Help! Can't connect to work computer..

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Guest

OK. So I am trying to connect to my work computer from my personal laptop
(and vice-versa). My laptop is using a PC card to connect to the internet
(via Cingular) so is not hooked up to the network at all (is named
ANGELALAPTOP). My work computer (ANGELAPBI) is its own computer but is run
through a network here at work. Both are running XP Pro.

My problem seems to be (after reading instructions/help/etc) that when I go
to add a user for access (through the Remote tab of the Systems window), it
won't let me choose a location other than the name of the computer I'm
working on.

Help?? I'm trying to get this resolved today while I have my laptop sitting
on my desk next to my work computer.

THANK YOU :)
Angela
 
Angel-A said:
OK. So I am trying to connect to my work computer from my personal laptop
(and vice-versa). My laptop is using a PC card to connect to the internet
(via Cingular) so is not hooked up to the network at all (is named
ANGELALAPTOP). My work computer (ANGELAPBI) is its own computer but is
run
through a network here at work. Both are running XP Pro.

My problem seems to be (after reading instructions/help/etc) that when I
go
to add a user for access (through the Remote tab of the Systems window),
it
won't let me choose a location other than the name of the computer I'm
working on.
Click to expand...

Is your work computer part of a workgroup or a domain?

If you're part of a workgroup , you'll need to have user accounts with the
same name on both computers.

Mike
 
Mike T. said:
Is your work computer part of a workgroup or a domain?

If you're part of a workgroup , you'll need to have user accounts with the
same name on both computers.
Click to expand...

My work computer is part of a workgroup. So I renamed my laptop "ANGELAPBI"
to match my work computer, and made it part of the same workgroup..
supposedly.. and still nothing. I still try to connect and it sits for a few
minutes then comes back saying that it couldn't connect.

:(
 
Angel-A said:
My work computer is part of a workgroup. So I renamed my laptop
"ANGELAPBI"
to match my work computer, and made it part of the same workgroup..
supposedly.. and still nothing. I still try to connect and it sits for a
few
minutes then comes back saying that it couldn't connect.
Click to expand...

Hi there,

I didn't mean to give both computers the same name -- that won't work at
all. Change the name of your laptop back to what it was. What I meant was to
have USER accounts with the same name. In other words, on computer
"ANGELAPBI", you have a user account named "user1". To make this work,
you'll need to have a user account named "user1" on the laptop as well.

Mike
 
OK, haha. Let me just make sure I have this right. I'm at home now, so I'll
have to try this in the morning when I have both computers in the same
location.

I'll have two computers, one named AngelaPBI and one AngelaLaptop. Both
computers will have a user account called Angela.

Is this right? Will both "Angela" accounts need to be administrators? How
about needing passwords?

Thanks a ton!!
 
Angel-A said:
OK, haha. Let me just make sure I have this right. I'm at home now, so
I'll
have to try this in the morning when I have both computers in the same
location.

I'll have two computers, one named AngelaPBI and one AngelaLaptop. Both
computers will have a user account called Angela.

Is this right? Will both "Angela" accounts need to be administrators?
How
about needing passwords?

Thanks a ton!!
Click to expand...

I mistyped my thoughts...I apologize for the mistake. I only wrote that
because that's the way I have my network set up.

You don't *necessarily* need accounts on both machines with the same name
(in my case, I do, however).

For setting this up, you would need admin rights on the remote computer in
order to allow remote connections. Right click "My Computer", then
"Properties". Then select the "Remote" tab and make sure the "Allow users to
connect remotely" tab is checked. If necessary, click "Select Remote Users".
Members of the Administrators group automatically have the right to connect.
If the "Angela" account is not part of the Administrators group, you can add
it here.

On the client computer, go to "Accessories", "Communication", then "Remote
Desktop Connection". Enter the name or IP address of the remote computer
(the one to which you want to connect). You may need to click the "Options"
button to show the full window. You'll need to enter the username and
password of a valid account on the REMOTE machine -- either a member of the
Administrators group, or an account you defined using the method in the
previous paragraph. Keep in mind that the account you use to log in will
have the same rights as if it was sitting at the computer. In the "Domain"
box, enter the name of your workgroup.

Let me know how it goes.

Mike
 
Hm.. this is how I already had it set up.. each user on each computer is set
up as an administrator in the User Accounts area. My problem is that when I
go to "Select Remote Users..." in the Remote tab of the Systems settings, it
won't give me another "Location" other than my computer. "Administrator" is
added, but it says "In Folder" and then the computer name below. Sooooo I'm
stuck. Both computers won't give me another option for a location of a
user..

:(
I'm about to throw my laptop out the window, LOL.
 
Remote Desktop users in a work group environment are local to the PC you
want to remotely access/control. Users on that PC must be an administrator
or a member of the Remote Desktop Users Group. So, if PC-A has one
administrator and two limited users (ie. User1 and User2) you would need to
logon to PC-A from PC-B with either the PC-A administrator ID and password
or the User1/User2 ID and password. It does not matter to Remote Desktop is
PC-B has the same administrator or user accounts, ie. they can be completely
different...

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/RemoteDesktop/RemoteDesktopSetupandTroubleshooting.html

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...
 
Angel-A said:
Hm.. this is how I already had it set up.. each user on each computer is
set
up as an administrator in the User Accounts area. My problem is that when
I
go to "Select Remote Users..." in the Remote tab of the Systems settings,
it
won't give me another "Location" other than my computer. "Administrator"
is
added, but it says "In Folder" and then the computer name below. Sooooo
I'm
stuck. Both computers won't give me another option for a location of a
user..
Click to expand...

It won't give that option. Remote Desktop is only concerned with users
accessing that computer *as if they were actually sitting there*...not the
users on the client computer (that is, the one you're logging in *from*.
Whatever account you have on the computer you're logging in FROM isn't
important. For example, here's a scenario:

Computer name: ANGELAPBI
Users:
Administrator
Angela
User1
User2
User3

Computer name: ANGELALAPTOP
Users:
Administrator
Angela
UserA
UserB
UserC

Since you want to log from ANGELALAPTOP into ANGELAPBI, you'll need to do so
in the RD window with an account that is valid on ANGELAPBI. You can start
the RD program on ANGELALAPTOP with any valid account on the laptop, but
you'll need to log into ANGELAPBI with valid credentials *for ANGELAPBI*.
Based on the scenario listed above, you would be able to log in with
Administrator or Angela because those accounts exist on ANGELAPBI. You could
also log in with User1, User2, or User3 for the same reason. The fact that
those three accounts do not exist *on the laptop* is irrelevant. You would
*not* be able to do so with UserA, UserB, or UserC because those accounts
don't exist *on ANGELAPBI*.

Mike
 
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