Network problem-one PC shows up twice in search results

[Guest]

Brief description:
Six PCs wirelessly networked accessing the Internet through a wireless ADSL
router.
All the PCs, including the problem one, can access the Internet.
The problem PC can access and open shared files on all the other PCs
which can also see and open shared files on each other.
All of the other PCs can see the problem PC and its shared folders but
cannot open them.
In the "My Network Places" folder on any of the computers, the problem PC's
shared folders only show up once, but if I run a search for it, even from
itself, it appears twice in the search results. There is DEFINITELY not
another PC with the same name in this network, nor has there ever been.
There are no bridged (bridging?) connections.
Apparently someone in our office spent 3 hours on the phone with
Microsoft about this and got absolutely nowhere. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Chuck]

Brief description:
Six PCs wirelessly networked accessing the Internet through a wireless ADSL
router.
All the PCs, including the problem one, can access the Internet.
The problem PC can access and open shared files on all the other PCs
which can also see and open shared files on each other.
All of the other PCs can see the problem PC and its shared folders but
cannot open them.
In the "My Network Places" folder on any of the computers, the problem PC's
shared folders only show up once, but if I run a search for it, even from
itself, it appears twice in the search results. There is DEFINITELY not
another PC with the same name in this network, nor has there ever been.
There are no bridged (bridging?) connections.
Apparently someone in our office spent 3 hours on the phone with
Microsoft about this and got absolutely nowhere. Does anyone have any ideas?

If you have a LAN with all WiFi, you have a browser conflict in the making (I'm
not discussing Internet Explorer).
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/04/nt-browser-or-why-cant-i-always-see.html

Look at "browstat status" and "ipconfig /all", from each computer, so we can
diagnose the problem. Read this article, and linked articles, and follow
instructions precisely (download browstat!):
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/troubleshooting-network-neighborhood.html#AskingForHelp

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply, Chuck. I'll check things out in the office on Monday
and let you know how it goes.

Donald

 

[Guest]

Hi Chuck.

Finally got the solution after another 4 hours on the phone with Microsoft.
Turned out that not all of the necessary permissions were selected for the
shared folders. The strange thing was that we initially couldn't make any
changes because everything was greyed out. Eventually Microsoft took remote
control of the problem PC and fixed it after deselecting simple file sharing.
They also took control of another PC to use it to try to access the problem
one, and, after the remote session was over, guess what? The second PC now
had the same problem with two of its shared folders! Fortunately I was able
to fix it myself, having watched the first one being fixed.
This problem only arose 3 weeks ago and everyone in the office swears they
didn't make any changes to the problem computer. Microsoft were adamant that
it coulndn't have happened by accident, but there's no-one in the office who
would know how to access these settings. I guess we may never know.

Donald