How To Share Files and Printers Between Windows 7 and Vista

How To Share Files and Printers Between Windows 7 and Vista

With three different versions of Windows being used now, you’ll probably find yourself trying to share files or printers between them. Today we take a look at how to share files and printers between Vista and Windows 7 machines.

In this example we are on a basic home network using Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit version) and Windows Vista Home Premium SP2 (32-bit version).

Set Windows 7 Share Settings

On the Windows 7 machine we need to set up a few things in Advanced Sharing Settings. First type network and sharing center into the search box in the Start Menu and hit Enter.

Then click on Change advanced sharing settings…

Now in Advanced Sharing Settings, make sure to turn on network discovery, file and printer sharing, and public folder sharing. Make sure these are enabled in both the Home or work and Public profiles.

Depending on your setup, you might want to turn off password protected sharing. Other wise you’ll need to enter the password for each machine in, which isn’t that big of a deal. Turning it off while you’re setting it up makes things a bit easier though by saving a step.

Set Vista Share Settings

On the Vista machine we need to double check and make sure it’s sharing settings are ready to go. Right-click on Network and choose Properties.

The Network and Sharing Center opens up. Under Sharing and Discovery we need to turn on File Sharing, Public Folder Sharing, and Network Discovery.

Also on the Vista machine you might want to turn off password protected sharing … but it’s completely up to you.

Share Files Windows 7 View

Now that we have the correct settings on each machine, it’s time to put it to the test. Open up Network on the Windows 7 machine, and you should see all of the machines on the network. The Vista machine in this example is VISTAGEEK-PC.

 

There was no need to enter a password to access the Vista machine because password protection is turned off. But now you can go through and see the User Shared folders. In this example both public and Users directories are shared.

Share Files Vista View

Now on the Vista computer, double click on Network and you should see the Windows 7 machine (where in this instance it’s MYSTICGEEK-PC).

I enabled password protection on the Windows 7 machine so we can take a look at the login screen that will be displayed before connecting.

Then you’ll see the folders and devices that are shared. Here you can see the HP printer connected to the Windows 7 machine is available.

And you can continue browsing through all available shared folders and files.

Printer Sharing

As we showed above, you can see the printer connected to Windows 7. Let’s make sure we can connect to it and print a test document. In Vista click on the Start menu and type printers into the search box and hit Enter.

 

Right-click on the shared printer and select Properties.

Under the General tab click on the Print Test Page button.

 

The following message is displayed while the test page prints out on the printer connected to your Windows 7 machine.

 

Another test you might want to perform is opening a test document and making sure you can print that to the Windows 7 printer.

Provided everything prints out successfully you might want to make it the default printer.

Troubleshooting

If your machines aren’t able to see each other or the printer isn’t working…here are a few steps you might want to use to determine where the problem is.

Double check to make sure Network Discovery and File and Print Sharing is enabled on both machines as shown above.

In this example both machines are connected to a Belkin home wireless router and IP addresses are dynamically assigned. If you are using Static addresses make sure you can ping the IP address of each computer. If not, double check the assigned IP Address and cabling of each computer…

If the printer isn’t working, double check to make sure you have the latest drivers for each OS installed.

Conclusion

This should get you started sharing folders, files, and printers between your Vista and Windows 7 system. In this test, we didn’t need to install any different drivers for the printer like you might have to do when sharing a printer between XP and Windows 7. Results with printers are going to vary depending on the printer models and set up. Older printers are notorious for having issues with drivers that won’t work with Vista and or 7. As long as network discovery is enabled on both the Vista and Windows 7 machine, sharing documents is actually a fairly simple process. If you want to share between Windows 7 and XP make sure to check out our previous article–

Contact:khalid_wafa_i_t@yahoo.co.uk

Share Files and Printers between Windows 7 and XP

Share Files and Printers between Windows 7 and XP

If you have a home network and are running Windows 7 and have XP on other PC(s) you might want to share files between them.  Today we will look at the steps to share files and hardware devices like a printer.

Sharing Files In Windows 7 and XP

Sharing folders between two Windows 7 machines with the new HomeGroup feature is an easy process, but the HomeGroup feature is not compatible with Vista or XP.  For this tutorial we are using Windows 7 x64 RC1 and XP Professional SP3 connected through a basic Linksys home wireless router. 

First make sure both machines are members of the same Workgroup which by default is named Workgroup.

