Windows XP PCs Can’t See Windows 7 PCs on the Network: Fix
Several users have experienced an issue in which Windows XP PCs cannot see Windows 7 PCs on the same network and/or vice versa. Fortunately, this issue is usually due only to configuration issues and can be easily fixed:
Fixes
Change network setting to home or work If you have your group set to “Public” in the Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7, the system will be undiscovrable by Windows XP machines on the network. Open your Control Panel, then select Network and Sharing Center, and change the setting to either “Work” or “Home.” Make sure that all computers are using the same group.
Make sure Network Discovery is turned on In Windows 7, go back to the Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel, and make sure that the “Network Discovery” option is set to “On.”
You may need to restart your computer after applying these changes.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows XP by on May 6th, 2009. Comment. 
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Comments on Windows XP PCs Can’t See Windows 7 PCs on the Network: Fix
If that is all you are going to post…. Please do not bother. That is no help at all to a problem that a lot of xp users face.
My mac can see the network shares, but XP cannot? OUCH MS.. you need help!…
that didn’t work for me, im running xp on my laptop and 7 on my pc
Thank you for the fix – it worked like a charm
Sorry, no. I have both those options set, and Windows 7 cannot see the XP machine, even though the XP machine can see the Windows 7 machine.
butcher99 please don’t be an a55hole. He posted something to try to help, that’s more than you have done, period.
I got mine to work Control Panel – All Control Panel Items -Network and Sharing Center – Advanced sharing settings check Turn off password protected sharing
I have tried many suggestions but have yet to find a solution that works for me. We have 1 W7 machine and the rest of our network is XP. Cannot access the W7 puter and the W7 puter does not see any of the XP machines. So many people having the same issue.
Ah.. Fixed it. What worked for me was changing the workgroup the W7 machine belonged to, reboot, then changed it back again to the workgroup that the other machines are on. This was the same workgroup that it was on in the first place but for some reason it was not working.
I’m having the same problem. I just watched a tutorial on youtube and it seems obvious to everyone but me that if you have the same workgroup name, the computers connect to each other automatically. The tutoral took this as granted. But I cannot make any computer to see each other. Hope any of you have any solution for this. Thanks.
Same problem. W7 reads XP, but XP doesn´t read W7. I have “simple file sharing” turned off, LLTD Responder installed, permission to full access to Everyone on XP; yet no luck. Hope me or anyone else finds a fix and posts it.
Okay, so here’s an odd reality. I have the same problem. One new 7 machine. The rest XP. The 7 machine cames with McAfee. In McAfee network manager, it sees all the other machines. But in Windows 7 control panel, it does not. I have since disabled all firewalls (7 and McAfee) but 7 still isn’t seeing the other machines, and McAfee on the 7 machine IS seeing them. So wierd!!!
I solved this problem after my friend teach me, I try my very best to share it with you guys, first of all right click the folder or drive that you wanna share, then right click and select properties, then go to security, select edit, then add, then advanced, and find now. and select everyone. apply bla bla bla..then come back to permission either u full control or wat so ever…then apply bla bla bla…
back to folder or drive properties, select sharing then advanced sharing, permission..add, advanced do the same thing like in security..and apply bla bla bla…
then go to control panel, network and sharing center, select change advanced sharing setting, turn of the password protected sharing…then save changes…
last go to system properties…computer name change the workgroup..make sure it’s the same workgroup. then restart the pc…and u have it…
if u really still can’t get it, chat with me in nietsen@hotmail.com, I will be very happy to help…
It didn’t work for me either. My home network included my XP PC and my wife’s XP laptop. My new Win7 PC can see (and map drives to) both the XP computers, but neither XP computer can see the new Win7 PC. None of the suggestions have solved the issue.
Dear Microsoft, Why did you allow Windows 7 to be released without ensuring simple networking to Windows XP? Are you suicidal or just stupid? Please fix this problem so this grandad can set up his network without entering geek chatrooms.
It seems obvious that there is more than one problem going on here. And more than one cause. One size fits all solutions rarely work for everyone. My problem is the same as Servant314.
Oddly, one XP machine COULD originally see my 7 machine and the printer attached to it. Now it can’t. My second XP never has seen it.
I have the same problem. 2 W7 Computers and 2 XP computers. None of my XP machines can see the W7 machines. The w7 machines can see the XP machines. So not a problem with folder shares etc but with actually detecting the computers. Network magic on XP says it can see the share on W7 but when I try to access the share it failes.
I agree with the comment that MS is sad. It’s their own OS, and a recent version is incompatible with a previous version. I myself cannot see my new 7 pc from my xp pc’s. To see some posters’ solutions that are dizzying in sheer number of steps makes it even sadder: what? I need to go through all those steps so that 7 pc’s can be seen by xp pc’s??? Somebody take MS out of their misery, please!!!