What am I missing?

Windows XP machine. File and Printer Sharing turned on. Can be seen
on a network browse. When you try to connect to the shared documents
folder it prompts for a username and password. All settings I can see
are set to allow everyone read only access. Any ideas?

 

I'm going to guess this is a couple of home pc's connected in a
Workgroup?.. Called WORKGROUP, MSHOME etc.

If so the simple answer is to create accounts on the machine hosting the
shared folder that match the names and passwords of the ones on the
machine trying to connect to it... that way Windows will automatically
try to use the current user account details when challenged by any remote
computer that you are attempting to connect. The reason you get to see a
logon box is because that username/password combination is not recognised
and you are being asked for a valid combination.

e.g. if you are on your laptop and at the welcome screen you click on
Chris to get onto the desktop then you need to setup a user account on
the machine with the files that you want with the same username and
password.

Look in the control panel and go into 'users and passwords' I'm working
from memory here 'cos I only do windows at work... not at home