NightOwl,

With printer sharing working (though with a few unresolved questions; see previous message), I made all the file sharing settings I could find on both the desktop and the laptop. Since I am the only user, I set things up to fully share the C: disks of both computers without passwords or other restrictions. After doing this, I was able to access the Win 98 desktop files from the XP laptop over the wireless network. However, I couldn't go the other way. If Network Neighbourhood were present, I think it would work now, but in attempting to find an alternative to NN (the Run function for example), I think I didn't use the right name for the laptop's C: drive. I received an error message saying the file I was trying to access wasn't logged in. I wonder where to look for the correct name to use, or if something else needs to be done.

Harold

NightOwl,

Happy to report that file sharing on my wireless network is now working in both directions, from laptop to desktop and from desktop to laptop, and printer sharing is working as well. I don't have Network Neighbourhood back on the Win 98 computer, which I had hoped to do, but as far as I can tell,  everything can be done that could be done if Network Neighbourhood were back. I can use either the Run function or the Find function on the Win 98 computer in place of Network Neighborhood to access the laptop computer files.

The network sharing from desktop to laptop was being prevented because I hadn't realized that the user is required to log in on the desktop at startup to gain permission to access files over the network. As soon as I did that, it began working. I think Microsoft's error message for this situation could be improved. It did mention that something was not logged in but it sounded to me like it was the files in the laptop, not the user of the desktop, that were not logged in.

From the desktop, I am still denied access to some files on the laptop, but I assume this is just a matter of going to those files and marking them as shared in some way (or I may need to log in as the administrator). In particular, I am interested in accessing the DVD drive on the laptop to answer a question that I started this whole thread to answer, and started another thread on Ghost 2003 image recording over a wireless network to answer, namely: can Ghost 2003 send a hard disk image over a wireless network and cause it to be recorded and verified directly on a DVD drive in another computer on the network. I recall there were some posts speculating on whether this was possible. I will report what I find out.

I thank you for guiding me through this whole process of straightening out my network settings and getting my printer and file sharing working. With my sketchy understanding of these things, there were too many variables for me to handle and I wouldn't have been able to do it. It means a lot to me to be able to sit in some comfortable spot upstairs, or even outdoors, with my laptop and send print jobs to the printer in my spartan cellar, then go down later to collect them. I can also sit outdoors in the sun with appropriate refreshment and work on files in the computer in the cellar.

Using computers can be fun, when it's not otherwise!

Harold

PS - I meant to say that your cure also worked for my problem of having two printers showing in my Printers folder, and elswhere, when I actually have only one printer. Removal of a redundant driver from the computer fixed the problem. Now the remainimg printer icon has the sharing hand under it as well as the default checkmark next to it.

NightOwl,

I did try using TweakUI to get Network Neighbourhood back previously but will try it again using your steps. I'm not greatly concerned anymore with getting Network Neighbourhood back except for the feeling of completeness of my Windows 98 software. And I think it would be a little easier to click the NN icon on the desktop rather than use the Run or Find function to access the local network.

Thanks for the references to statements that Ghost 2003 can't record an image directly to a DVD drive on a remote computer.  No doubt that's the case, and it seems to be borne out by my experience using BartPE networking. I may try it with Windows networking anyway, on the basis of this experience: When I first had trouble trying to share my printer wired to my Win 98 desktop with the laptop, I contacted Hewlett Packard and asked if my HP Deskjet 722C printer was compatible with the Windows XP OS on my laptop and I could therefore hope to share it . They did some digging in their technical files and came back with the answer, Sorry, they are not compatible; it can't work. I'm glad I tried it anyway.

Harold

El Pescador,

Thanks for your response regarding my search for Network Neighborhood and alternative ways to network locally. I'm in good shape now thanks to NightOwl's help, able to network and share wirelessly between my Win 98 desktop and my XP laptop even without finding NN, but will continue to keep an eye out for NN and would appreciate any future suggestions.

Harold

NightOwl said I should join in.

I found some old notes so see if this helps.


In Win98 open My Computer, click Tools, Map Network Drive, Choose any Drive letter but E is probably on top so E: it is.
In Path type \\LAPTOP\Shared
Tick Reconnect at logon.    OK.

Close and reopen My Computer. You will see your new E: drive. Use this mapped drive as your destination when you run Ghost 2003. That’s the limit of my knowledge here.


I’ve recalled a quick way (3 minutes) of networking a Win98 computer to a WinXP computer. Put your WinXP CD in the Win98 CD drive. When it auto-starts, click Perform Additional Tasks. Then click Set up a home or small office network. Windows copies some files, restarts, installs more files and then runs you through a network wizard where you choose the first dot for gateway, type your Workgroup name etc. It asks for the Win98 CD to copy some files and then you click Finish. It restarts, asks for your network Username and password (the WinXP ones). Now you can connect to the internet immediately if you have a router. File and printer sharing is enabled. Network Neighbourhood is present and shows all your networked computers. A Shared Documents folder is present in My Documents.

NightOwl. Help.

Brian,

I am going to have to study this Master/Slave arrangement some. If it requires making a Ghost disk that will run on both computers, I can make and run a floppy on the desktop but can't do either on the laptop, and I can make a DVD on the laptop but not on the desktop. I can run a DVD on both and I can make and run a CD on both.

In the next two weeks I will be involved in travel and family reunioning that won't allow much time for this and I don't want to do the Master/Slave thing unless I can concentrate on it well enough so I don't make the kind of catastrophic error the instructions warn about. Thus I think it is better to postpone this process until I am back home after July 15th. I feel quite secure in the meantime with the desktop HD image made using BartPE and Drive Snapshot, which I now have on two DVD disks.

Harold