Cannot see XP Pro SP2 PC's in Network Places

[Guest]

I have a single domain. 100 pc's or so. 25 servers. I've recently added 2
Windows XP Pro SP2 computers to the domain. I can ping to and from them and I
can \\ to and from them using both IP's and Computer Names. I cannot see them
in Network places however.

The browstat status command results:

Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is BLAHBLAHBALH
Could not connect to the registry, error = 5
Unable to determine build of browser master: 5
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 5
3 backup servers retrieved for master BLAHBLAHBLAH
\\ABCD
\\EFGH
\\IJKL

The only pc's I can't see are SP2.
Any suggestions, Please?

 

[Chuck]

I have a single domain. 100 pc's or so. 25 servers. I've recently added 2
Windows XP Pro SP2 computers to the domain. I can ping to and from them and I
can \\ to and from them using both IP's and Computer Names. I cannot see them
in Network places however.

The browstat status command results:

Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is BLAHBLAHBALH
Could not connect to the registry, error = 5
Unable to determine build of browser master: 5
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 5
3 backup servers retrieved for master BLAHBLAHBLAH
\\ABCD
\\EFGH
\\IJKL

The only pc's I can't see are SP2.
Any suggestions, Please?

The "error = 5" in the browstat suggests lack of administrative access to the
master browser. Is that consistent with the others?

Browstat is generally most useful if you run it from the problem computers, and
from a couple of the non-problem computers, and compare the results.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/browstat-utility-from-microsoft.html>

If you post browstats for 3 or 4 computers here, we can help you interpret the
results. But please don't munge the content (or do you truly have a computer
named "BLAHBLAHBALH")?

 

[Guest]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for writing.
Company policy doesn't allow for giving out server names. I hope that
doesn't offend.
The browser master these 2 pc's get is incorrect. The other pc's on the same
subnet find the correct browser master. I can't figure out why.
When I unplug the incorrect browser master, reboot the 2 pc's that are
having problems and run the browstat command, they pick up another incorrect
browser master. I've done this 3 times with 3 different (incorrect) browser
master results. What makes these 2 pc's so special? Your help is greatly
appreciated!

 

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for writing.
Company policy doesn't allow for giving out server names. I hope that
doesn't offend.
The browser master these 2 pc's get is incorrect. The other pc's on the same
subnet find the correct browser master. I can't figure out why.
When I unplug the incorrect browser master, reboot the 2 pc's that are
having problems and run the browstat command, they pick up another incorrect
browser master. I've done this 3 times with 3 different (incorrect) browser
master results. What makes these 2 pc's so special? Your help is greatly
appreciated!

It's your dime. You can't visit the doctor with a cough, refuse to remove your
short, and walk away with too much of a cure.

What are these phantom browse masters? Are they the clients that you're running
browstat on? Are they other clients? Are they servers?

Do you have a domain, or a workgroup? Do you have computers running server
OS's?

All of this is highly relevant. If company policy forbids you to post these
details, then fine. Try starting with these articles, and read some of the
linked Microsoft articles too:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html>
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/background-information-useful-in.html>

 

[Guest]

Hi Chuck,

Again, thanks for the help.

It appears that one of our developers put a pc on the network that was not a
member of our domain. All other clients appear to be using the proper DC
execpt for the 2 problem pc's. When I removed the developer's pc from the
network and rebooted these 2 pc's, they picked up another client pc as the
browser master. They are now showing up in Network Places because the browser
master they picked is a member of the domain. So the cough is gone, but the
cold lingers on. I'm still not sure why only these 2 pc's are using the wrong
browser master.

 

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck,

Again, thanks for the help.

It appears that one of our developers put a pc on the network that was not a
member of our domain. All other clients appear to be using the proper DC
execpt for the 2 problem pc's. When I removed the developer's pc from the
network and rebooted these 2 pc's, they picked up another client pc as the
browser master. They are now showing up in Network Places because the browser
master they picked is a member of the domain. So the cough is gone, but the
cold lingers on. I'm still not sure why only these 2 pc's are using the wrong
browser master.

Did you try rebooting the rogue browse master?

Is the domain setup properly to support Windows XP? How many actual servers
(computers running a server OS) do you have, including the DC?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/windows-xp-on-nt-domain.html>

The explanation should be in here, if it's not please let me know and I will
explain further (and add to my article).
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html>
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/background-information-useful-in.html>