Printer sharing problems with Win2K

backf1re · #1 January 21st, 2006, 10:39 PM

Hi everyone. I have been having some problems with printer sharing on a Windows 2000 machine and was wondering if anyone could help shed some light. Here is some background:

1 Windows 2000 machine
2 Windows XP Home machines
File and printer sharing turned on all machines
Printer directly attached to Win2000 machine

What is strange is that I can connect the XP computers to the printer on the 2000 machine, it asks me for a username and password to be able to access it. Printing works fine for about a week and then it stops allowing access. If I go through the process of deleting the printer, reconnecting to it again, it will work for about a week, at which point it stops connecting again.

After the same amount of time, it will not let me access a drive letter mapped to the Windows 2000 machine on a XP machine either.

All computers are in the same workgroup, for simplicity sake, MSHOME. The name of the Windows 2000 computer is WORKROOM. When I first connect to the printer on the Win2000 computer from an XP computer, I do it in the format of WORKROOM\Administrator and also supply the password that was set on the User Account section of Windows 2000.

So, it appears to me that there is some setting that will allow the authentication to the Windows 2000 server for a certain amount of time and then disconnects the connection. I tried looking at the Local Security Policy settings on Win2000 computer and noticed that there was a setting to sever a connection if it was idle for a 15 minitues. I changed the value to 0, but this still seems to be happening.

Does anyone have any thoughts? There must be something I am overlooking. Thanks!

**Spider** · #2 January 22nd, 2006, 05:26 PM

Hi backf1re welcome to Cyber Tech Help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by backf1re

tried looking at the Local Security Policy settings on Win2000 computer and noticed that there was a setting to sever a connection if it was idle for a 15 minitues. I changed the value to 0, but this still seems to be happening.

Try...

Start
Run...
type cmd click OK
type net config server /autodisconnect:-1 hit enter

...and see if that helps at all.

backf1re · #3 January 22nd, 2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spider

Hi backf1re welcome to Cyber Tech Help.

Try...

Start
Run...
type cmd click OK
type net config server /autodisconnect:-1 hit enter

...and see if that helps at all.

I will give that a try. Thanks for your reply!

**Spider** · #4 January 22nd, 2006, 05:41 PM

Let us know what happens backf1re.

backf1re · #5 January 25th, 2006, 04:15 AM

Well, I think that might have worked. I guess I will know for sure in about a week if things are still connected then.

Out of curiousity, what exactly did that do and what was causing the problem?

Thanks for your help. It is VERY appreciated.

backf1re

**Spider** · #6 January 25th, 2006, 05:40 AM

Good to hear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by backf1re

Out of curiousity, what exactly did that do and what was causing the problem?

Microsoft explains how autodisconnect works.

backf1re · #7 January 25th, 2006, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spider

Good to hear.

Microsoft explains how autodisconnect works.

Thanks, this is my favorite part of the article:

"This is approximately 8,171 years (not tested), which should be long enough to be the equivalent of turning Autodisconnect off."

**Spider** · #8 January 26th, 2006, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backf1re

8,171 years (not tested)

At an average age of 85 years it would take 96 generations to find out if that code disconnects.

rajdesai · #9 January 26th, 2006, 08:58 PM

sorry,the only way you can do this is upgrade to xp pro.