xp sp2 'net share' command issue

[Sulfurious]

Greetings.

I have a wierd one here. First, get this out of the way

Computer 1

static 192.168.1.x

no firewall, no av, fresh install xp pro sp2

have network connectivity and all that

Computer 2

same thing but ip .xx

Computer 3 and 4, xp pro original. static ips. no firewall, av, etc

All needed services are running

no 'non-default' security policies

home environment, using simple file sharing

The problem is this. I use windows explorer, share a directory, with read/write permissions on computer 1,2,3,4. Any computer, using run \\computer# can open the resources, and read/write.

Here is the catch. On pre service pack computers, I can use the command line 'net share' to make the share, and all 4 computers have read/write.

If on the sp2 computers I make a share this way, I get error " i do not have permission". If I del the share, then create the share from explorer, works fine.

I have tried the enable guest account, tried various security policy changes, enabled and disabled different services. I have extensively searched the web for some documentation on what exactly sp2 does this for, but no luck. The only documentation is for standard 'net share' options, none of which include actually setting privelages. As per MS website, in sp2, by default, the 'allow users to change files' in simple file sharing has NOT been enabled. And furthermore, they state that using the 'net share' command to create a share will, by default, enable read/write with NO option otherwise. And they state that the guest account must be enabled for this to occur. sp2, by default, does NOT enable the guest account. Although there seems to be 2 guest accounts. One resides in the management console under 'users', and it was NOT disabled. The other, it lives in the 'user accounts' from the control panel. It is disabled by default.

Now, why do I care? Because I wish to include in scripts the ability to share what I desire to share. OH, it does create the share, and it is even a resource I can view browsing, or I can even 'net use' as z: or whatever. But, I cannot go into that share, unless it is created from the GUI.

Does anyone know what is going on here? I am hoping it is something that I can script up, not a manual fix on every computer. If that is the case then I might as well create the share manually.

The reason: I organize the LAN parties that me and a bunch of other gamers like to attend. I have been writing a script to distribute drivers, patches, mods, updates, maps, etc for the games. And part of my script creates shares with the 'net share' command. I am trying to harness the power of the first dozen peeps that come in and make them servers so there are no lines for getting files and most importantly so that one computer is not downloading a file and uploading 2 others at the same time. Kind of makes my super duper fast network not so super or duper.

Oh, and not that you were wondering, but just in case you were, torrents are not very fast on a LAN. Max I have seen is about 40% of my 10/100 nic. And they tend to build up speed, and then sort of re-calibrate and start from 0 again. However, if you know something I don't, that would actually be easier than a script.

Thanks for any offerings of help.

sul

[Methanoid]

Did you ever solve this one? If so please let us know how...