Two computers connected but My Network Place of one not responding

  • Thread starter Thread starter labelladonna
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labelladonna

My friends connected 2 XP Home to a linksys router for months. Recently this
small network failed. Over the phone I tried to help by enabling NETBIOS
over TCP/IP (it was set at default with LMHOST enabled); it didn't work. I
then diabled the XP firewall. After this, the 2 computer can ping each
other; Computer A sees Computer B and itself in My Network Place; it is able
to access The Shared Document in computer B and open a file we have just
created in Computer B. However, when we open My Network Place in Computer B,
no icon shows up there; it is blank and the words (not responding) is found
next to the words "My Network Place" in the blue title Bar. What could go
wrong? Thank you in anticipation of the much needed advise.
 
My friends connected 2 XP Home to a linksys router for months. Recently this
small network failed. Over the phone I tried to help by enabling NETBIOS
over TCP/IP (it was set at default with LMHOST enabled); it didn't work. I
then diabled the XP firewall. After this, the 2 computer can ping each
other; Computer A sees Computer B and itself in My Network Place; it is able
to access The Shared Document in computer B and open a file we have just
created in Computer B. However, when we open My Network Place in Computer B,
no icon shows up there; it is blank and the words (not responding) is found
next to the words "My Network Place" in the blue title Bar. What could go
wrong? Thank you in anticipation of the much needed advise.
Click to expand...

On Computer B, click Start > Run, type computer A's name in the "Open"
box preceded by two backshash characters, then click OK. For example,
if computer A's name is "Laptop", type:

\\Laptop

That should open a window showing computer A's shared disks and
folders. If it works, I recommend always using that method, and not
using "My Network Places". If it doesn't work, please post a reply in
the news group describing exactly what happens so we can do more
troubleshooting.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
The last time this happened on my watch, it turned out there was a third
party firewall operating on Computer A (McAfee) which we had forgotten
about. Turning that off solved the problem.
We were looking at Windows' firewall and looking for Norton, and forgot
about McAfee.
 
I have performed this on my solitary computer, and the shares promptly
showed up. No surprises here.

What does this accomplish? The bypass of the network browser, which can be
notoriously slow to update?
 
I have performed this on my solitary computer, and the shares promptly
showed up. No surprises here.

What does this accomplish? The bypass of the network browser, which can be
notoriously slow to update?
Click to expand...

Yes, it bypasses network browsing. In my experience, network browsing
through My Network Places is inherently unreliable. I don't think
it's worth the time and effort to troubleshoot it and try to make it
work.

You can create your own reliable, custom version of My Network Places.
Create a desktop folder and manually create shortcuts to desired
computers and/or network shares in that folder.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Yes, it bypasses network browsing.  In my experience, network browsing
through My Network Places is inherently unreliable.  I don't think
it's worth the time and effort to troubleshoot it and try to make it
work.

You can create your own reliable, custom version of My Network Places.
Create a desktop folder and manually create shortcuts to desired
computers and/or network shares in that folder.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see.  I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Programhttp://mvp.support.microsoft.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...


Hey, that's a great tip/trick. Saves a number of clicks and works
faster. :-)
 
What does this accomplish? The bypass of the network browser, which can
be
Steve Winograd said:
Yes, it bypasses network browsing. In my experience, network browsing
through My Network Places is inherently unreliable. I don't think
it's worth the time and effort to troubleshoot it and try to make it
work.
Click to expand...

I have observed the same.
Thank you for this helpful remedy.
 
I have observed the same.
Thank you for this helpful remedy.
Click to expand...

You're welcome. :-)
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Steve said:
-
My friends connected 2 XP Home to a linksys router for months.
Recently this
small network failed. Over the phone I tried to help by enablin
NETBIOS
over TCP/IP (it was set at default with LMHOST enabled); it didn'
work. I
then diabled the XP firewall. After this, the 2 computer can ping eac

other; Computer A sees Computer B and itself in My Network Place; it i
able
to access The Shared Document in computer B and open a file we hav
just
created in Computer B. However, when we open My Network Place i
Computer B,
no icon shows up there; it is blank and the words (not responding) i
found
next to the words "My Network Place" in the blue title Bar. What coul
go
wrong? Thank you in anticipation of the much needed advise.-

On Computer B, click Start Run, type computer A's name in the "Open"
box preceded by two backshash characters, then click OK. For example,
if computer A's name is "Laptop", type:

\\Laptop

That should open a window showing computer A's shared disks and
folders. If it works, I recommend always using that method, and not
using "My Network Places". If it doesn't work, please post a reply in
the news group describing exactly what happens so we can do more
troubleshooting.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
Click to expand...

Steve,

I am having the same problem as labelladonna. However, I tried you
method of Start-Run from Computer B, but it did not work: Computer
does not recognize Computer A--"No network path found". I can prin
from both computers, and Computer A recognizes Computer B. Computer
is wired, printer is wired to Computer B, and Computer A is wireless
Any other ideas? Thanks.

Kare
 
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