'Windows Sharing' Problem. Cant Find Alias?
 

Hi guys, first real tech question here.. A while back I turned on Windows Sharing.. Did everything right, setup sharing on my PC and everything.. Everything's lookin good so far.

So basically I'm an idiot. And when i had to login to my PC through the network, I kept typing in the wrong user/pass. So eventually I got an error message (Whenever I try to navigate to my PC through the Network section) that says "Cannot Find Alias" and I can either "Fix Alias" or "Delete Alias". If I click delete, it says I do not have sufficient privelages to do so. And when I try and click Fix Alias, it brings me to a sort of "shortcut (sorry ex-PC user heh) menu".. Like I have to pick the target of this alias, but I dont want a target, I want it to navigate to my network... blah

I know I'm HORRIBLE at explaining it, but I tried. I know I'm not doing anything wrong stupidly, because I can connect to my other PC on my network fine with this method. The problem is I screwed up with the login on the other one, one too many times and now I get this error message. I've already tried turning off the sharing, restarting, etc. But that error message wont go away.

Any help would be great! Thanks

I think it is easiest if you just delete the alias and then recreate it (Finder's File / Make Alias) after you have re-mounted the share via Finder's "Connect to Server" (in the "Go" menu).

Can't delete or fix network alias to XP
 

I, too, am having the same problem.

I used to be able to see my XP from my iMac (OS-X 10.4), but somewhere along the way it stop working. The alias for the XP is called Jc1. It comes up whenever I turn on the XP. When I click on it, I get the Connect icon. Clicking on that icon returns the error message that the original item for that alias cannot be found. I can't delete the alias either from the pop-up that follows (do not have sufficient privileges) or from a terminal window (sudo rm -rf /Network/Jc1 -> Operation not permitted), and I have no idea what to link it to if I attempt to fix the link.

Related problem: After installing Microsoft Office 2004 on the Mac, running Remote Desktop Connection fails - after typing in the name (or the address) for the XP, it goes into what seems like a forever loop.

Possibly related problem: There is an Epson printer attached to the Mac. The XP can see the printer, the appropriate driver is loaded on the XP and the Mac, but nothing prints to the printer. The queue on the XP says it is printing. Nothing shows up on the queue on the Mac. After printing is done, the "finished" list in the printer queue on the Mac shows that the item printed. So what happened here?

Configuration: The desktop XP is directly connected to a Linksys wireless router. The Mac connects to the router using Airport. Mac access to the internet is good. The XP can "see" the Mac, but the Mac cannot "see" the XP. Both systems are in the Workgroup workgroup. There is a laptop XP also connected to the router via a Linksys adapter. The laptop can see the Mac but the Mac can't see the laptop. The laptop can see the desktop and the desktop can see the laptop.

As I said, I used to be able to see the XP from the Mac, even write to the disks on the XP from the Mac. Things stopped working when the Mac network alias failed.

So now it would very helpful to know what the original item used to be and how to fix this alias thing.

Can someone hep with this quesion? Can't see PC from Mac
 

Can some user out there please post to this message I too am having the
same problem
Thanks

Don't hold your breath. I have submitted this problem to AppleCare and they don't seem to care - no response for months. I have even consulted with a so-called Mac expert - he has no clue. Neither can I find anything on this topic in the Mac OS X System Administration Reference Volume I.

I am convinced this will require a developer's insight from inside Apple.

Never had this problem before today...

TRY THIS! (Worked for me)

My setup:
3 Apple laptops, 1 Desktop Mac, 1 Apple Extreme Basestation, 2 airtunes.
Extreme Basestation connected to Desktop and 1 airtune via ethernet.

Trying to mount (laptop A to laptop B)
I found my Network settings screwy on laptop A.

1. Open 'System Preferences' > Network
2. Select 'Built-in Ethernet' under the Show: pop-up menu
De-select 'Make AppleTalk Active' under the AppleTalk tab
3. Select 'Airport' under the Show: pop-up menu
Select 'Make AppleTalk Active' under the AppleTalk tab
4. Click 'Apply Now'

Now Network settings (re: AppleTalk) are back in sync with laptop A and B.

I was fine tuning the settings with a new AirTunes zone, one AirTunes station is connected to the AEB via ethernet. I think wandering around with my laptop into the new zone switched my Appletalk settings during one of my [cough] 'preliminary' settings.

A glass of wine later, all is good.

-cheers

A broken link is ....
 

A broken link is a broken link is a broken link is a ... broken record.

Sorry if I sound cynical here.

