used PC: IPC$ must supply a password(?!)

[Howard J]

We bought a used machine that had Win2k running happily on it. We have
licensing, but to save time and hassles we left the installation as is. Now
we've hooked it up to a network. From other PCs, we see the Win2k PC in
network neighborhood. But when we double click on it in Network
Neighborhood, we don't even get a list of the shared drives, we instead get
the message:
Title: "Enter network password"

"You must supply a password to make this connection." Hardcoded in the
message the machine's name is listed (with two preceding slashes) and then
"\IPC$" (without any spaces after the machine name). We've tried making a
couple of folders and sharing them, including setting the permissions to
allow anonymous users, but as stated, we don't even get a list of the shared
folders, all we get is the message above. Thanks!

 

[BobC]

We bought a used machine that had Win2k running happily on it. We
have licensing, but to save time and hassles we left the installation
as is. Now we've hooked it up to a network. From other PCs, we see
the Win2k PC in network neighborhood. But when we double click on it
in Network Neighborhood, we don't even get a list of the shared
drives, we instead get the message:
Title: "Enter network password"

"You must supply a password to make this connection." Hardcoded in
the message the machine's name is listed (with two preceding slashes)
and then "\IPC$" (without any spaces after the machine name). We've
tried making a couple of folders and sharing them, including setting
the permissions to allow anonymous users, but as stated, we don't even
get a list of the shared folders, all we get is the message above.
Thanks!

Craete an identical account on all the computers. ie, same
username/password on all computers.

 

[Boyd Benson [MS]]

Howard,

The last post is correct, but here is more information if you'd like.

Problem:
IPC$ is a share to which Windows machines connect to access the list of
shared resources (like \\server), and when connecting to another machine
via the SMB protocol.

When you attempt access from the Windows9x machine, you are sending your
credentials to the Windows2000 machine on the connection to IPC$. Since
the Windows2000 computer does not have a user account that matches the
credentials you are sending it prompts you for the password. Since this is
IPC$ it does not prompt you with username/password fields - only password,
and unless you are using the correct username with the incorrect password,
this will never work.

Resolution:
Login to the Win98/98/ME box with a username/password that matches exactly
with a user account on the Windows2000 machine. This is the point that the
administrator needs to determine if there is an existing account or one
needs to be created at the Windows2000 machine.

Windows2000/XP: Creating a user account on a standalone(workgroup)
Windows2000 machine:
1. Right click "My Computer" / Manage
OR
1. Control panel / Administrative Tools... / Computer Managment
2. Local Users and Computers
3. Users
4. Right click / New User...
5. Type the new user's username in the "Username" field, and fill in the
"Full Name" field.
6. Type the password in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields.
7. Uncheck "User must change password at next logon"

Win98/98/ME:
After the steps of creating a new user, logon to the Windows 98/98/ME
machine with the newly created username and password.

Thanks!
Boyd Benson
Microsoft Technical Support
P.S.
If you'd like to add a user account to a Windows2000 domain I've included
these steps as well.
Windows2000: Creating a user account in a Windows2000 domain (on a
Windows2000 Domain Controller):
1. Control panel / Administrative Tools...
2. Active Directory Users and Computers
3. Users
4. Right click / New / User
5. Type the new user's First name, Initials, Last name
6. Type the new username in the "User logon name"
7. Click Next
8. Type the new password in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields.
9. Uncheck "User must change password at next logon"


--------------------

 

[Howard J]

(Please let me know, online or off, whether I'm to use in-line replying. I
did not in this case.)

Thanks Boyd and Bob! I think I understand now; there perhaps would be no
password that would satisfy the Win2K PC (except for passwords that are part
of username-password pairs that are on the machine and that we'd be logged
in as in our Win9X PCs. Some follow-on questions:

How do Windows ME and Windows XP PCs relate to this? I think I've tried
connecting from both, and that both of them got stopped just as the Win98
PCs have been stopped (ie., that they hit the password screen and weren't
able to get past it).

Would it be a problem if a user were logged into two or more other PCs (and
if two or more of those PCs needed to be accessing the Win2k one)? I'm
hoping to use that PC to save backups to on an automated and at times
manual basis, and perhaps will use it for regular file storage. If so, I
(or others, but let's use me as an example), might be logged into two or
more PCs at one or more LANs, and would want the timed and other backups to
work.

