[Problem] - Windows 7 ask for password if I access a Windows XP comput

[Pidgeon]

Well there are 2 PC in my LAN:

• NB
  
  • Notebook
    
  • WiFi connection to my router NETGEAR DGN2200v3
    
  • Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1
    

  [*]DSK

  • Desktop
    
  • Cabled connection to my router NETGEAR DGN2200V3
    
  • Windows XP Home Edition 32bit SP3
    

If from DSK I try to access NB shared folders through network, everything is fine.

If from NB I try to access DSK shared folders through network, the following window appears:

The strange thing is that this problem seems to occur randomly! Sometimes it occurs, sometimes not (during the same session of usage of NB). This is annoying because usually I need to work with NB on files which are stored in DSK through local network, so if I need to apply a change to a file, sometimes I won't have a chance to do that.

Some minutes ago I configured DSK and NB so that the account for both has the same username and password.

When on NB I try to access DSK shared folders, the window I posted above appears, I fill the data but neither this time I have granted access...

This is what happens:

- I reset NB WiFi connection

- Using NB I try to access DSK shared folders --> everything is ok

- About 5 minutes passes

- Using NB I try to access DSK shared folders --> the authentication window appears, I fill the username and password fields but they won't be recognized

I need to work on DSK files directly from NB through my local network, so it is very annoying to reset my WiFi connection every 5 minutes... Just I don't know what the solution to this problem could be.

[Pidgeon]

Well, after having spent 4 hours/day for 5 days trying to find a solution to this stupid problem, here is what happened:

1) I executed "ping PIDGEON-DSK" on NB.

2) I noticed that IP of DSK was 192.168.56.1.

I thought, strange, DSK was set to a static ip, or 192.168.0.2...

3) I executed "ipconfig" on NB.

I noticed that the network card "Scheda Ethernet VirtualBox Host-Only Network" was associated to the same ip of DSK (192.168.56.1).

4) I remembered that I installed VirtualBox even on DSK.

5) I noticed that the network card "Scheda Ethernet VirtualBox Host-Only Network" had the same static ip on both DSK and NB (192.168.56.1).

6) I changed the "Scheda Ethernet VirtualBox Host-Only Network" static ip of DSK to 192.168.57.1.

7) I tried to access DSK shared folders from NB.

8) No authentication window appeared.

9) I was able to browser/modify DSK share folders.

10) I waited 10 more minutes.

11) No authentication window appeared.

12) I was able to browser/modify DSK share folders.

Problem solved.

In short, this happened because some months ago I installed VirtualBox on both DSK and NB. When you install VirtualBox, it creates a network card so that you are able to connect to internet when using the guest system. The problem is that the network card has the same ip (192.168.56.1) for every VirtualBox installation, so if you connect 2 PC with VirtualBox installed, there will be network card conflicts unless you change the static IP of one of the cards.