Problems accessing the administrative shared folders

Clarifications

Here is a good step by step guide that will help you troubleshoot your networking issues.

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/networks/page4772.cfm

Simply add the same user name and password that is on your desktop to the notebook.
You don't have to actual use that account on the notebook. This allows you credentials to access the admin share (insure that the account is part of the admin group).

you are encouraged to create a password for the main Administrator account for security. You can see if you can connect using those credentials.
I have the same Administrative accounts on XP Pro and Windows 7. I just went to a command prompt and typed in net use X: \\w780\c$ and was connected. You will have to authenticate before you will be able to connect.

C:\Documents and Settings\Rob>net use /?
The syntax of this command is:

NET USE
[devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD]
[/SAVECRED]
[[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]

I?m using my laptop username. (The laptop has my main user "Steffen" with admin rights, and a guest user, that is deactivated.)
There shouldn?t be any more users then that, unless windows have a default admin user, that is hidden from the user management screen, in the control panel :) (I really hope not)

I first tried making a new account on my desktop, with the same admin rights, username and password as my admin user on my laptop.
I logged onto that user on my desktop, and tried to connect to my laptop with NET USE, and after being prompted for the username and password, I got the error 5 again...
I then tried making a new admin user on both computers with the same username and password, rebooted, and logged into the new users on both systems.
I then tried NET USE again, giving the new test admin username and password, when prompted.
Still got the error 5 message...
Not sure I want to start using exploits on a working system (that I use a lot) :)
And the reason I?m doing all this, is actually to see HOW secure that "semblance of security" is :)

I checked in the Lan settings, and it is enabled... Also, it would surprise me otherwise, as I have no problems accessing anything else that is shared, from or to either system, it is only the admin shared that I cannot access.

Here is the MS article on How to create and delete hidden or administrative shares on client computers.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314984

It describes how to create a hidden/administrative share, so perhaps you can look at the one you've already got and check to see if the "Administrators have full control; other users have no access" checkbox is checked.

If it is, you can only access that share using the username of "Administrator" which is the default username assigned to THE administrator account. You can't access it with a username which only has admin privileges.

Now assuming this is a home network and is in a workgroup, when you connect and when you get the password prompt, you should input the following in the UserName Field "Workgroup Name/User Name" and password in the Password Field, where "Workgroup Name" can be obtained by seeing the Computer Name Tab in the System Properties in the Control Panel of the Laptop & the "User Name" should be any user having admin control on the laptop. This will surely connect. I have connected many non-domain computers temporarily to our Domain computers this way in our organizayion. This is because the computers' authentication procedure should like to know where to look and authenticate your login credentials you supplied while trying to connect. This is not the problem in a Domain environment where you can give rights to users you want to connect to your shares.
Please let us know the result after trying the same.

Got XP Pro... looks like I set a password (would also surprise me otherwise) :)
I'll update this post when I remember what it is :)
Thanks for all the help so far, I believe I've learned a lot :)
- Steffen

Edit: Got it!
Luckily I'm pretty good at remembering my passwords.

Please try the procedure I mentioned in my previous postings.

My apologies, I probably misunderstood you then.
When I try to connect "normally" to the C$ folder, the username is still grayed out and reads "SD\Guest"... if this is a default setting, me having saved something at some point or what, I have no idea, but it is the same whether I'm logged in as my normal user or the Administrator.
(How can this be un-saved / un-grayed?)
If I try the command prompt, and write "net use x: \\sd\C$" and provide the username: "workgroup\Administrator" I just get the error 5. If I write "workgroup/Administrator" as username, I get a "wrong syntax on username, please write a new username" message.
(And yes, I use the default workgroup name) :)

Check to see that simple file sharing is disabled. Explorer Tools Folder Options View and scroll to the bottom.

Click Start, Run, type in regedt32.exe and press Enter.

Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\lsa

In the right hand window you'll see restrictanonymous. Check that the Data Value is 0. If it is another Value then double click it and change the value to a 0.

Been a while since I've done this....but I seem to remember Telnet having to be enabled to use Net Use.

Is my memory failing me?

just tried it, still get an error 5...
can it be a setting on the laptop that only allows guest to log on?

I also meant to say the same thing as "singhsons" as in step 2, either it should be "\\computer-name\administrator" or "\\Workgroup-name\administrator" or "computer-name\administrator" or "Workgroup-name\administrator" in the User Name Field. Remember the Backward Slashes are IMPORTANT here and not Forward slashes. You can get the WorkGroup Name from the Computer Name Tab of System Properties, where you will be get both the ComputerName and WorkGroupName. Please try this and let us know.

Can't change the username, it's still grayed out as SD\Guest. (thats why I'm using net use)
and tried running the key manager, as written above, but the list is empty, so apperently I don't have any credentials saved.
I tried saving the admin credentials, but didn't change anything.
also yes, filesharing is of course activated :)

I'm a bit cautious with resetting permissions in general, so I would like to know what this will actually do? (Especially since I haven't set any specific file nor registry permissions on any of the machines)

net use X: \\SD\C$ password /USER:Administrator

The syntax of this command is:

NET USE
[devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD]
[/SAVECRED]
[[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}

SYNTAX
The following conventions are used to indicate command syntax:

- Capital letters represent words that must be typed as shown. Lower-
case letters represent names of items that may vary, such as filenames.

- The [ and ] characters surround optional items that can be supplied
with the command.

- The { and } characters surround lists of items. You must supply one
of the items with the command.

- The | character separates items in a list. Only one of the items can
be supplied with the command.

For example, in the following syntax, you must type NET COMMAND and
either SWITCH1 or SWITCH2. Supplying a name is optional.
NET COMMAND [name] {SWITCH1 | SWITCH2}

- The [...] characters mean you can repeat the previous item.
Separate items with spaces.

