Step by step troubleshooting VISTA sharing

Q: After reading post after post of people that can not get simple file
and printer sharing working I am left wondering just what the hell
does MS test??????????????

Clearly not a simple home LAN with a Vista PC and a XP PC or two. Did
they really think that people would replace XP on all their machines
at once?

The most common network configuration in the home has got to be a
router with a few PCs and a printer. Nothing special, so why can't MS
get the installation of a Vista upgrade into that environment right?

Holy smokes.

A:

1. Make sure you can see each other, for example ping.
2. Make sure you enable file sharing.
3. Make sure they are in the same workgroup.
4. If they would like to access each by using the netbios name, make sure enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
5. Make sure no firewall/security software block sharing.
6. It is easy and safe to use Public sharing.
7. Create the same username and password on all shared computers.
8. You may try to disable Password protection sharing.
9. Disable the IPv6 from the property page of the NIC.
10. Make sure you have assigned permissions in the Security tab in the Properties of the shared folder.
12. Reset Network Security LAN Manager Authentication Level from the default setting (NTLMv2 only) to Send LM & NTLM - use NTLMv2 session if negotiated.
13. It is no recommended to leave the blank password fro the remote access.
14. If you run Network Map on a Vista, computers that are running XP do not appear on the network diagram, you may want to download the Windows XP package (LLTD): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

These troubleshooting may help,