where did my XP network go ???

[Paul Bennett]

hi all

I had a nice little home network all set up... I've got a desktop machine
(wired to a router) and a notebook (wireless to a router)... the router is
connected to a cable modem... it's a D-Link D731P router with wireless
access point, if that matters...

.....and I'm running Microsoft Windows XP, Home Version.

Well, by brute force and ignorance, I managed to get it "networked" in the
sense that I could read and write to both computer's drives (as long as both
machines were turned on, of course!)... so, I guess I had the networking up
and running! (I'm not very technical).

The Desktop machine is called FRED, the notebook is called WILMA, and the
network is called BEDROCK.

Well, as long as both machines were turned on, I could use Windows Explorer
to click my way through the hard drives on both machines! Very cool. And
of course I could read from and write to these drives as well. I had a
whole bunch of lettered drives, and everything seemed to be A-OK.

*** but now, in Explorer, all of the drives that aren't on the current
machine (the one I'm using at the time) have a LITTLE RED X on top of them,
and when I try to click on the drive, after waiting for a while, Windows
gives me a warning message as in the following example:

"An error occurred while reconnecting U: to \\Fred\C Drive

Microsoft Windows Network : The network path was not found.

This connection has not been restored."

Does anybody know what happened? My humble little network has vaporized.
Nothing works anymore! What should I do?

Should I try to "delete the network" and "reinstall" it? How do I do that?
Is there some sort of wizard or repair utility that can help me?

Is it a problem with the D-Link Router? or with Windows? or with ???

Many, many thanks and a boatload of wonderful Karma to any of you who can
help me on this one...

Gracias,

....Paul

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

The key line in your post is as follows:

Well, as long as both machines were turned on, I could use Windows Explorer

to click my way through the hard drives on both machines!

This implies when one of the machines is turned off, you cannot connect.
That is expected behavior on a network.

Is that what you meant to imply?

 

[relic]

The key line in your post is as follows:

Well, as long as both machines were turned on, I could use Windows
Explorer

This implies when one of the machines is turned off, you cannot
connect. That is _expected behavior_ on a network.

*Blink* He's using a Router.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

And your point is?

Router or no, he implies the other machine is shut off. While that doesn't
necessarily equate to the symptoms he describes, if he's mapped the drives,
something I failed to mention in my first response, that would still be
expected behavior.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Paul, if you mapped the drives, something you didn't mention in your first
post, then the drives being red X'd when the machine on which those drives
reside was shutdown, would still be expected behavior. Since you said you
aren't sure how you managed to get the systems networked, I'm assuming facts
based on the information you posted.

If you right click those drives, if they are mapped, you should see an
option to disconnect and that would not only resolve the issue but also
explain the symptoms.

 

[Rob Schneider]

I don't know about D-Link, but I find that my Linksys router gets
"confused" about once a month. I fix it by re-starting it (power off
for a minute then back on again). Try that before fiddling with your XP
networking.

 

[relic]

And your point is?

Router or no, he implies the other machine is shut off. While that
doesn't necessarily equate to the symptoms he describes, if he's
mapped the drives, something I failed to mention in my first
response, that would still be expected behavior.

I mis-read his post.

 

[albown]

hi all

I had a nice little home network all set up... I've got a desktop machine
(wired to a router) and a notebook (wireless to a router)... the router is
connected to a cable modem... it's a D-Link D731P router with wireless
access point, if that matters...

....and I'm running Microsoft Windows XP, Home Version.

Well, by brute force and ignorance, I managed to get it "networked" in the
sense that I could read and write to both computer's drives (as long as both
machines were turned on, of course!)... so, I guess I had the networking up
and running! (I'm not very technical).

The Desktop machine is called FRED, the notebook is called WILMA, and the
network is called BEDROCK.

Well, as long as both machines were turned on, I could use Windows Explorer
to click my way through the hard drives on both machines! Very cool. And
of course I could read from and write to these drives as well. I had a
whole bunch of lettered drives, and everything seemed to be A-OK.

*** but now, in Explorer, all of the drives that aren't on the current
machine (the one I'm using at the time) have a LITTLE RED X on top of them,
and when I try to click on the drive, after waiting for a while, Windows
gives me a warning message as in the following example:

"An error occurred while reconnecting U: to \\Fred\C Drive

Microsoft Windows Network : The network path was not found.

This connection has not been restored."

Does anybody know what happened? My humble little network has vaporized.
Nothing works anymore! What should I do?

Should I try to "delete the network" and "reinstall" it? How do I do that?
Is there some sort of wizard or repair utility that can help me?

Is it a problem with the D-Link Router? or with Windows? or with ???

Many, many thanks and a boatload of wonderful Karma to any of you who can
help me on this one...

Gracias,

...Paul

Have you created a mapped network drives?
Use explorer, tools map network drive. Go to each machine and create a
mapped drive for the folder / drive you want. Then when you shut one off or
disconnect in the case of the wireless laptop upon connecting Windows will
re-establish the connections. I hope your not using your laptop on a
network at work. If so that will create some other issues.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Fair enough.