Hi, Any assistance appreciated.

I have two machines networked via a switch. One machine is using XP Pro, SP2. The second machine is using XP Pro SP1.

From the machine with XP SP2, I can see the shared files on the machine with XP SP1 but when I try open it I receive a message "Document Name or Path not found. \\the machines name\...\the relevant files name".

From machine with XP SP1 I am able to access the XP 2 files without any problem and all works fine.

Could it be that the one machine needs SP2? I am downloading it as I type.

Hi Speedstix, welcome to itsallPC

I'm going to have to ask a few more questions, in order to assist you.

• Do both machines have either Simple File Sharing enabled or disabled, but not one and the other?
  Make sure both settings match. If you have opted to disable Simple File Sharing, make sure you have matching user account names and passwords on each machine.
  
• Do you have a software Personal Firewall on the system in question?
  Personal Firewalls will interfere with Netbios, and need to be unbound from your network adapter, or disabled.
  
• Can you browse the room directory of the problem system as all (With just \\machinesname)?
  To make sure you're not just getting the path wrong...
  
  
• Have you confirmed there are shared folders, and that File and Printer Sharing is in fact bound to the adapter on the machine in question?
  Have to address the most obvious question sooner or later
  

Hi and Thank you.

I have the whole hard disk drive as shared, the relevant folder as shared and have set file and printer sharing on both of the machines as allowed within XP.

I have not any firewall but the XP version which I have also tried disabling thinking that it could interefere in one direction to no avail.

You talk of a room directory, you speaking to a sales person here. All directory that I know of is the telephone directory in my room. Would I be able to access this from the going - Start, run option and then typing in the correct path.

I have networked one or two machines before and with one or two little quirkes managed to sort it out (normal a connection problem) but this is totally different and I am pulling my hair out as I need to access my files for quotations etc.

I really appreciate your time and input - maybe just maybe, I will become one step closer to becoming an intermediate novice.