 

On the Windows 7 machine go into Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Network and Sharing Center then click on Change advanced sharing settings.

 

You will want to verify the following settings under Advanced Sharing Settings for the Home or Work and Public profile.

If you want any user to have access the public shares turn off password protection.  This is located in Advanced Sharing Settings toward the bottom of the list. 

 

If you want to keep it enabled make sure there is a log in account for the other XP machines and they have a password.

Now if you go into Network in Windows 7 you should see your XP machine and the Windows 7 as well which in this case is Mysticgeek-PC.

To share the printer on the Windows 7 machine go into Devices and Printers from the Start menu and double click on the printer icon.

Next double click on “Customize your printer”.

In the Properties screen click on the Sharing Tab and check the box to share the printer and type in its share name.

If your XP machine is an x86 OS you can install Additional Drivers before setting up the XP machine.

 

To find the shared folders and devices double click on the Windows 7 machine icon under Network.  Here you can see the printer connected to my Windows 7 machine is shared and also the Users Folder.

Continue into the Users folder and Public to see the shared folders, here I also created a folder called XP Share just to keep everything in central location.

Over on your XP machine open up My Network Places to find the Windows 7 (mysticgeek-pc)shared folder.

Double click on the Share folder to find a list of shared folders in the Public folder on Windows 7.  If you have password protection enabled you will need to type in the username and password of the user account on the Windows 7 machine first. 

Setup XP With Shared Printer

To set up the shared printer in XP you will need to go into Printers and Faxes from the Start menu and kick off the Add Printer Wizard.

Now select “A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer” then hit Next.

Next select “Connect to this printer…” and type in the path for the printer connected to the Windows 7 machine and click next.  

Now click Yes to the confirmation message.

Then click Finish the printer to install and complete the Wizard.

In some cases you will need to install the x86 XP drivers for the shared printer because the Windows 7 drivers are not compatible with XP.  When everything is installed open up Printers and Faxes to find the shared printer.

This should help you get started with sharing your files and other devices with your Windows 7 machine.  When I first started I was able to see the printer on XP right away because I had a HomeGroup set up, but once I deleted it I needed to share the printer like you would for a workgroup.  You might also have to do a couple restarts of the XP machine for it to see the shared resources on Windows 7.  If you have had any experiences with sharing between Windows 7 and XP leave us a comment!

How to Open God Mode on Windows 7 & Vista

To enable the GodMode folder on your desktop, please follow the steps below.

1. Close all open windows so you are at your desktop.
   
2. Right-click on an empty portion of your desktop and select New and then select Folder as shown in the image below.
   
   
   
   A new folder will appear on your desktop with the title of the folder in edit mode as shown below.
   
3. Edit the title of the new folder so that it is named the following and then press enter.

   GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

4. When done, you should have an icon on your desktop that has the above title and looks like the icon in the image below.
   
5. Double-click on this icon to open GodMode. When GodMode opens, you will be presented with a screen similar to the one below.
   
   
   
   
   You can now scroll through the list of available configuration options and tasks that are available for your version of Windows and tweak Windows from one location.

If at any time you would like to remove GodMode, all you have to do is delete the folder you created. If you have any questions about GodMode or how to use it, please feel free to post them

How to change the Windows Logon screen saver in Windows XP

This step-by-step article describes how to change the default logon screen saver in Microsoft Windows XP. Specifically, the article discusses how to change the type of screen saver that starts, the timeout before the screen saver starts, and whether a screen saver is turned on before the logon process.

When you start Windows, you may be presented with the Windows XP welcome screen, which prompts you click your user name to begin, or you may be presented with a Welcome to Windows dialog box that prompts you to press CTRL+ALT+DEL to log on. By default, if you do not press a key for 10 minutes, the Windows logon screen saver (Logon.scr) starts.

Change the Logon Screen Saver

To change the logon screen saver, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756  How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK.
3. In the Registry Editor window, locate the following registry key:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

4. In the right pane, double-click SCRNSAVE.EXE.
5. In the Edit String dialog box, type the name of the screen saver that you want in the Value data box, and then click OK. For example, if you want to use the Mystify screen saver as your logon screen saver, type ssmyst.scr.
   
   IMPORTANT: Make sure that you correctly specify the path to the screen saver. If the screen saver is located in %SystemRoot%\System32, the explicit path is not required.
6. Click Exit on the File menu to quit Registry Editor.

The logon screen saver changes to the screen saver that you specified.

