Mshome is not accessible

[Guest]

I have 4 computers connected to a DSL 4-port modem, which also acts as a DHCP
server issuing IP addresses. All computers are being assigned addresses in
the 192.168.1.X range. 3 of the computers have recently been upgraded from XP
Home to XP Pro. I have run the Network Setup Wizard on all 4, but none of the
computers can see any of the others when browsing the workgroup - I get the
message "Mshome is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you
have access permissions." However, the computers are able to ping each other.
I know it's probably just a setting somewhere I need to change.

Thank in advance for your assistance.

Tom

 

[Chuck]

I have 4 computers connected to a DSL 4-port modem, which also acts as a DHCP
server issuing IP addresses. All computers are being assigned addresses in
the 192.168.1.X range. 3 of the computers have recently been upgraded from XP
Home to XP Pro. I have run the Network Setup Wizard on all 4, but none of the
computers can see any of the others when browsing the workgroup - I get the
message "Mshome is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you
have access permissions." However, the computers are able to ping each other.
I know it's probably just a setting somewhere I need to change.

Thank in advance for your assistance.

Tom

Tom,

A Master Browser conflict is a possible cause of problems like yours.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers (I'm not talking about
Internet Explorer here) you have in your domain / workgroup, at any time.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305

You can download Browstat from either:
<http://www.dynawell.com/reskit/microsoft/win2000/browstat.zip>
<http://rescomp.stanford.edu/staff/manual/rcc/tools/browstat.zip>

Browstat is very small (40K), and needs no install. Just unzip the downloaded
file, copy browstat.exe to any folder in the Path, and run it from a command
window, by "browstat status". Make sure all computers list the same master
browser.

For more information about the browser subsystem (very intricate), see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188305
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=188001
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=231312
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q102878/
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win95/w95brows.mspx>

 

[Robert L [MS-MVP]]

you may want to use net view \\remotepcname to troubleshoot. if yuor receive system error 53, this may be name resolution issue; if it is 5, that may be permission issue. this step by step troubleshooting may help, http://www.howtonetworking.com/Troubleshooting/notaccessibale0.htm

Don't send e-mail or reply to me except you need consulting services. Posting on MS newsgroup will benefit all readers and you may get more help.

Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
How to Setup Windows, Network, Remote Access on http://www.HowToNetworking.com
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties.

I have 4 computers connected to a DSL 4-port modem, which also acts as a DHCP
server issuing IP addresses. All computers are being assigned addresses in
the 192.168.1.X range. 3 of the computers have recently been upgraded from XP
Home to XP Pro. I have run the Network Setup Wizard on all 4, but none of the
computers can see any of the others when browsing the workgroup - I get the
message "Mshome is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you
have access permissions." However, the computers are able to ping each other.
I know it's probably just a setting somewhere I need to change.

Thank in advance for your assistance.

Tom

 

[Guest]

Sorry for the delay, but I'm only in that office about once a week. I tried
the net view, but it couldn't see the remote computer. As it turns out, I
can't even ping the other computers now. If I ping by name, it can resolve
it, but it times out. All computers are working fine and sharing the internet
through the DSL modem, but can't access each other. I rebooted the computers
and also created the same users/passwords on each computer - in case it was a
permissions thing. One difference now is that one of the computers sees
another computer in My Network Places, but when I click on it, it says not
accessible.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Guest]

Chuck,

I downloaded the browstat utility and ran it, but I'm not sure I know what
I'm looking at - lots of #s and letters. I do recall it said I had 3 servers
and 1 domain. I guess I'll wade through the MS links you provided for some
clues. I though networking was supposed to be much easier with Win XP - DOH!

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Chuck]

Chuck,

I downloaded the browstat utility and ran it, but I'm not sure I know what
I'm looking at - lots of #s and letters. I do recall it said I had 3 servers
and 1 domain. I guess I'll wade through the MS links you provided for some
clues. I though networking was supposed to be much easier with Win XP - DOH!