Your suggestion above did not work.

I still have a broken link.

I can see the Mac from the IBM laptop. I cannot connect to the laptop from the Mac. (If this were a Windows machine, I know it would work.)

Look at this snapshot that I get when I try to connect to jd-ibm:

[IMG]file:///Users/johncarter/Temp/screenshot_01.jpg[/IMG]http://www.jrcarter.com/images/screenshot_01.jpg

If I choose "Delete Alias", I get the message that I do not have sufficient privileges (as administrator??? that's crazy!), so I guess "sudo" would have to be used from the terminal, but I have no idea what command to execute.

If I choose to "Fix Alias", a window opens up in the file browser - and from there I have no idea what select that would be the original item.

No amount of setting, deleting, and resetting any of the Network->Built-in Ehternet or Network->Airport stuff is helping. I have tried both several times.

And for the record, I am not using Airport to connect to the internet. And I get the same problem either way.

How do I fix or delete the broken link?

Is this now clear enough? Is there an Apple ethernet designer watching this thread? Please pass it on.

Let's first get some more info so we have some idea what the problem is.
Please launch the "Terminal" application (under /Applications/Utilities) and copy & paste the following commands, press Return, then copy & paste the results back here so we can see:

id
df
ls -lao /Volumes
ls -lao /Network
echo "done"

I agree that you should be able to simply delete the broken link and start over, and if the dialog box says 'Fix alias' - it should work. Find the Apple programmer, take him out back, and flog him good.

My suggestion above regarding AppleTalk settings works, I guess, in only limited situations (the symptoms were identical).

MORE TO TRY:
----------------
1. Install Little Snitch on your Mac (shareware, free to tryout). When you try to connect, Little Snitch should ask if you would like to connect; never, forever - and how: same port, any port etc.

Tell us what Little Snitch says; and try changing Little Snitch's pop-up to 'Any connection' instead of Same Port only: 21

1A. Do you have any non-Apple firewall software installed? eg. Brickwall?
1B. Do you have any of the Advanced settings checked in Apple Firewall settings?
1C. What does 'sudo ipfw show' display when you type it in the terminal?

------------------
2. You could also tell us what security you have enabled with your router, the exact model of your router, and what firmware revision you are using. What I am getting at is that your Mac, PC, and Router have to all be using the same security. Are you using WEP-128 bit ASCII, or WPA Personal? Other?

-Geoff

Thanks for the help. Before I get too far into this, let me say that this USED TO WORK. Then I did something on my Mac and it hasn't worked since.

Hayne, here's the output from Terminal that you asked for:

$ id
uid=501(johncarter) gid=501(johncarter) groups=501(johncarter), 80(admin)

$ df
Filesystem 512-blocks Used Avail Capacity Mounted on
/dev/disk0s3 488134944 113480832 374142112 23% /
devfs 196 196 0 100% /dev
fdesc 2 2 0 100% /dev
<volfs> 1024 1024 0 100% /.vol
automount -nsl [129] 0 0 0 100% /Network
automount -fstab [153] 0 0 0 100% /automount/Servers
automount -static [153] 0 0 0 100% /automount/static
/dev/disk1s1 1010224 341152 669072 34% /Volumes/JC LEXAR

$ ls -lao /Volumes
total 40
drwxrwxrwt 4 root admin - 136 Aug 19 07:39 ./
drwxrwxr-t 36 root admin - 1326 Aug 6 07:00 ../
drwxrwxrwx 1 johncart johncart arch 16384 Aug 9 18:34 JC LEXAR/
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin - 1 Aug 6 07:00 Mac1-HD1@ -> /

$ ls -lao /Network
total 5
drwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel - 512 Aug 19 07:21 ./
drwxrwxr-t 36 root admin - 1326 Aug 6 07:00 ../
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel - 512 Aug 6 07:00 .localized@ -> .

ls: /Network/Jd-Ibm: Device not configured
lrwxr-sr-t 1 root wheel - 512 Aug 19 07:21 Jd-Ibm@
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel - 512 Aug 6 07:00 Library@ -> /automount/Library
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel - 512 Aug 6 07:00 Servers@ -> /automount/Servers

$ echo "done"
done

Now it could be that because "Jd-Ibm" isn't configured that I'm having this problem. So how do I configure it? Where's the page in what manual that helps? Keep in mind that the most admin work I've done is to install and configure printers and users (on all kinds of systems). Networking is a bear for me.

