Help accessing shared folders on XP Pro

  I am going nuts getting my Sony Vaio XL1 Digital Living System to be able
to access my shared folders on my separate Windows XP Professional
workstation on the same network.  The XL1 can see the XP Pro machine, but I
cannot view the list of shares.  I receive an error stating that I do not
have permission to view the resource.  Note that I am NOT using "Simple
File Sharing" on my XP Pro workstation, as I want to limit access - i.e. I
do not want ALL of my shares to be accessable to everybody.  (The XL1 is
running Windows Media Center 2005 Rollup2, and the workstation is running
Windows XP Pro SP2.  Both have all current updates.)

I have traced my problem down to the fact that my XP Pro machine will not
allow an account that does not have a password to list any of my shares.

This creates a problem, as my XL1, by default, loads up with the
Administrator account, with no password, and automatically logs on.  I want
it to remain this way, as I want the family to be able to simply power on
the machine and not have to enter a password.  What I have done is to
rename the Administrator account on the XL1 with a new Username, but left
it without a password.  I then created an account on my Windows XP Pro
machine with the same Username and no password.

However, I am blocked from accessing the shares list on my Windows XP Pro
machine since the account on my XL1 does not have a password.  If I assign
a password to this account on both the XL1 and my XP Pro machine, I can
list the shares (and access the shares for which I have assigned the
appropriate permissions).  I.e. this works as long as the account has a
password.  As soon as I change the password to a blank (i.e. no password)
on both machines, I can no longer connect.

(I have tried the same from another laptop running Windows XP Pro, and
again found that this issue simply comes down to me ONLY being able to
access if the account has a password).

How do I eliminate the requirement that the account have a password to
access the shares list on my Windows XP Pro machine????

I have checked my Password Policy on my Windows XP Pro machine, and the
Minimum password length is set to 0 characters (which the dialog correctly
descibes as "no password required").

I can't figure out where else to check...

TIA!

 

As a followup to the above, I have found that if I assign permission to
access the shares to "Everyone", then I can list the shares from an
account that does not have a password.

Isn't there a way to do this without allowing access to "Everyone"?  I
know that my account does not have a password, but at least the Username
isn't public knowledge.  Does "Everyone" already do this, though - i.e.
does the Username account have to exist on my machine for "Everyone" to
apply?

  66.75.164.119:


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By trial and error, I just determined that "Everyone" does indeed allow
access to anyone, whether or not they have an account at all on my
Windows XP Pro machine.

Isn't there a way to allow access to a User that does not have a
password, without having to use "Everyone"?

 You shouldn't have to have an account with a password to access your shared
folders.
I can access my shared folders from my pocket pc, and it doesn't have any
password accounts.
I do have to enter a name and password if the shared folder requires this
info (if its a protected share).

You might want to ask this question in a WindowsXP Networking newsgroup.