Connect the two computers using the Ethernet crossover cable.
On the computer running Windows Vista, from the Start menu, click
Control Panel. Then, double-click Network and Sharing Center.
Note: If this doesn't match what you see, switch yorur control panel to classic view..
At the top of the main portion of the Network and Sharing Center window, double-click the Unidentified Network icon.
If network discovery and file sharing are disabled, the following message will appear:
"Network discovery and file sharing are turned off. Network computers and devices are not visible. Click to change..."
Click the message to enable network discovery and file sharing; you may be prompted for an administrator username and/or password.
In the dialog box that opens, select No, make the network that I am connected to a private network. This allows you to initiate file sharing on the two computers without affecting the settings for any other networks.
Icons for both computers should now be visible in the Network window. Double-click a computer icon to share
printers and other resources.
Thank you drbrightirem for your reply confirming I have the correct driver and your suggestion regarding a virus. I am sorry for the delay in responding. I was not certain if the Fixya community would be responding to my request as it has been a little while since I posted my problem. In the meantime I have found a solution with the help of another forum and just in case the details might be of use to someone, here are some extracts of what I did.
I am trying to just network the two Win98 machines as it appears from other forums that interworking Win98SE to Vista will never work (although as I mentioned I did get it working in the Vista to Win98SE direction). So I have abandoned that and just want to get back to where I was, that is Win98SE interworking with Win98.
Eventually I concluded that after the Vista/Win98SE attempts I had been left with more than one problem.
First the Win98SE desktop.
I have reset (again) the Network settings in Control Panel and have bound the Realtek Network Adapter to the NetBEUI protocol only. I have removed all other bindings including those to the Dial-Up Adapter. The NetBEUI --->realtek properties shows bindings to Client for Microsoft Networks and File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks. At the end of those resettings when I clicked OK the following message box appeared
[Version Conflict
A file being copied is older than the file currently on your computer. It is recommended that you keep your existing file.
File name secur32.dll
Description Microsoft Win32 Security Services (Export
Your version 4.10.2226
Do you want to keep the file? yes no]
I clicked yes because I had read in the Microsoft article 239869 How to enable NTLM2 Authentication that certain files will remain after Active Directory Client Extension removal because they give enhanced security. See paste below
"When you install Active Directory Client Extensions on a computer that is running Windows 98, the system files that provide NTLM 2 support are also automatically installed. These files are Secur32.dll, Msnp32.dll, Vredir.vxd, and Vnetsup.vxd. If you remove Active Directory Client Extension, the NTLM 2 system files are not removed because the files provide both enhanced security functionality and security-related fixes".
I was then prompted to restart the pc
Second the Win98 laptop
I have reset (again) the Network settings in Control Panel and have bound the Realtek Network Adapter to the NetBEUI protocol only. I have removed all other bindings including those to the Dial-Up Adapter. The NetBEUI --->realtek properties shows bindings to Client for Microsoft Networks and File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks. At the end of those resettings when I clicked OK the following message box appeared
[Copying Files
The file "netbeui.vxd" on Windows 98 CD ROM can not be found
Insert Windows 98 CD ROM in the selected drive and click OK
Copy files from
C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\Q312339]
I don't have a Win98 CD ROM, only a Toshiba product recovery disc which would take me right back to day1 factory status if I used it. Also I don't know why the message window included a path to Q312339. I assume this might be an upgrade I loaded some (long) time in the past when this computer had dial-up internet access?
So to get past this I had to click Skip File. After system restart the icon for this computer did not appear in its Network Neighbourhood nor an icon for the Win98SE
So I suspect the NetBEUI is not working on this pc, no doubt due to this missing file. So I changed the network settings again so that only the TCP/IP protocol is bound to the NIC. After restart this computer's icon appeared again in its Network Neighbourhood window. I had one more try at changing the Win98SE to be TCP/IP only, but they still don't see each other.
Having thought about the above for a while, Success!
I copied the missing netbeui.vxd file via floppy from the Win98SE to the Win98 and then reset the network settings for NetBEUI on the Win98
Then I reset NetBEUI again on the Win98SE and when the message said do you want to keep the existing secur32.dll file I said NO and after reboot it all worked OK
So everthing was back how it was before my Vista/Win98SE attempts. But then I discovered another little funny
Win98SE to Win98 Networking Disconnection
Its working fine but when I was repositioning my computers today, I unplugged the ethernet crossover cable and when I plugged it in again the connection between the computers was lost. I discovered that the only way to re-establish the connection is by rebooting the Win98SE. Rebooting the Win98 would not re-establish the connection. After messing about a bit I found that the cable has to be unplugged for about 10seconds for the connection to be lost, that is if you plug it out and then in again within about 10seconds the connection stays up.
However after this 10 seconds when the link has been lost I think the Network Neighbourhood display of the Win98SE computer is a bit strange when the cable is out though.
Initially after the cable is unplugged the Win98 continues to show Entire Network, Advent Desktop (the Win98SE) and Toshibalaptop (itself, the Win98 laptop), but after a time when the window is refreshed, it only shows Entire Network and Toshibalaptop. That seems to be as expected (I think). This continues to be the case after the cable is plugged in again with the window being refreshed several times over a 10minute period.
However, the Win98SE only shows Entire Network and no entry for either computer when the cable has been unplugged. It seems strange that it does not continue to display itself in the window (as the Win98 machine does for itself). It continues to only show Entire Network and no computer name/icon when the cable has been plugged in again. I tried refreshing the window several times after replugging in the cable over a 10minute period but still nothing. The link is definitely down after replugging in the cable as I can't access the drives of either computer from the other. However as previously reported, a restart of the Win98SE machine re-establishes the link.
Since my last post I've found a solution although I don't really understand why.
In Control Panel, System, Device Manager, Network Adapters, Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Internet NIC, Properties, there is a tab for Power Management. There is an option "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". This was checked. I unchecked it and rebooted and now after ethernet cable disconnection and reconnection, after a while, the link becomes re-established without the need for a computer re-start.
So I suppose the logic of the system is that if the link is lost it might as well turn the device off? Or is this a bug? A mystery but in any event, time to move on I think. As a point of interest there is no Power Management tab in the Properties of the NIC on the Win98 machine.
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