Also, you said:

I think it is easiest if you just delete the alias and then recreate it (Finder's File / Make Alias) after you have re-mounted the share via Finder's "Connect to Server" (in the "Go" menu).

??? Excuse me???
I have no idea how to "just delete the alias", because I don't even know where it is. Give me some clues, please. And the tip "Finder's File / Make Alias" is still a bit cryptic for me. And "after you have remounted the share ..." is also very cryptic for me. To start with, I am not connecting to any server. My Mac is hardwired to the router. The IBM laptop can either be hardwired to the router or via wireless - it makes no difference.

Not that I think it matters, but the router I'm using is a Linksys WRT54GS. For wireless connection to my IBM laptop (and to the Mac should I ever decide to move it to the living room from the office where it is connected to the router via Built-in Ethernet), I am using WEP 128 bit. But again, even when the IBM laptop is direct connected to the router, I have this problem. Why? BECAUSE THERE IS A BROKEN LINK ON THE MAC!!!

I do not have a non-Apple firewall installed.
Airport on the Mac is turned off.
IPv6 is automatically configured.
Appletalk is active on Built-in Ethernet.

I don't want to display the output of 'ipfw show' here as it seems to identify my ports and how they are configured. Besides, what would that have to do with a broken link? The Mac can access the internet through the router.

So I repeat myself endlessly - I have a broken link. I'm sure this has nothing to do with how the ethernet is configured (I'm willing to be wrong). The Mac recognizes when the IBM laptop is powered up and on the LAN, and I know this because I see the entry in Networks (jd-ibm) show up, and it goes away when the laptop is powered off. What the Mac doesn't do is properly link that identity to a file.

Okay, so where should that file be?

If anyone has a similar working configuration (iMac G5 with OSX 10.4.x and Windows - any Windows machine - on the same router - any router), please let me know what file that Windows machine is linked to on the Mac.

Thanks.

Just to make things simpler (it is always a good idea when troubleshooting to try to get to as simple a situation as possible), I'd recommend unmounting & removing the "JC LEXAR" drive - I guess this is a USB memory stick. It is unlikely to have anything to do with the problem but why not make things simpler.

I don't know what the "device not configured" means.
But let's try to remove that symbolic link.
Again in the Terminal, copy & paste the following commands and then copy & paste the results back here so we can see:

ls -lao "/Network/Jd-Ibm"
sudo rm "/Network/Jd-Ibm"


"Finder's File / Make Alias" is referring to the menu item "Make Alias" in Finder's "File" menu.
And "server" is just the technical term for any machine that is providing a service - e.g. your PC is providing access to its files.

I'd turn off AppleTalk (it isn't needed except for older printers usually) and also turn of IPv6 (via the Configure IPv6 button in Networking preferences. Again this makes things simpler by removing things you aren't even using.

The firewall might (in theory) be preventing the communication necessary for file sharing. Access to the Internet (presumably you mean mail & web) is independent of this.
It would be a good idea to turn off the firewalls on both the Mac & PC as a test to see if it makes a difference.

I had this same problem, in my case it was cause by having an invalid user name or password for the Windows share, i deleted the entry for the share in my Keychain next time i tried to access the share it asked me for the password which I now used to correct one and it worked perfectly.

Hope this helps.

Cioni2k & Xp2Mac: A little voice in my head, and some prior experience with this same problem, tells me that it is a conflict with AppleTalk. AppleTalk isn't updating something (sorry, I forget in my experience what I did to correct the problem - bad ktext?, zap pram?)

Try:
1. Force AppleTalk to update Network params. Turn AppleTalk off by unchecking it in System Prefs: Network, whether you are using Airport or Ethernet. Apply setting. Wait ten seconds. Turn AppleTalk back and and Apply setting again. Now try to connect. If this works, you likely will need to do 2 and 3 to make the fix permanent.

2. Zap Pram.

3. Re-apply the same version of OS. eg 10.4.6

Note: You will loose some of you system prefs.

Sorry, contactzero, that didn't work.

ChrisG5, I looked into the Keychain and I couldn't find anything that even closely resembles a Windows share entry.

By the way, turning AppleTalk off doesn't help.

Hayne, I'm pretty sure that my problems actually started when I first deleted the entry in /Network for what used to be the name for an old Windows desktop machine I was using (it was Jc1). I stopped using that Windows machine and started using a Windows laptop (Jd-Ibm) thinking the problem would go away. Besides, like I said, the entry /Network/Jd-Ibm goes away if I remove that laptop from the network, so what's to delete?

Also, removing the Lexar USB memory stick doesn't change anything.

