Question from skothead
"I had 2 systems share media files wirelessly from a host computer; an xbox and an XP MCE system pulling files from an XP SP2 system. everything worked fine until a couple weeks ago when my xp sp2 system disappeared from the network. i can still access the internet through the router, but can't share files anymore."

Answer from miner2049er
"Check that there is no firewall running on it, including the Windows Firewall and any others like the McaFee suite or Norton Suite."

Answer from mipmap
"Hi,

* Check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile -> EnableFirewall (value: 0 or 1), assuming you do not use a domain account.
* Check your LAN settings and activate "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks", if accidentally deactivated.
* Disable "Simple File Sharing" in Windows Explorer (Tools - Folder Options) and use the Management Console to check your shares, and create a new share if necessary. You may use the command shell, too (net share).
* Enable "Automatically search for network folders and printers" in Windows Explorer (Tools - Folder Options).
* Set shared folder permissions to "Everyone" AND set NTFS permissions to "Everyone" (testing only!).
HTH!"