I can't share a printer across small network

[Relztrah]

I have two PCs that are networked, one running Windows 2000 Professional (PC2000) and an older PC running Windows Millennium (PCME). PC2000 has a local printer connected but there is no printer connected to PCME. Both are wired into the same router with a cable--nothing wireless here--and both can go online with no problem. I created a workgroup and put them in it and set the printer connected to PC2000 to share. File and printer sharing is selected in the network settings on PC2000 but I have not made the hard drive or any subfolders shared. All other settings--that I'm aware of--should allow that printer to share across the network.

I ran the Network Setup Wizard on PCME although I'm not sure what this does. I can see PC2000 in Network Neighborhood (and vice-versa) but since no files are shared I can't open anything there. But I don't see the printer icon.

I tried to add the printer to PCME as a network printer and when I browse to PC2000 and click on it I get "PC2000 is not accessible. No permission to access resource." I re-checked all settings on PC2000 and didn't see anything that would prevent sharing the printer. What am I overlooking?

[Erik]

Most likely it is a permissions issue. ME and 2000 handle security differently, basically 2000 has some security and ME doesn't. You will need to create identical accounts on both computers (same username and password) so that the ME computer can be authenticated when connecting to the 2000.

[PrntRhd]

The issue is sharing files and printers with Windows2000 and WindowsME.

Is the printer set to "shared" on PC2000? How did you set Permissions for access to the printer?

Edit: Erik beat me to this.

[Relztrah]

You will need to create identical accounts on both computers (same username and password) so that the ME computer can be authenticated when connecting to the 2000.

How do I do this?

[PrntRhd]

Read through this posted by Variable a while back until Erik gets back to you:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/wxpwin9x.html

[Erik]

The easiest way would be to look at what account is being used on the Windows 2000 PC and just mirror it on the ME PC. So do you know what the account is, or does it just autmoatically boot to the desktop?

Basically you just need to go to the Control Panel and Users and create an account on each PC with the exact same name and then login using that on each PC. Should then let you get the permissions you need on the 2000 machine to print.

[Erik]

One more quick question, did you select to share the printer on the PC it is connected to? If you can access the share on the PC but it shows nothing it sounds like you might not have shared the printer.

Allowing file and printer sharing creates a point accessible by other computers on the PC. You then need to explicitly allow each shared resource. So you would need to open the printer properties and choose to share the printer from there.

[Relztrah]

Yes I set the printer to share on PC2000 but neither PC has user accounts. Both boot to the desktop. Next time I'm at that office I'll set up identical user accounts on both, reboot and then try to add the printer to PCME.

Thanks for your help.