Guys, the problem is that the Mac lost a file that /Network/Jd-Ibm is supposed to link to when the Mac identifies that a new item in the Workgroup has joined the network. I think this should be some kind of driver.

Oh, I should have mentioned that I have reinstalled the OS at least twice from scratch since this problem started. The new OS installs did not lose any of my installed applications. Does that tell us something?

Problem fixed?
 

I too had been struggling with this problem for a while. XP/OSX networking worked great for a bit, then I almost always got those broken link messages, both to my desktop xp as well as my parallels emulated xp.

I noticed that if I logged in as another user (i keep a very generic second user on my system if a guest needs to use it), I could mount the xp files no problem!

A little more research on "osx user corruption" yielded some good hints on clearing the application caches, which did the trick!

I deleted everything in ~/Library/caches and Presto!, xp mounts where working again!

Did that. Didn't help. Same problem. No cache files left.

Done that too. No help. Same problem with all users, even ones that I just created.

I even deleted all files in /Library/Caches. No help.

So, is there anyone out there that has a Windows machine on their local network in the same workgroup as the Mac and you can connect to the Windows machine and see the files there? If so, please do the following and tell me what you get:

ls -lao /Network

In particular, I want to know what the Windows machine is linked to.

Thanks.

I guess I missed that part.
So the problem is that the Mac is automatically adding an entry ("Jd-Ibm") under /Network when the laptop is present on the network, but that entry doesn't work to access the laptop - is that right?

I didn't expect it to change anything. I still recommend removing it as I explained above - just to make things simpler. Feel free to put it back when you aren't troubleshooting.

Same problem, but with Windows 2003 Server
 

I've had this problem for quite some time. It all changed all of a sudden one day and I can't pinpoint when exactly it was. We have a shared drive and NONE of the macs that come through our office can access the server, giving the same alias error message. To me that means that there is a problem on the other end (the server), but our IT guys don't like macs and won't answer some simple questions about the setup. (Yes we should find someone who can, but that is another story.)

I have tried everything. Everything and then some. I feel the frustration that the first poster is having and whatever I can offer for help....

AdmitMac is apparently an option, but I don't see why I should have to pay 119.00 to do something that was already supposed to happen.

One more thing. I found this last time I was looking for a solution:

http://macwindows.com/tiger.html#SMB1

Well, apparently I have the same problem now getting to my XP shares. I tried the XP regedit suggestion however the key for anonmyous login was already set to "0". I also tried another suggestion at the very bottom of the page from the link in the above post to connect to server>cifs://192.168.1.102. At that point I get an error: "connecting to server sorry the operation could not be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -41)"

I can't seem to find much info on that error at either MS or apple support. :(

I have no problems accessing shares on a win98 box on the same network. Any other suggestions are very appreciated.

ETA: The curious thing to me is if I attempt to fix the alias of the XP machine, when I navigate to the network folder, the alias is greyed out, and the win98 box is accessable. The opposite occurs if I attempt to fix an alias in the win98 box, it is greyed out and the XP box shows up as accessable (albeit inaccessable due to the missing alias thing)

So I decide to delete any entry in my key chain that references my xp box. I open up the console log to watch what entries occur and here it is:

===== Wednesday, August 30, 2006 6:44:21 PM US/Eastern =====
mount_smbfs: error from NetrShareEnum call: exception = 382312522
mount_smbfs: tree connect phase failed: syserr = Cannot allocate memory

The first entry occurred when the authentication box pops up. (since I deleted all key chain entries)

The next entry occurs after I enter the username and password for the guest account on the XP box, and try to connect to one of the shared folders.

Any ideas? Thanks.

did i read this thread too quickly or did nobody suggested trying to connect with the direct IP of the windows box ?

another try that works most of the time for me:
open TextEdit.app
type in:
smb://DOMAIN;USERNAME:PASSWORD@windows_IP_address/sharepoint_name

example: smb://WORKGROUP;john:1234@192.168.1.101/SharedDocs

Then, highlight that line of text, click on highlighted text, hold for a sec, then drag on desktop (this should create kind of a shortcut to the windows box)
Double click the newly created document

OK-I tried that (I think I tried that a week or so ago, but with bad syntax) and got the same error-could not allocate memory

WHOA!!!! Hold the phone!!!

I initially dismissed this suggestion that I saw in several places (since I did not have any norton product on the XP box) to increase the IRPStackSize in the windows registry: http://support.microsoft.com/default...EN-US;q177078&

But reading here: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/4817 lead me to believe it was salient.

