OS X to Xp file sharing problem

Ok first the Mac:

PowerBook G4 15"
Processor - 1.5 GHz
Memory - 1 GB
OSX 10.5.8

PC:
Sony Vaio
Pentium 4
2.20 GHz
1 GB
XP Service pack 3

Let's see, enable file sharing on my Mac and on my PC, can see all files shared between my pc's and join the work group. My mac will not connect for some weird reason. It seems so simple to connect that it's retarded!!

I start Finder>Go>Connect to server, then smb://<ip address of my pc>, it then connects and goes to a window. This is where I believe the problem starts...
First the window is not the one I have seen many times through varies walk throughs. The walk throughs have and extra field addressing a work group, that I have never seen mine always looks like this:



As this gives me the option for my PC's login I have tried many combos. I have tried my administrator account, a created new account, a guest account, and all fail. They all fail with this:



I do not understand why it tells me I do not have access to this server. I know all my user names and passwords!

So I have done these things on my mac as well:

I checked the box that says:
System Prefs->Sharing->File Sharing->Options "Share files and folders using SMB"

On my mac added my PC's work group:
Prefs->Network->Advanced->WINS->Workgroup

This is making my self confidence in computers very low since I can not figure out a simple file share between two computers. Any help to get this working for me will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Brandon.

No help from anyone?!

Seems like you're trying to connect with FTP, make sure you're connecting with SMB instead.

The syntax would be:

smb://<computername>/<sharename>

I am connecting with smb.

Update:

So this is even weirder. I can connect my XP desktop to my Mac and access all the files, but my Mac still has the same problem accessing my desktop (Which is telling me I can not access it after I put in the correct user name and password). However, my Mac can access my Vista laptop with no problems. Then my Vista laptop can see my Mac and open the User file folder but then does not have permissions to open any of the sub folders in my User file on my Mac !!!!!

I have tried to take control of the files through the command prompt elevated to administrator and through the properties tab on my Vista laptop but it will not let me...

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What sort of AV suite are you using on the Windows machines?

Let me guess - McAfee

I use AVG on both my Vista Laptop and XP Desktop.

It seems to me that Vista has some weird provisions set for permissions that I can not figure out.

An even stranger thing is I can access my XP Desktop specifically by mapping a drive but can not access it by the generic run-> \\x.x.x.x on my Vista laptop?????

Ok to summarize:

The Pros:

My Mac will connect to my Vista Laptop with no problems.

My XP Desktop will connect to my Mac with no problems.

My Vista Laptop can map a shared folder (aka, map network drive) on my XP Desktop.

I can ping everything so they are communicating.

Cons:

My Mac does not connect to my XP Desktop (For some unkown authenticate/access reason).

My Vista laptop can view my Mac and my User file folder and open the folders up to that point but then any attempt to open a sub folder in my User account is denied, saying I do not have to correct permissions. On my Vista Laptop I have tried to take owner ship of those files and have been denied.

My Vista Laptop can not connect to my XP Desktop by simply doing a run command and typing - \\<ip address>
This seems odd.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Help...................................bump

Take a look at this article. In particular, make sure your shares on the XP machine are setup exactly as described.

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I think you missed my last post.

You are quite right and I did.

Ok right off the bat my Mac does not have an option for "Windows Sharing", I am guessing that is not an option in OS X 10.5.8.

This is one of the original step by steps I used and it did not help me at all. I have the simple file sharing setup up on my XP but the problem arises when I try and access it through my Mac.

I put in my EXACT CORRECT user name and user password and the mac says it's wrong.

I appreciate all your help. However this is for OS X 10.4.x and Mac is now on 10.5.x, I realize it shouldn't be much different but I have to wonder if that is somehow related.

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