by Jim
Jan 26, 2008 2:21 PM
I write about solutions to random computer problems here in the hopes that someone will run across them on Google and save some time. Here's one that would have saved me some time if I had written about it the first time I had to fix it.
I couldn't access folders with access restrictions on my Buffalo Linkstation from my new Vista machine. I had my user set up, and the multiple connections stuff didn't seem to apply.
I found this article that rang a bell for me. Vista has different ways of negotiating permissions over the network. Basically it doesn't use the old, less secure XP method, and the Linkstation doesn't support the new one. The steps in the above link (which didn't work for me, perhaps because I'm not logged in as administrator,) just change a registry setting.
Buffalo actually has a "patch" under the utility section of their downloads page (choose the linkstation option in the droplist.) This is just a registry key file which changes a single key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\LmCompatibilityLevel
Change the value from 3 to 2 and restart. Presto, explorer logs in with the current user and password, as expected. Assuming that this has previously been set up on the Linkstation.