NTFS and FAT32

There are three computers on the network. One is a
laptop, partitioned fat32. The first desktop is fat32;
the second desktop is NTFS. The laptop can see the other
fat32 but not the ntfs. The ntfs can see the fat32
desktop but not the laptop. All are winxp pro. The router
is a linksys. The network wizard has not resolved the
issue, either from the laptop to desktop, desktop to
laptop. Any thoughts?

In article <108eb01c43fb3$3fb07000$a501280a@phx.gbl>, "WilfG"
<anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>There are three computers on the network. One is a
>laptop, partitioned fat32. The first desktop is fat32;
>the second desktop is NTFS. The laptop can see the other
>fat32 but not the ntfs. The ntfs can see the fat32
>desktop but not the laptop. All are winxp pro. The router
>is a linksys. The network wizard has not resolved the
>issue, either from the laptop to desktop, desktop to
>laptop. Any thoughts?

The disk partition format has no role whatsoever in networking. Each
computer reads its own disk and sends the contents to other computers
in a way that's completely independent of the disk format. So forget
about FAT32 vs. NTFS. Something else is causing the problem.

These tips should help you get everything to work:

1. Permanently disable XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall on
local area network connections -- it's for use only on a direct modem
connection to the Internet. Disable and un-install all other firewall
programs while troubleshooting. When un-installing a firewall
program, use the un-install procedure provided by the manufacturer .
Don't use Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs, which might not
completely un-install it.

For more information, see:

Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...c_firewall.htm

2. Use only one protocol for File and Printer Sharing. If the network
needs more than one protocol, unbind File and Printer Sharing from all
but one of them. Details here:

Windows XP Network Protocols
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/..._protocols.htm

3. Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled on all computers.
Details here:

Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (NetBT)
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...hoot/netbt.htm

4. Run "ipconfig /all" on XP and look at the "Node Type" at the
beginning of the output. If it says "Peer-to-Peer" (which should
actually be "Point-to-Point") that's the problem. It means that the
computer only uses a WINS server, which isn't available on a
peer-to-peer network for NetBIOS name resolution.

If that's the case, run the registry editor, open this key:

HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netbt\Parame ters

and delete these values if they're present:

NodeType
DhcpNodeType

Reboot, then try network access again.

If that doesn't fix it, open that registry key again, create a DWORD
value called "NodeType", and set it to 1 for "Broadcast" or 4 for
"Mixed".

For details, see these Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Default Node Type for Microsoft Clients
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;160177

TCP/IP and NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;314053
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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