playtime for spare PC's -Jeff Gaines.

Apologies for not replying previously to this, now defunct, thread.
Jeff Gaines was kind enough to send me lengthy and very detailed
instructions on setting up a network connection between my laptop
running XP Home and my desktop, running Win '98.
I'm sorry to say that I hit an obstacle pretty soon after attempting to
start the set-up.
The first step went OK, when I found my workgroup name in XP, which is
MSHOME.
Second step I found that in Win '98 on my desktop, the workgroup name in
'Network Neighborhood' was set as 'OEM Workgroup', which I was able to
change to 'MSHOME', no problem. I rebooted the machine and was told
that a new database was being set-up and I had to reboot to start again.
The next step was where it started to go pear-shaped. Clicking on
'users' in Win '98 showed that there were no users, but started an
installation programme to set up 'multiple-users'. I had no idea what
information to input here.
Unfortunately I do not know what the user name is on the XP machine and
have never had to log on with one, or use a password.

Bryan Jones...

Yes, first of all the best I got was a black window which flashed up on
the screen and then disappeared, irrespective or whether I type in

pmj...

Great!
That is actually showing that it's working how it should!...
:-)

The Black Window is the "Command Prompt Window" & that wouldn't have
Opened up, (& you would have got that "Not found" Error) if you hadn't
got the Command right.

The fact that it just closed straight away, before you could read
(or Copy & Paste from) it, was just cos my *original* Instructions/
suggestion as to what Command to Type in omitted the "cmd /k" bit

netuser, all one word, or net user, with space.

pmj...

Well...
If you type (or Copy & Paste) into the Start>Run Box just the single
word "netuser" (that's with no Space), then it *shouldn't* Open up the
black Command Window!
It *should* just say (in a windoze Dialog/Message Box) that
"Cannot find ..." Error.

But typing net user (that's the single word (Command) "net", followed
by a *2nd* Word (the CommandLine Parameter) of "user", then it should
just Open up the Window, Run the Command, display the Output in the
Window & Close the window straight away (ass it did)

However, see below.

pmj...

Yep!
:-)

It was the lack of the "cmd /k" bit that was the prob.

Sorry.

Bryan Jones...

It certainly seems to, which is.- User accounts for \\BRYAN
C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe Administrator - Bryan Jones.
C:|Documents and Settings\Bryan Jones.

So, I now know definitely that my account name is - Bryan, not Bryan

pmj...

Nope.
(but see below)...

Jones.

Ali...

I can't see that there. \\BRYAN is the host name of the computer - how
other computers refer to it, 'Bryan Jones' seems to be the name of the user
account with Administrator privileges.

That's progress!

pmj...

Yes!
It *is* progress!
:-)

However, as Ali has pointed out, what that *actually* shows us is
that the *Machine* Name is "BRYAN" !

& that there is a *User* Name of "Bryan Jones"
(& also, though it's difficult to tell from what you have Typed in)
there is (as is to be expected) *also* an Account called
"Administrator")

Can you Copy & Paste the output *directly* from the Command?

That's (all) the Lines between the "C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe" bits

You can use RightClick>Mark on the Window itself (or RightClick on
the TitleBar of the Window & choose Edit>Mark), then Drag over the
Lines & Press [Enter" to put them onto the Clipboard, then Paste them
into a Reply

I ask that, so we can see the *actual* Output of the Command - how
it's shown in your Post is a bit ambiguous.

I would expect there to be (at least) 2 User Accounts (on a WinXP
Home Machine - one called "Administrator" & one called whatever you
used when you First Installed it. (which was prolly your (Full) Name)
& *both* of those Accounts would (in most normal, domestic Installations
of WinXP Home) actually have "Administrative Rights".
& there are sometimes other (System-generated) Accounts as well.

Another way, which would save doing the "Copying & Pasting" from
the Command Prompt Window) would be to "Pipe" (ReDirect) the Output
of the Command to a (Text) File & then Open that up (in something like
Notepad) & then Copy & Paste it into a Post.

But then, that would mean you'd have to find the File!
:-)

Try this...

Open up a Command Prompt Window (rather than trying to do it all from
the Start>Run Box)
& Enter this Command Line...

net user > "users.txt" [OK]

Include the Quotes round the FileName in that Command Line, otherwise
you'll get an Error saying "Can't find UserName"!

That's cos the Net User Command can *also* take a UserName as
a parameter & what we want is for the "users.txt" bit to be taken
as a *File* Name & not a User Name (if you see what I mean)

It should just flash Open & then close again, but there should then
be a File called "users.txt" in the Folder (Directory) where the
Command was Run (which looks like, from what you have Posted) was:

C:\windows\system32\

Or, try this (again at a Command Prompt Window)...

net user > "%userprofile%\users.txt" [OK]

That should put the File called "users.txt" into the (top Level of)
your User Profile Folder.

You can then Find it by doing a Search for it - or simply by just
Entering

%userprofile%

Into the Start>Run Box

Hey!
If you're going to do that, then you may as well just Enter (into the
Start>Run Box, after you've Run the Command at the Command Prompt)...

%userprofile%\users.txt

& that will then just Open up the File called "users.txt" (in
Notepad) straight away.
:-)

So you can Copy & Paste it from there (if you haven't got the hang
of Copying & Pasting directly from the Command Prompt Window)

pmj...

Yep.
But I reckon the UserName that you need to Type in is actually
"Bryan Jones" & not just "Bryan"

What does it say in the List on the TaskManager>Users Tab?

Or in the User Profiles thing in the System Properties (on the
"Advanced" Tab)?

Bryan Jones...

That'll do me for now, I'll get on with the Win'98 account user set-up
now.

Tickettyboo...

Try looking in Control panel:User accounts

Bryan Jones...

OK - Done that, among other options I see that I have an account for
'Bryan Jones Computer Administrator' - sound posh don't it?

Thank you for all the trouble you have gone to but perhaps it's best if
I left well alone now as this is something which is obviously beyond my

Tickettyboo...

Well you learned a bit and may feel like going back to it again another
time, when you get your breath back :-)

Bryan Jones...

I'll give it another go then.

capabilities.

Jeff Gaines...

Bryan
pmj has given a detailed reply and as he says you are getting there :-)

Anything new is a bit worrying but take it step by step and see how it goes.

Come back here with any issues you find on the way and we'll help.

I've stared putting together some detailed instructions which, if I finish
them, I'll put on my web site. Your feed back is very useful because I can
incorporate it into the instructions to help others :-)

Bryan Jones...

I think you'll probably get plenty of feedback from me. I'm sure I'll
make a very good guinea-pig.
I do not know your website address, but if you let me have it I will
certainly peruse it most carefully.
Many thanks.

Jeff Gaines...

OK :-)

I have put the first draft here:

I'll put a separate post to the group as well!