win XP the guest account is enabled by default. That means a hacker can log on to your computer anonomysouly, do his dirty work, and be gone.


6. Ease of Installation. Kubuntu does not require a 16 digit key to be entered (heaven help the person who looses their Windows key!) and Kubuntu has many more drivers available for Plug and Play in its database. The reason is Hardware manufactures have to PAY Windows Big bucks so their hardware is Plug and Play. This is not fair and not so with Kubuntu.


7. Live Trial! Windows will not run from the CDrom, but Kubuntu will! So you can try it before you decide if you want to reformat your hard drive. If Vista had a live Trial, most people would send it back when they found out that it would not run many of their printers, sound cards, video cards, or applications.


8. Stability. Since software is installed on Kubuntu WITHOUT a reboot, it does not disturb other users connected to that computer as much. Windows, however, requires a reboot with nearly all configuration changes and software installations. Some Linux/Kubuntu/Unix machines remained powered up and working, sometimes for years. Try that with a Windows box!


9. Peace of mind. If you loose the Kubuntu Cd, you wont pay $200 or more for a new one.
Reply:Download this to your XP machine


http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...