Last Reviewed:  April 19, 2023

Peer to Peer Network between Windows XP and Newer Versions of Windows

A very common frustration is trying to get Windows XP to connect to newer versions of Windows in a peer-to-peer network.

Unfortunately, this falls outside of FileCenter. Any errors and problems you see all come from Windows. But we can give you a few tips:

First, assuming that you're hosting the files on the newer machine, make sure the files aren't in your "Documents" folder. Put them in their own directory right off of the "C:\" drive.

Right-click on that directory and select "Properties" then the "Security" tab. For the "Group or User Names", make sure there's an "Authenticated Users" item there, and that authenticated users have full permissions. Add authenticated users if you need to. If you feel safe, you can even add an entry called "Everyone" and give them full permissions.

Still on your newer Windows machine, go to the Control Panel > Network Sharing Center. Click "Advanced Sharing Settings" on the left, then expand the "Private" node. Apply these settings:

  • Turn on network discovery
  • Turn on file and printer sharing
  • Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers

Now the important step:  Create IDENTICAL user logins and passwords on both the XP and newer Windows machine. Basically, your XP user must have a matching username and password on the newer Windows machine.

If you're still having trouble, remove the network drive mapping from the XP machine and re-create it. As you create it, you'll see an option to use a different username/password. Use a username/password that you know exists and works on the newer Windows machine.

If you're still having trouble at this point, do a Google search for "WIndows XP and Windows 8 peer to peer" (or whatever version of Windows you're using). There are a lot of good guides and resources out there.

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