Can I share my DVD drive with XP Home user on my network

**Kishan** · 27-02-2007

I am running Vista as well as XP operating system as a part of my wireless home network and I would like to share my dvd drive from Vista machine to my XP machine. I have got some file that are on the DVD but there is no dvd drive on the XP machine. So can anyone tell me how do I do this. Thanks for any information.

**The Recruiter** · 27-02-2007

I am also using DVD in Vista from the Windows 2003 server that I have. So if you want to do the same, then right click on the DVD drive and selcet share > Advanced Sharing. After that put the same username on both the machines and that will work for you.

**Kishan** · 28-02-2007

Alright, I have done what you said on the XP machine and I am seeing the Vista machine on the network but if I double click on it, then it says that I do not have the right permissions to access the machine and to contact the network admin. Am I suppose to do something else on the XP machine as well?

**Metaldigger** · 23-05-2007

Have you checked in the manual or the specification sheet for the drive state that its accessible in the network. Do you have the ability to share any computer accessory rhat doesnt come automatically. I think that writable drives, fax machines, scanners, and similar accessories are not always sharable because the manufacturer doesnt make them network usable when they write the drivers. If you want to operate a DVD burner through the network then use Remote desktop, VNC or some similar desktop sharing product.

**BobTheCoward** · 08-07-2009

You won't be able to burn to a shared DVD drive, since it's exposed to other machines on the network as a Network drive. The client machines have no idea what the underlying hardware architecture is-for all they know it could be a an old Jaz drive connected on the parallel port. The sharing machine exposes the drive as a SHARE...not a DRIVE. Important distinction.

AFAIK, there's no way to do what you're trying to do (though there may be hardware/software solutions out there that do provide burn-via-network support).

"Does the manual or spec sheet for the drive state that it's network accessible?"

What kind of BS response is THAT??

ALL DRIVES are shareable...it's not dependent on the hardware.If Windows sees it as a DRIVE, it's shareable.

Your statements about other devices are accurate, though irrelevant. Poster's question was how to share a drive between Vista and XP, a known difficulty with the changed net architecture on Vista.

And you're an MVP?? Turn in your card.

**Coolestman** · 15-07-2009

Can you check whether the sharing option is enabled on the DVD drive or not? You can do it by right clicking on the DVD drive and then select Share >> Advanced Sharing followed by checking the share this folder box and then click on enter and ok. If you cannot see any sharing option when you do a right click on the dvd drive then go to network and sharing >> media sharing and turn it on.