I did edit the registry, first with a value of 15 and it failed. I then upped the value to 20 and HALLELUIAH! I got success!

FABULOUS! This works for me. I don't care anymore if I have a missing link. THIS WORKS!

Thanks a bunch!

After applying the solution given by SUNSOUL, I no longer get an entry for the XP machine in /Networks.

I have also applied smarkham604's solution to set IRPStackSize on my XP to 20 (decimal). That hasn't done any good, but with no entry in /Network to try to connect to, its a moot point.

As long as I can connect to my XP using sunsoul's solution, I'm happy. Maybe when I upgrade to the Intel machine (someday) the problem will go away.

i'm glad i could help, xp2mac :)

on a side note.. i wonder how to refresh the /Network o.O

Well, maybe I do care why I have a missing link. Now that I have brought this subject up, others are reporting the same problem. I do think it is associated with the OS in one sense - it seems to have happened after an upgrade, but reloading the OS from the original DVD doesn't clean up the problem. To me, this is clearly an Apple problem but when I talk to them about it they tell me that since it is related to connecting to a Windows share that it isn't their problem.

I'm still interesting in knowing what /Network/<myWinShare> links to on a machine that works correctly (meaning, when clicking on "Connect", it actually mounts the Windows share).

This is the 2nd week I have an iMac at home and I had the same problem, at first it worked (other XP installation, used for my work) and then i also got these strange messages...

Fortunally i figured it out after hours!
Windows XP Home and Proffessional use Simple File Sharing, when enabled this restricts access to an windows share to only one user account, most probably the guest account..
When a computer is in a Windows domain, Simple File Sharing is disabled automatically because most shares in a company network use individual usernames and passwords and not a single guest account/password.

So go to your folder options in windows xp and change these settings, if you have windows xp home i guess you have to enable the guest account for that or do more research on this subject. Also change the password on that account to make sure..

Goodluck!

Still doesn't work.
 

o.k....this whole MAC to PC connection to server situation is happening to me with all the same issues. I used to connect when I was using Panther, but when I upgraded from Panther to Tiger I get all the "can't find alias" messages.

I really need some help here, because it's been taking way too much time out of my day.

Situation:

In FINDER, I click on GO and CONNECT TO SERVER. In text box, I type in "smb://[server_ip_address]/". I then hit the CONNECT button. Nothing happens.

In my NETWORK, the server folder is available. I click on the server folder and it opens up a list of available networks. I click on the network I want and I get the notorious message:

"The alias '[network name]' could not be opened, because the original item cannot be found."

-I've deleted all my Keychains.
-I've tried connecting by using the EditText.app method, but I get another message that says:

"The operation could not be completed because no application was found to open the Internet location file."

I'm quite frustrated with this whole process.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Re: 'Windows Sharing' Problem. Can't find alias.
 

Okay, I'm going out on a limb here with accusations.

I'm pretty convinced that Apple has no interest in solving this problem - because they can't reproduce it. They know way too much about how to set up internet connections between different types of systems.

What I think I know is this: To connect to a Windows system from the Mac, you use SMB. This is a Samba protocol. I'm sure that Windows has to be set up to use Samba as the method to share files on the Internet. I don't know how to do that. Any help here would be greatly appreciated. What I have been able to find out about configuring Samba on Windows XP Pro seems to be for connecting to a domain. That

When I use the &quot;Go->Connect to Server&quot; method, I get the following error message: &quot;The Finder cannot complete the operation because some data in 'smb://<server-name>/C' could not be read or written (Error code - 36)&quot;.

Just plain weird.

Guh, was hoping this thread would have answers for me, but alas, it doesn't. I've tried pretty much everything in this thread and others, and nothing seems to help.

I'm trying to connect to Windows XP Pro using my MacBook Pro. The workgroup and computer show up, but I get the alias error after the login screen.

I'm pretty certain this problem started for me when I reformatted my PC and reinstalled Windows, so Apple may be right in attributing it to Windows. However, at the same time they do kind of promise easy networking with Windows machines, so it seems like they should do something about it.

You mean like explaining in Dummy detail how to make it work?

Concerning this tidbit:
smb://DOMAIN;USERNAME:PASSWORD@windows_IP_address/sharepoint_name
I just discovered recently that 'sharepoint_name' can be anything you wanted it to be, and all this time I thought it had to be the name of the directory I was attaching to on the XP system (what I thought was meant by 'sharepoint').

By the way, that tip did work - for a while. Doesn't work anymore. Don't know why.

