Connecting a Windows 98 and Windows 7 through a network

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

DSCLIENT.EXE Active Directory Client Extension is needed if not using SP but Client for Microsoft Networks is not needed for this procedure. You may use Client for Microsoft Networks if it suits you. To each their own

1. You want to have an Administrator account with a Password on the Win 7 computer.
2. You want to make sure all sharing options are enabled. Depending on what you are sharing, use your own discretion.
Right-click the folder you want to share. Click Properties --> Sharing --> Advanced Sharing.
Put a check mark on Share this folder. Click Permissions and set to your likings.
Click Apply --> OK ---> Apply --> OK ---> Close.
3. From the run box type SECPOL.MSC. In the Local Security Policy --> Security Options --> Network security: Lan Manager authentication level --> set to whatever security level suits you. There is no need to change registry values because once you change the security in Network security: Lan Manager authentication level, it is automatically changed in the registry.
4. On a Win98 machine, create a new user account with the same user name and password that is created on the Win 7 Administrator account. The Primary Network Logon does not matter.
5. Add this registry key, because without it, you will not be able to connect to Win 7. Reboot!

REGEDIT4[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA]"LMCompatibility"=dword:00000003;

6. Log-in to the new account you just created.
7. Network Neighborhood is not an option. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the desired shared folder on the Win 7 machine.

Example: \\Win 7 Computer name\The folder you to access
\\JohnDoe\Music

If someone can come up with a better way to explain these instructions incase I didn't simplify please do so. I will ask a mod to remove my post if someone decides to do it.

On Win9x, reboot and sign in as UserA/PwdA - don't have that user signed onto the NT system (can't sign on TWICE onto same PC).

Yes you can Edited November 2, 2014 by PROBLEMCHYLD

[submix8c]

Huh!

LmCompatibilityLevel

LMCompatibility

A little "combo" info and here.

Maybe the method I used is the difference. I didn't do any of the other steps you provided, only what I posted, AFAICR.

98SE on VPC VM <-> Win7 Home Premium via the NIC's<->Router

(DSCLIENT, as you said, is for accessing AD Domains)

Oh well, whichever flies, proving it can be done, the main thing being you have to (generally) have matching setups (User+Pwd, Workgroup, TCP/IP, etc.) on both ends.

Win9x<->Vista/Win7/Win8(?)/(+Server varieties)

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

Oh well, whichever flies, proving it can be done, the main thing being you have to (generally) have matching setups (User+Pwd, Workgroup, TCP/IP, etc.) on both ends.

Win9x<->Vista/Win7/Win8(?)/(+Server varieties)

I agree, thats why most of your instructions was used. I was not able to connect until I added the registry key. See if you have the key on your Win98 machine and if you do delete it and try to connect again.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA]
"LMCompatibility"=dword:00000003
;

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

I can confirm DSCLIENT is needed if you are NOT using U98SESP3.x. I have tested this with and without SP3.x.

SP3.x installs the same updated files as DSCLIENT except for the Active Directory files.

[submix8c]

OK... I used AutoPatcher for my scenario, which undoubtedly(?) also has the necessary components that SESP has. Granted SESP goes beyond Autopatcher but I've been busy and haven't tested the latest SESP - the one I used was already in-place so...

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

Its strange how Win 7 networking is. I guess there is no right or wrong way to get it working. I'm hoping to come up with an easy overall solution. I hate that we can't use Network Neighborhood for browsing. Maybe some hack can fix this issue.

[submix8c]

How odd! Network Neighborhood is what I used. BUT I used MS Networking. Also (duh!) File and Printer Sharing, naturally (otherwise ->Win9x doesn't work) and Separate Users (naturally - MS Networking).

Some setting I missed?

No Vista/Win7 ATM, so can't fully retest. We'll keep "my" method "open" until I get a chance. UNLESS anyone else wants to do it. Otherwise, just use PROBLEMCHYLD's method.

[JasonL]

Deleted this post. Was redundant info and only p***ing off submix8c, prolemchylds method worked for me

Edited November 13, 2012 by JasonL

[submix8c]

Hate to tell you this, but the link given has absolutely no relationship to 2000/XP/2003, only Vista/Win7. There's absolutely no problem with those and have been using all three repeatedly and the method I give absolutely works. That's why I provided it for this topic as well.

edit - forgot to mention - you misunderstood the links "workgroup-name" - it DID mean "that-computers-name-in-workgroup" NOT the ACTUAL workgroup name.

Edited November 13, 2012 by submix8c

[JasonL]

>> "Hate to tell you this, but the link given has absolutely no relationship to 2000/XP/2003, only Vista/Win7."

"This is for all the pals who got IPC$ Password Prompt while connecting a windows 95/98/ME machine to another windows 2000/XP/2003 machine in LAN, i.e. networking between NT & non-NT machine."