Thanks,

Tom

Tom,

Post them here and I'll interpret:
1) Start - Run - "cmd".
2) Type "browstat status >c:\browstat.txt" into the command window.
3) Open Notepad, make sure that Format - Word Wrap is NOT checked!.
4) Open file c:\browstat.txt from Notepad.
5) Copy and paste entire contents of the file into your next post.

--
Cheers,
Chuck
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not necessarily a bad thing - it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.

 

[Guest]

This is what I'm getting on 2 of the computers (1 - Win XP Pro, 1 - Win XP
Home):

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{CE239728-7859-4BFA-B46B-A5BB9AF3B70E}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: GH2
Could not connect to registry, error = 53 Unable to determine build
of browser master: 53
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 53
1 backup servers retrieved from master GH2
\\GH2
Unable to retrieve server list from GH2: 53

This is what I'm getting on GH2:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{FF54B9E2-74D3-434C-99DE-89DBF1C7C327}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: GH2
Master browser is running build 2600
1 backup servers retrieved from master GH2
\\GH2
There are 3 servers in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{FF54B9E2-74D3-434C-99DE-89DBF1C7C327}
There are 1 domains in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{FF54B9E2-74D3-434C-99DE-89DBF1C7C327}

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Chuck]

This is what I'm getting on 2 of the computers (1 - Win XP Pro, 1 - Win XP
Home):

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{CE239728-7859-4BFA-B46B-A5BB9AF3B70E}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: GH2
Could not connect to registry, error = 53 Unable to determine build
of browser master: 53
Unable to determine server information for browser master: 53
1 backup servers retrieved from master GH2
\\GH2
Unable to retrieve server list from GH2: 53

This is what I'm getting on GH2:

Status for domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{FF54B9E2-74D3-434C-99DE-89DBF1C7C327}
Browsing is active on domain.
Master browser name is: GH2
Master browser is running build 2600
1 backup servers retrieved from master GH2
\\GH2
There are 3 servers in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{FF54B9E2-74D3-434C-99DE-89DBF1C7C327}
There are 1 domains in domain MSHOME on transport
\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{FF54B9E2-74D3-434C-99DE-89DBF1C7C327}

Tom,

The "error = 53" is "not found".

GH2 is the master browser - is it XP Home or Pro? If the master browser is XP
Home, you will eventually get an "error = 5" when running browstat from the
other computers.

I think you have a classic master browser conflict here.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>

If the above document helps, fine. If not, start here:
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/getting-access-denied-in-network.html>

--
Cheers,
Chuck
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not necessarily a bad thing - it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.

 

[Guest]

It's Win XP Pro. I've also noticed that the Master Browser is not always the
same computer - how does it determine which one is the Master Browser?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Chuck]

It's Win XP Pro. I've also noticed that the Master Browser is not always the
same computer - how does it determine which one is the Master Browser?

Tom,

That's the neat (NOT) thing about the master browser, and the source of many
problems. The master browser election process is intense. Did you read my
browser article? It contains a link to the Microsoft white paper which
describes the election process.
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/winntas/deploy/prodspecs/ntbrowse.mspx>
Election Criterion Value

Operating system type 0xFF000000

Windows NT Server 0x20000000

Windows NT Workstation 0x10000000

Windows 95 0x01000000

Windows for Workgroups 0x01000000

Election version 0x00FFFF00

Per-version criterion 0x000000FF

Primary domain controller 0x00000080

WINS client 0x00000020

Preferred master browser 0x00000008

Running master browser 0x00000004

MaintainServerList or BrowseMaster = yes 0x00000002

Running backup browser 0x00000001

In case of a tie from the above, the computer that's been up the longest (not
necessarily online to the other though).

This is entitled "MS Windows NT Browser", so I'm not sure if there are any added
metrics for Windows 2003, or Windows XP (I bet there are though).

--
Cheers,
Chuck
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not necessarily a bad thing - it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck sonic net.