This is why instructions need to be Dummy proof, replete with examples and explanations, which few people are want to spend time on.

So I'm still thinking that the Windows XP Pro system has to have something configured on it to make all this work.

Still, there's the gnawing error message that I get about a broken alias - and no one has yet told me how this can be fixed. See my earlier posts for details.

I agree that most things in life are microsoft's fault - but I get the same unfixable alias message and all I have is 2 macs and a belkin router

also on a dummy note..

smb://DOMAIN;USERNAME:PASSWORD@windows_IP_address/sharepoint_name

what's DOMAIN? - I didn't think my 2 mac network had a domain name?

thanks for anything

alas wrote:
smb://DOMAIN;USERNAME:PASSWORD@windows_IP_address/sharepoint_name

what's DOMAIN? - I didn't think my 2 mac network had a domain name?

Use the WORKGROUP name for DOMAIN.

And for what it's worth, this tip no longer works for me. I can still access the Mac from the PC, but not the other way around.

It Works!
 

Most of the posts following this one seemed to ignore the advice posted here (maybe because it didn't help one of the posters). Don't ignore this! I had been struggling with this problem for days, basically since I got my new Mac Book Pro. I was sure the problem was with Windows, but none of the obvious (and not-so-obvious) fixes worked. This one did. I had to create IRPStackSize in my registry, and then input 20 as the decimal value. The problem simply disappeared and I am now able to access my PC from my MBP. Thanks, smarkhM604!

Still can't find alias to mount XP system to Mac
 

DrBob789456 wrote:
"Most of the posts following this one seemed to ignore the advice posted here (maybe because it didn't help one of the posters). Don't ignore this! I had been struggling with this problem for days, basically since I got my new Mac Book Pro. I was sure the problem was with Windows, but none of the obvious (and not-so-obvious) fixes worked. This one did. I had to create IRPStackSize in my registry, and then input 20 as the decimal value. The problem simply disappeared and I am now able to access my PC from my MBP. Thanks, smarkhM604!"

Sorry, but I have tried this, and this too, fails, even with a setting of 25 and 30!

Let's go back a step here. The following "tip" (creating an inetloc file) used to work, then one day like the "missing alias" it, too, failed:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>URL</key>
<string>smb://workgroup;<login>@<IP address>/C</string>
</dict>
</plist>

And keep in mind that I can access the Mac from the XP Pro system. Nothing has changed with regards to my Linksys Router.

I still can't figure out why the Mac recognizes that the laptop is out there (it shows up in the Network list) but won't connect to it.

Thanks.

Hi people,
I have MBPro Tiger, old G4 Panther ans PC laptop running Vista Basic. After a few weeks I got stuck with this problem - drove me nuts. Eventually due to a software problem on the PC laptop I decided to reinstall Windows from the recovery tool. It wiped the slate clean to my horror and I had to reinstall everything.

BUT, my network was up and running again :) And better than before with wired and wireless machines seeing each other. So reinstall Windows everybody!

Re: Same problem, but with Windows 2003 Server
 

I wish it were as simple as reinstalling Windows. I recently reinstalled Windows XP on one of my two laptops and I still have that problem. I also just upgraded to Leopard - and I still have that problem.

I'm pretty convinced the problem is with Windows, but all the tips and tricks posted here no longer work.

Is there no definitive fix for this?
 

I can't believe there is no real answer to this problem.
no clearing of keychains, turning off/on apple talk,turning off firewalls,restarting helps. I don't understand why the alias shares can be seen in the network after the restarts, or why you can't delete them. If anyone has a clear fix please post it here.
Thanks
Cindy

The Fix for the Alias Problem
 

Heres how..

On the PC:

Go to the "my computer" window.
Right click on the Shared Documents folder.
Select sharing and security.
If sharing is not enabled run the wizard to turn it on - you don't need to disconnect anything.
If it is enabled make sure share this folder on the network is checked.
Anything dragged into this folder is shared.

Open the control panel.
Open windows firewall.
Under "exceptions" make sure file and printer sharing is checked.

Still in control panel - click on system.
Select the computer name tag.
The name and workgroup name you type in on the mac are here - and can be changed here.



On the mac:

Open a finder window.
Click the network icon in the sidebar.
Enter your workgroup name and user name and password if you have one.
Select the folder to share or press return.
The shared folder should appear in the sidebar next to a network icon.

Enabling the guest account in the PC's user accounts control panel allows you to log in as "guest" with a blank password.

Tis done....