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Change the Logon Screen Saver Timeout Time

You can also change the time that elapses before the logon screen saver starts. The default setting is 600 seconds (10 minutes).

To change the length of time before the logon screen saver starts, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756  How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK.
3. In the Registry Editor window, locate the following registry key:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

4. In the right pane, double-click ScreenSaveTimeOut.
5. In the Edit String dialog box that appears, type the number of seconds after which you want the screen saver to start in the Value data box, and then click OK. For example, if you want the screen saver to start after 5 minutes, type 300.
6. Click Exit on the File menu to quit Registry Editor.

The length of time that elapses before the logon screen saver starts is changed to the value that you specified.

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Turn Off the Logon Screen Saver

To have us turn off the logon screen saver for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you prefer to fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

Fix it for me

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Fix this problem
Microsoft Fix it 50589

Notes

• This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
• If you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.

Then, go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Let me fix it myself

To turn off the logon screen saver, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756  How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK.
3. In the Registry Editor window, locate the following registry key:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

4. In the right pane, double-click ScreenSaveActive.
5. In the Edit String dialog box, type 0 in the Value data box, and then click OK.
6. Click Exit on the File menu to quit Registry Editor.

The logon screen saver is turned off.

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.
• We would appreciate your feedback. To provide feedback or to report any issues with this solution, please leave a comment on the "Fix it for me" blog or send us an email.

Contact: Khalid_wafa_i_t@yahoo.co.uk

How to create a password reset disk

How to create a password reset disk

To create a password reset disk for your local user account, use one of the following methods.

Requirements

The following methods require one blank, formatted floppy disk.

Use a computer administrator account

If you logged on to the computer by using an administrator account, follow these steps to create a password reset disk for a user account:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click User Accounts.
3. In the User Accounts pane, click the account that you want to work with.
4. Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password to start the Forgotten Password Wizard, and then click Next.
5. Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and then click Next.
6. In the Current user account password box, type the password for the user account that you chose in step 3, and then click Next.
   
   Note If the user account does not have a password, do not type a password in the Current user account password box.
   
   The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk.
7. When the Progress bar reaches 100% complete, click Next, and then click Finish.
8. Remove and then label the password reset disk. Store the disk in a safe place.

Use a limited account

If you logged on to the computer by using a limited account, follow these steps to create a password reset disk for your user account:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Under Pick a category, click User Accounts.
3. Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password to start the Forgotten Password Wizard.
4. Click Next.
5. Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and then click Next.
6. In the Current user account password box, type your password, and then click Next.
   
   Note If your user account does not have a password, do not type a password in the Current user account password box.
   
   The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk.
7. When the Progress bar reaches 100% complete, click Next, and then click Finish.
8. Remove and then label the password reset disk. Store the disk in a safe place.

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How to log on to the computer by using a password reset disk

If you forget your password, you can log on to the computer by using a new password that you create by using the Password Reset Wizard and your password reset disk. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows XP logon screen, click the user name that you want to use. The Type your passwordbox appears. Press ENTER or click the right-arrow button. You receive the following error message:
   Did you forget your password?
   You can click the "?" button to see your password hint.
   Or you can use your password reset disk.
   
   Please type your password again.
   Be sure to use the correct uppercase and lowercase letters.
2. Click use your password reset disk. The Password Reset Wizard starts. The Password Reset Wizard permits you to create a new password for your user account.
3. Click Next.
4. Insert the password reset disk into drive A, and then click Next.
5. Type a new password in the Type a new password box.
6. Type the same password in the Type the password again to confirm box.
7. In the Type a new password hint box, type a hint to remind you of your password if you forget the new password.
   
   Note This hint is visible to anyone who tries to log on to the computer by using your user account.
8. Click Next, and then click Finish. The Password Reset Wizard quits, and you return to the Windows XP logon screen.
   
   Note The password reset disk is automatically updated with the new password information. You do not have to create a new password reset disk.
9. Type your new password in the Type your password box, and then click the right-arrow button to log on to the computer.

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Troubleshooting

• The password reset disk cannot be used to reset the password on another computer.
  
  The password reset disk that you create can only be used with the computer it was created on. For example, if you have two Windows XP-based computers that have the same user names and passwords, a password reset disk that you create on the first computer cannot be used to reset the password on the second computer.
• The password reset disk contains sensitive information.
  
  Other users may be able to use the password reset disk to gain access to your computer. For this reason, store this disk in a safe and secure location.