I'm no expert, I can only go on what's written ^

>> "you misunderstood the links "workgroup-name""

Ah yep, thanks. Anyone else not used to this stuff could make the same mistake I guess. If nothing else it might help them get it right too

Oh well, I got mine working, I'll leave the rest for the experts

Edited November 13, 2012 by JasonL

[submix8c]

Pardon - you gave TWO links and the SECOND one is (pardon me but...) a STUPID idea. The GUEST account is NOT SECURE! Use MY method as given and you NEED NO insecure accesses! That's kind of like NOT putting a Password on the Administrator account.

[submix8c]

OK... I meant "Pardon Me - My Mistake - you have TWO links. I inadvertently referred to the wrong one.

Guest Account -

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300489

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc751488.aspx

Google

xp secure "guest account"

which includes a "discussion" of it here -

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21583104-How-secure-is-the-Guest-account-in-XP-Pro-SP3

Please note that the Guest account is applicable "across the NT-OS board"...

ALSO note that NOWHERE does anyone suggest the tactics that you propose (via the link). It's not JUST an "opinion" but a general CONSENSUS.

You've already found that the correct info for the connection was already here (in spite of the links you provided, then finding you'd jumped the gun). Please also note the associate links I gave referring to PROBLEMCHYLD's posts (see post #47 and following...). The registry settings LOWER the security already, true? AGAIN, the method for 2K/XP/2K3 is SECURE (ref. ACL's)!

If you like, I'll restate it as EXTREMELY unwise. You're begging to be hacked... But, by all means, go ahead.

???"deleted"??? Be that as it may... ...and not "p.sd off" - just presenting correct (AFAIK) information.

For the record -

http://devilsworkshop.org/tips/networking-windows-9598me-n-window-2000xp-lan-ipc-problem/6/

Edited November 13, 2012 by submix8c

[fakediyan]

One tip I accidentally stumbled upon and that turned out to be the most important of them all: Win9x will not open a Win7 network computer directly; instead, one must know the exact names of the shares and access them directly.

For example, if the Win7 computer named TEST7 has a shared folder under the name of MyShare, then you'll have to type \\TEST7\MyShare in your file manager and it will open it.

I've wasted a lot of time searching around and trying all the tips I could find, until I found the above; as soon as I followed it, the shares became available.

As a mention, I'm only using Total Commander as file manager and as such, I locked a few Win7 shared tabs in one pane so they could be accessed when needed without having to type the share path again.

I don't think it's been mentioned here but the Win9x machine(s) should have Active Directory Client (DSClient) installed.

 

this solution work for me

easy and simple

 

thank's

 

[Drugwash]

I'm glad it works for you too. Welcome at MSFN!

[Deadcode]

I was tearing my hair out trying to get Windows 9x/ME clients (VMs and one real machine) to connect to my file shares served by Windows 7. I'd previously gotten it to work just fine served by Windows XP, so I set it up identically under Windows 7, to be greeted by it not working.

Absolutely nothing I found Googling about this problem led me to a solution. I tried:

• Navigating directly to the shares by path
• Setting LmCompatibilityLevel and NoLmHash on the server side
• Setting LMCompatibility on the client side
• Installing dsclient9x.msi on the client
• Enabling NetBIOS on the server side
• Changing the network type from Public to Home on the server side
• Setting the Full Name of the account to be equal to its Name instead of being blank
• Actually logging in locally on the server side to an account meant only for file-sharing use
• Rebooting both the server and client after changing all of the above settings
• and more

So if anyone coming across this thread still hasn't got this to work, here's the last thing I finally figured out: Account passwords are case-sensitive in Windows Vista and above, but are case-insensitive on Windows 9x/ME. Apparently the password is converted to lowercase by the 9x/ME client when sent over the network, because I had to change my mixed-case passwords to lowercase on the server side. With that done, it worked!

As it turned out, I only needed to do two things differently under Windows 7 than I had under XP:

1. Set HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\LmCompatibilityLevel to a DWORD value of 1 on the server side (which is the same as going to Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Local Security Policy → Local Policies → Security Options, and setting "Network security: LAN Manager authentication level" to "Send LM & NTLM - use NTLMv2 session security if negotiated"). (Attempts to get the client to use NTLMv2 failed.) Note that a reboot is not needed after changing this setting.
2. Use lowercase passwords on the server side.

I reverted all the other changes I'd made, because none of them had any effect. Which is a shame, because it would've been nice to get the Windows 9x/ME clients to use NTLMv2, but maybe that only works for domains, and not workgroups?

Oh, and I do have to navigate directly to the shares, but I don't mind that at all; I map them to drive letters anyway.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Deadcode