Can’t Access Windows 2000 or Windows XP File and Printer Shares From Windows 7

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Can’t access file shares and shared printers on your Windows 2000 or Windows XP Machines from Windows 7? The solution is below. I had this issue for a few days and finally, after searching through heaps of forum threads and posts, stumbled across the solution. The solution was originally posted on Windows Client Tech Centre forums (by a user known as ‘shooda‘).

On your Windows 7 Machines:

  1. Access the ‘Run’ command (otherwise known as the run box). If you can’t see it in your Start Menu, try enabling it in the ‘Superbar’ (the Task Bar) properties or on your keyboard press the ‘Windows’ (WIN) key and the ‘R’ key at the same time.
  2. Type: gpedit.msc (press enter or click OK)
  3. Make your way down through Computer Configuration
    1. Windows Settings
      1. Security Settings
        1. Local Policies
          1. Security Options
          2. And double click on ‘Network security: LAN Manager authentication level’
            1. Click the drop down box and select the option ‘Send LM & NTLM Responses’
            2. Click OK
  4. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
  5. Done! Try accessing file and printer shares on your Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines from your Windows 7 machines.

More information (as technical as it is) can be found here.