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Networking a Windows 7 and a Windows 98 computer

Anonymous
2010-03-01T02:17:34+00:00

Since updating my computer from Windows Vista to Windows 7, I can no longer communicate with an older Windows 98 computer which I have connected to it. I have assigned and IP address to the Windows 98 computer and I have added it to the list of trusted networks on my security center firewall (McAfee), as this was suggested as a possible solution.  It didn't work.

I need to be able to have the older Windows 98 computer on my home network for what one might consider a dumb reason (I have an older scanner on that computer, and the rather large files that scanners create are otherwise difficult to transfer to the new computer.  The newer scanner stopped working after a year and a half due to what HP calls an unfixable electronic failure, so I am using the older scanner on a Windows 98 computer for which the software was never upgraded for XP/Vista/7. 

The Windows 7 computer sees the network connection but that's as far as things go. How can I get the Windows 7 and Windows 98 computers to see and talk to each other?

alanr

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-16T20:37:45+00:00

    Short answer: cannot be done. You can access shared folders in the Win98 computer from Windows 7 but not the other way around. Scan on one, transfer files afterwards using the other. You can't use a Windows 7 Homegroup to connect this way, you need to use basic file and printer sharing (as in workgroups). Create one account on the Windows 98 computer that has the same username and password as an account on the Windows 7 computer. Set up file sharing as normal on the Windows 98 computer and assign it to the same workgroup name as the Windows 7 computer is using. It should then appear in Windows 7 Network and allow you to access the shared Win98 folders. You may see the Windows 7 computer from Windows 98 but you won't be able to access it.

    All confirmed as true, but - WHY??

    Windows 7 keeps shoving HOMEGROUP in my face, as if every computer on the planet runs it.

    It's notion of a network is corrupt. The whole idea of a network is to share resources.

    After days of fiddling where it inserted -PC after the name I gave it, first used HOME as my location, then lost it, created a HOMEGROUP for it, when I never requseted it. Or just simply misbehaved BADLY.

    I was finally able to get the windows 7 computer into the same workgroup as my other computers.

    It STILL shows it as connetion: internet !! Silly ____..

    And now when I try to access it no longer displays an error, but asks for a password.

    My normal response to this is (Hit Enter Key - i.e. "none" on well behaved systems.)

    I wonder what Windows 7  defaulted to?

    No matter, the machine and the OS are going back to the store.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-05-22T06:58:09+00:00

    For anyone Googling in to this old question, I managed to get it to work (in my case sharing virtual Win98 with the host Win7 using a bridged network connection through Virtualbox). My Win7 shares now appear in Win98.

    I went to Advanced Sharing Settings in Win7, enabled file sharing for devices that use 40- or 56-bit encryption in the File Sharing connections section. Then I selected Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers in HomeGroup connections.

    This seemed to completely disable HomeGroup. The only problem is that it's insecure, but I'm okay with that.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-04-01T12:28:07+00:00

    Very easy;

    Use cmd or command create bat file and run startup.

    NET USE drive: \to_connect_computer\sharing password_sharing /USER:user_name_sharing

    Example;

    NET USE Z: \SERVER\F ***** /USER:servet

    If not password;

    NET USE Z: \SERVER\F

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-01T20:23:28+00:00

    Hi Alan R.

    I would suggest you to turn on network discovery and check if the issue is resolved.

    To turn on network discovery

    1.      Open Advanced sharing settings by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, click Network and Sharing Center, and then, in the left pane, click Change advanced sharing settings.

    2.      Click the chevron to expand the current network profile.

    3.      Click Turn on network discovery, and then click Save changes. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

    You may also refer the below mentioned links.

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Why-can-t-I-connect-to-other-computers

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/HomeGroup-frequently-asked-questions

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Networking-home-computers-running-different-versions-of-Windows

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=80b1aa5d-1b5a-4447-8036-acc918ba7af2&displaylang=en

     Hope this information helped!

     Thanks and regards,

     Fouzan – Microsoft support.

     Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum 

     http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-%20US/answersfeedback/threads and let 

     us know what you think.

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-03-01T19:10:34+00:00

    Short answer: cannot be done. You can access shared folders in the Win98 computer from Windows 7 but not the other way around. Scan on one, transfer files afterwards using the other. You can't use a Windows 7 Homegroup to connect this way, you need to use basic file and printer sharing (as in workgroups). Create one account on the Windows 98 computer that has the same username and password as an account on the Windows 7 computer. Set up file sharing as normal on the Windows 98 computer and assign it to the same workgroup name as the Windows 7 computer is using. It should then appear in Windows 7 Network and allow you to access the shared Win98 folders. You may see the Windows 7 computer from Windows 98 but you won't be able to access it.

    If you are able to create a Win98 or XP virtual machine (using Virtual PC 2007+OS install CD) in your Windows 7 you can actually transfer files either way between the VM and the Win98 computer. Not a tidy solution but it gets the files moved. Not too big of a learning curve setting it up, assuming you're not already familiar with Virtual PC 2007.

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