My Network Places not up to date - Browse Server not working

[Guest]

When I go to My Network Places, I rarely get an accurate view of the
computers in my workgroup. The Microsoft support documentation says that this
is due to the Browse Server not working properly. I can get to the various
computers on my network via \\"IP address" but when I use \\"computer name"
it fails. Once again this is supposed to be related to the Browse Server.
Does anyone know how to fix this?

 

[Carey Holzman]

You are welcome to email me if you would like to work on this one-on-one.

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Lou Ramsey]

You are welcome to email me if you would like to work on this one-on-one.

(e-mail address removed)

From other posts by Carey, it appears that his altruistic offer to
provide you with free, one-on-one advice is prompted by his inability to
accept criticism. Criticism is an unavoidable result of posting on
Usenet. Instead of posting his advice on Usenet, so all can see and
learn, he chooses to provide advice thru email.

Consider carefully the free advice which he provides. If the advice
includes instructions to install additional network components, consider
this.

The Windows platform (including Windows 9x and NT/2000/XP) has its
networking infrastructure based upon TCP/IP, with NetBIOS Over TCP/IP
(NBT) used as an interface between TCP/IP and the various networking
applications.

Any properly configured installation of Windows will run just fine with
these components.

Be selective when accepting advice, web pages or otherwise, that
contains instructions to install redundant and unnecessary components,
such as IPX/SPX or NetBEUI. Adding these extra components may serve as
a workaround, but will add needless complications that may cause
problems in the future.

Diagnose and fix the problem - don't just fix the symptoms.

 

[Chuck]

When I go to My Network Places, I rarely get an accurate view of the
computers in my workgroup. The Microsoft support documentation says that this
is due to the Browse Server not working properly. I can get to the various
computers on my network via \\"IP address" but when I use \\"computer name"
it fails. Once again this is supposed to be related to the Browse Server.
Does anyone know how to fix this?

Are you running both Client for Microsoft Networks, and File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks (Local Area Connection - Properties), on each computer?
Do you have shares setup on each?

Are you running NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (Local Area Connection - Properties - TCP/IP
- Properties - Advanced - WINS) on each computer?

Make sure the browser service is running on at least one computer, preferably
the computer(s) that are online the most. Control Panel - Administrative Tools
- Services. Verify that the Computer Browser, and the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper,
services both show with Status = Started.

The Microsoft Browstat program will show us what browsers 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.

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

 

[Carey Holzman]

Lou,
Are you helping anyone or just stirring a pot?
This is not a criticism forum. It is a forum for helping others not
criticizing them.

No one I have helped has had a negative thing to say, EVER.

Your comments are unjustified and uncalled for. No one asked you what you
thought of me.

Carey

 

[Ron Lowe]

When I go to My Network Places, I rarely get an accurate view of the
computers in my workgroup. The Microsoft support documentation says that
this
is due to the Browse Server not working properly. I can get to the various
computers on my network via \\"IP address" but when I use \\"computer
name"
it fails. Once again this is supposed to be related to the Browse Server.
Does anyone know how to fix this?

My Network Places is different to Network Neighbourhood on win9x.
On Win9x, it displayed the browse list.
This is the list of computers in the workgroup, and is updated dynamically.

On XP, it contains shortcuts to shares, and is not directly populated by the
browse list.
To see the actual browse list ( the list of computers in the workgroup ),
you need to click on the 'Entire Network' link.

The list of shares in My Network Places is populated either manually, or by
something called the NetCrawler which seeks out lists of shares on the
machines on the LAN.

Once an item appears here courtesey of the NetCrawler, it won't go away even
it the computer it's on no longer exists. You need to manually delete the
shortcut.

As I mentioned, the browse list can be viewed from the 'Entire Network'
link, or from the command prompt with the NET VIEW command.

Your inability to resolve \\computernames is a name resolution problem, not
a browsing problem.
Browsing does require working NetBIOS name resolution, but name resolution
does not require functioning browsing.
Browsing is an extra feature, it is not required for basic network
functionality.

Let's look at the name resolution problem, we need to get that working
first...
Go to a command prompt, and try these:

ping <other-pc-ip-address>
ping <other-pc-name>

Does the ping by name fail here?

If so, check the following:

1) Ensure NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled ( TCP/IP advanced properties, WINS
tab. )

2) Do an IPCONFIG /ALL at the command prompt, and report the Node Type.
If it's Peer-to-Peer, that's a problem. Other values are usually OK.

3) A huge percentage of XP networking problems are down to misconfigured
firewalls. On all machines on the LAN, be sure the XP-SP2 firewall has the
File + Print sharing exception enabled. For XP without SP2, ensure the
Internet Connection Firewall is disabled on the LAN connection. Disable or
un-install any other firewalls during troubleshooting.

 

[Malke]

Lou,
Are you helping anyone or just stirring a pot?
This is not a criticism forum. It is a forum for helping others not
criticizing them.

No one I have helped has had a negative thing to say, EVER.

Your comments are unjustified and uncalled for. No one asked you what
you thought of me.

Carey

Setting aside any personal remarks that may or may not have been made,
you've been asked over and over again to keep the answers in the
newsgroup so they benefit *everyone*, not just one poster. Yet you
persist in trying to take posts to private email. Why?

Malke

 

[Carey Holzman]

Asked and answered in another forum

Carey

Setting aside any personal remarks that may or may not have been made,
you've been asked over and over again to keep the answers in the
newsgroup so they benefit *everyone*, not just one poster. Yet you
persist in trying to take posts to private email. Why?

Malke
--
MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"