- The [,...] characters mean you can repeat the previous item, but
you must separate items with commas or semicolons, not spaces.

- When typed at the command prompt, service names of two words or
more must be enclosed in quotation marks. For example,
NET START "COMPUTER BROWSER" starts the computer browser service.

will set them back to the defaults.

Yep deactivated is what I mean't.

I was able to connect by changing the administrators password to password on amdu3. I was also running it from a Command prompt.

C:\>net use X: \\amdu3\c$ /user:administrator password
The command completed successfully.

try login as a super user on the linux cd. Might help :)

have tried both
net use X: \\SD\C$ password /USER:Administrator
and
net use X: \\10.4.28.1\C$ password /USER:Administrator
still error 5

Net use Connects a computer to or disconnects a computer from a shared resource, or displays information about computer connections. The command also controls persistent net connections. Used without parameters, net use retrieves a list of network connections.

Syntax
net use [{DeviceName | *}] [\\ComputerName\ShareName[\volume]] [{Password | *}]] [/user:[DomainName\]UserName] [/user:[DottedDomainName\]UserName] [/user: [UserName@DottedDomainName] [/savecred] [/smartcard] [{/delete | /persistent:{yes | no}}]

net use [DeviceName [/home[{Password | *}] [/delete:{yes | no}]]

net use [/persistent:{yes | no}]

Parameters
DeviceName
Assigns a name to connect to the resource or specifies the device to be disconnected. There are two kinds of device names: disk drives (that is, D: through Z:) and printers (that is, LPT1: through LPT3:). Type an asterisk (*) instead of a specific device name to assign the next available device name.
\\ComputerName\ShareName
Specifies the name of the server and the shared resource. If ComputerName contains spaces, use quotation marks around the entire computer name from the double backslash (\\) to the end of the computer name (for example, "\\Computer Name\Share Name"). The computer name can be from 1 to 15 characters long.
\volume
Specifies a NetWare volume on the server. You must have Client Service for NetWare installed and running to connect to NetWare servers.
Password
Specifies the password needed to access the shared resource. Type an asterisk (*) to produce a prompt for the password. The password is not displayed when you type it at the password prompt.
/user
Specifies a different user name with which the connection is made.
DomainName
Specifies another domain. If you omit DomainName, net use uses the current logged on domain.
UserName
Specifies the user name with which to log on.
DottedDomainName
Specifies the fully-qualified domain name for the domain where the user account exists.
/savecred
Stores the provided credentials for reuse.
/smartcard
Specifies the network connection is to use the credentials on a smart card. If multiple smart cards are available, you are asked to specify the credential.
/delete
Cancels the specified network connection. If you specify the connection with an asterisk (*), all network connections are canceled.
/persistent:{yes | no}
Controls the use of persistent network connections. The default is the setting used last. Deviceless connections are not persistent. Yes saves all connections as they are made, and restores them at next logon. No does not save the connection being made or subsequent connections. Existing connections are restored at the next logon. Use /delete to remove persistent connections.
/home
Connects a user to the home directory.
net help command
Displays help for the specified net command.
Remarks
Connecting and disconnecting from a network resource
Use net use to connect to and disconnect from a network resource, and to view your current connections to network resources. You cannot disconnect from a shared directory if you use it as your current drive or an active process is using it.

Viewing connection information
To view information about a connection, you can do either of the following:

Type net use DeviceName to get information about a specific connection.
Type net use to get a list of all the computer's connections.
Using deviceless connections
Deviceless connections are not persistent.

Connecting to NetWare servers
After you install and run Client Service for NetWare, you can connect to a NetWare server on a Novell network. Use the same syntax that you use to connect to a Windows Networking server, except you must include the volume you to which you want to connect.

Using quotation marks
If the ServerName that you supply contains spaces, use quotation marks around the text (that is, "Server Name"). If you omit quotation marks, an error message appears.

Examples
To assign the disk-drive device name E: to the Letters shared directory on the \\Financial server, type:

net use e: \\financial\letters

To assign (map) the disk-drive device name M: to the directory Mike within the Letters volume on the \\Financial NetWare server, type:

net use m: \\financial\letters\mike

To connect the user identifier Dan as if the connection were made from the Accounts domain, type:

net use d:\\server\share /user:Accounts\Dan

To disconnect from the \\Financial\Public directory, type:

net use f: \\financial\public /delete

To connect to the resource memos shared on the \\Financial 2 server, type:

net use k: "\\financial 2" \memos

To restore the current connections at each logon, regardless of future changes, type:

net use /persistent:yes
----------------------------
OR
----------------------------
Search for "net use" in your machine operating systems "Help and Support Center"
----------------------------
OR
----------------------------
For a shorter version type "net use ?" (without inverted commas naturally) in the command prompt or cmd.

This and all other posts shows that you are not reading, following, understanding and listening to all the post properly. I meant to say what this Syntax shows. Your computer will always help you if you do not understand nay command. Hence Windows is User Friendly even though it may be Buggy. I do not know about other OSes as I have not used and supported them.

From reading your posts, it was quite obvious that I was writing the right commands, but that for some reason it didn't work, when it should have.
This made me realize that there probably where a default/security setting somewhere, that denied me access to the computer.
After looking around for a bit in the administration settings, I found the setting:
"Control Panel => Administration => local security => Local => Security Setup =>
Network access: sharing and security model for local account".
This setting was set to guest only access, instead of normal user access, and when I changed it to normal instead of guest, the aforementioned commands works as intended :)
(I checked a bunch of machines, and apparently that setting is a default setting.)

I would like to thank you all for you time, and your great help, as I have learned a lot about shares, users and security settings alike :)
- Steffen