I didn't necessarily understand this part: <<Since this is
IPC$ it does not prompt you with username/password fields - only password,
and unless you are using the correct username with the incorrect password,
this will never work.Are you saying that there might be a password that would have worked? It's
been a couple of years or more since purchasing the PC (on a used basis, as
noted) and I doubt I could contact the seller, and in any case I doubt that
the seller would know or tell us the password.


Bigger picture, this is perhaps transitional or perhaps permanent. We have
a lot of XP licenses thanks to (an active) Act pk. But most of our PCs are
relatively old (read: underpowered). I'm unsure whether a good course
would be to install XP on them, and (I think as a separate issue, but
perhaps it's related) I'm unsure whether to use something like the pack's
Small biz servr, or for that matter the full server, as a file server.
Buying / building additional PCs certainly is an option too. I can start a
separate thread re that if you like. Thanks!


Use of this information is entirely at your own risk.

 

[f/fgeorge]

IF and this IS a HUGE IF! IF the computers are not subjected to any
kind of security, like only some people can access some machines, but
IF all users can freely access all other machines an easier tack would
be to go to my computer, right click, left click on manage, local
users and groups, users, and do a right click on guest in the right
hand box, do a left click on properites and uncheck the account is
disabled box. This will let ANY user on your network have access to
this machine. Of course you can still setup WHAT they can see thru
sharing, but no more password is needed.

Howard,

The last post is correct, but here is more information if you'd like.

Problem:
IPC$ is a share to which Windows machines connect to access the list of
shared resources (like \\server), and when connecting to another machine
via the SMB protocol.

When you attempt access from the Windows9x machine, you are sending your
credentials to the Windows2000 machine on the connection to IPC$. Since
the Windows2000 computer does not have a user account that matches the
credentials you are sending it prompts you for the password. Since this is
IPC$ it does not prompt you with username/password fields - only password,
and unless you are using the correct username with the incorrect password,
this will never work.

Resolution:
Login to the Win98/98/ME box with a username/password that matches exactly
with a user account on the Windows2000 machine. This is the point that the
administrator needs to determine if there is an existing account or one
needs to be created at the Windows2000 machine.

Windows2000/XP: Creating a user account on a standalone(workgroup)
Windows2000 machine:
1. Right click "My Computer" / Manage
OR
1. Control panel / Administrative Tools... / Computer Managment
2. Local Users and Computers
3. Users
4. Right click / New User...
5. Type the new user's username in the "Username" field, and fill in the
"Full Name" field.
6. Type the password in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields.
7. Uncheck "User must change password at next logon"

Win98/98/ME:
After the steps of creating a new user, logon to the Windows 98/98/ME
machine with the newly created username and password.

Thanks!
Boyd Benson
Microsoft Technical Support
P.S.
If you'd like to add a user account to a Windows2000 domain I've included
these steps as well.
Windows2000: Creating a user account in a Windows2000 domain (on a
Windows2000 Domain Controller):
1. Control panel / Administrative Tools...
2. Active Directory Users and Computers
3. Users
4. Right click / New / User
5. Type the new user's First name, Initials, Last name
6. Type the new username in the "User logon name"
7. Click Next
8. Type the new password in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields.
9. Uncheck "User must change password at next logon"


--------------------

-- Have you checked your Smoke Detector...LATELY?

 

[Boyd Benson [MSFT]]

Hi Howard,

Using the Guest account is a security risk and should not be done.

All Windows clients (Win95/98/ME/2k/XP/2003 will be unable to access any
shares on the target machine because they are sending their logged on user
credentials. If an account does not exist on the target machine you will
either be prompted for IPC$ password or username/password. Once prompted
for a password on the connection to IPC$, no password will work unless the
original username exists on the target machine and the logged on user
entered the incorrect password on the client (rare scenario but that's why
it prompts).

As to the question with using the same user account on all machines. This
will work, but if you have any multiuser apps you may have problems with
file locking Read/Write/Notify issues if you do this.
Again this would not be recommended because someone who compromises the
username/password would have access to all of your machines.

If you have SBS, then I would install it as a domain controller in a
domain, create user accounts for each user that has a strong password, and
then join all your clients to the domain.
Installing XP on each client machine would be ideal if the machines are
capable of running the OS.

No matter what clients/servers you use, please use Windows Update regularly
and download all Critical Security patches to stay as secure as possible.
Also, please run some type of anti-virus and keep the signatures updated.

Boyd Benson
Microsoft Technical Support
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--------------------

From: "Howard J" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.win2000.networking
References: <T4s8b.427020$Ho3.68342@sccrnsc03>