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danfoster

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Win2K Workgroup not accessible

This should be easy.

I'm trying to connect two PCs using a simple peer-peer workgroup I call 'Home'.
Set the NetworkID on both the Win98 machine (Joe) and the Win2000 machine(Cuthbert) to refer to the workgroup Home.

When I try to access 'Computers Near Me' on Cuthbert,the Win2000 machine, I get the following error message:

"Home is not accessible. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available."

I can navigate to the worgroup icon for Home under Microsoft Windows Network. Looks ready, but double-clicking the Home workgroup icon gives the same error message.

From Joe's Win98 Network Neighborhood, I can see computer icons for both Joe and Cuthbert, properly identified. I can open the Joe icon to view shared resources, but when I try to open the icon for Cuthbert, I get the following error message:

"\\Cuthbert is not accessible.
The computer or sharename could not be found. Make sure you typed it correctly, and try again."

NIC is properly configured and working.
Mini-hub is connected and showing traffic.

Connection is OK:
Client for Microsoft Networks
NetBEUI
File and Printer Sharing for Micorsoft Networks

Tired it with TCP/IP configured (including 'NetBIOS Over TCP/IP= enabled')
Tried it with TCP/IP uninstalled.

Have shared resources on both machines, Permissions set to Everyone.

Changed Network Identification on both machines, new workgroup name, double-checked connection configuration. Tried a second NIC. Shot an hour and half at Microsoft.com.
Stood on my head.

I'm non-plussed. Any ideas?
Avatar of Portang
Portang

On Windows 2000 Pro:

Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Computer Management
On the left panel, select "Local Users and Groups", "Users".
On the right panel, open "Guest".
Uncheck "Account is disabled".

Enjoy ...
Make on the win2k machine a user with the username and password for the W98 machine.

Remove netbeui and install TCP/IP with these network adresses:

192.168.0.1 W2K machine
192.168.0.2 W98 machine

Subnetmask 255.255.255.0.

Gateway on the W98 machine 192.168.0.1

Mario
Avatar of danfoster

ASKER

Thanks portang, but enabling the guest account had no effect.

Mario, I tried the settings you suggest, but the problem perists.

In fact, now the Win98 machine, which previously recognized the Win2K machine as a member of the workgroup, now sees only itself in the workgroup.

The thing that gets me is that the Win2K is unable to access the workgroup (named Home)  at all.  It exists, and is visible under Entire Network/Microsoft Windows Network/... but any attempt to open it or view properties yields the cryptic error message:
"Home is not accessible. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available."

I'm stumped.
Dan


Thanks for the trying. But don't give up because I see things are getting closer.

From "Control Panel", open "System".
From "System Properties", select "Network Identification" page.
Click "Properties" and make sure it's a  member of "Workgroup".
Alternatively, click "Network ID" and go through the Wizard and restart.

This should clear the fuzz.
Dan,

try to enable NetBIOS with IPX/SPX on the W98-machine (right mouse on Network Neighborhood, settings, 'IPX/SPX-compatible protocol', settings, tab 'NetBIOS')

It sounds like you're having a browsemaster problem. I've seen this once before. You might not like the solution I found. Right-click on "Computers near me" and go to properties. Under properties, you'll see what Workgroup it's associated with. Verify that it's actually associcated with the proper Workgroup name. Try changing the name of your Workgroup on both systems. Check if "computers near me" points to the new workgroup name. Finally, on the windows 98 system, go to properties for the File and Printer sharing service and disable browse master and restart. Let me know if that helps.
Adjusted points from 100 to 150
I really appreciate all the suggestions, but unfortunately, none has yet proven to be the correct answer.

Since I've configured the NetworkID (name/workgroup) on the Win2K machine correctly. Computers Near Me should, at a miniumum, display the computername (its own name!) as part of the workgoup.

It doesn't.

However, the workgroup IS displayed by the Win2k Explorer, under Entire Network\Microsoft Windows Network\.But, any attempt to open the workgroup or view its propeties gives the error:

"[workgroup] is not accessible. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available."

I've spent days on TechNet, bought books, asked my Mom...

I set up an NT4.0/Win98 a peer-to-peer for 14 machines, 10 users, 4 servers, last year. Configuration took less than an hour.

Guess this question is worth a few more points...
Dan
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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3llamas

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Thanks 3llamas.  I made the registry change. Even after restaring the computer, results were the same.

The machine previously had NT 4.0 Workstation installed.  I re-formatted the disk before doing the Win2K install. The install went without a hitch, but could some setting have been retained/introduced into the registrty that would cause this problem? The only reference to the error message ("The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available")I found in the KB articles had to do with (NT 3.51 Advanced Server) not being connected to a domain.

Dan
Thanks, but the problem persists.
Thanks everyone. Suggestions from 3llamas put me on the rigth track. Went after browse master issue and eventually got it to work by changing the registry setting uner hkeylocalmachine/system/currentcontrolset/services/browser/parameters/IsDomainMaster  to TRUE.

Everyone reply was helpful.  I suppose 3llamas was most on target. How do I go about assigning the points?
Without enabling the Guest account and/or specificly creat users in the Win2000 domain, Win98 is not able to browse neither.
Comment accepted as answer
Setting IsDomainMaster in the Registry seems to be the fix. Still, I have not re-enabled my DSL connection, so the Win2K machine is not multi-homed. From what I was reading w/regard to browse master issues - multi-homed servers  are an issue with both NT and 2000. I'll enable the 2nd connection when I get home tonight. We'll see.

Wishing for the best / expecting the worst/hoping to be pleasantly surprised...

Dan
Hi all,
the issue is the browse master but the solution is simple:
for a statically assigned ip address on the 2k machine in the wins tab under tcpip properties, check use netbios over tcpip.
For a dynamically assigned ip check use netbios from the dhcp server.
Cheers,
I think that will help.
email me and let me know: help@computerworx.ca
Hi all,

Is this maybe the solution to our problems to ? Anyone wants to think about this one ? point are gladly given !




We got a few schools with Win2003 servers and they wish to share the network neighborhood so documents can be transported this way from one school to the other.

They all have there own iprange (ex. 192.168.101.0 and 192.168.201.0 with subnet 255.255.255.0)
so the routes on the ras are working just fine.
I can connect with ip or dns name and every server has it's own dns server with the other domains as there secundary zones. They all point to the same WINS servers the 101.1 and the 101.2 the registrations in the wins servers are okay as far as i know.
In the VPN connections netbios over TCP/IP is enabled and the WINS servers are there. Also we got the lmhost lookup enabled.  

Now our problem:
All the domains are visible but when trying to enter a domain from a client or server which is not their own domain we get the "server list not available or something about the userrights not being ok"

All the domains have a trust, but other domains don't show up in the "search computers" option so i know something is wrong ......

We've read about every page given by the experts exchange but .... we still can't get it to work. There is a test server in our own lan ... and afcourse not being over the VPN it works fine in the neighborhood .....


So any answers are very appriciated,

Our regards,

Adisa ICT
Martijn Wiegers
This most certainly is a configuration issue.  With 2003, Wins doesn't even need to be set up because of active directory and dns.
If you are using wins, make sure netbios over tcp is enabled so you can span different subnets.
The fact that you have multiple schools, meaning multiple geographic locations, I assume a firewall is being used.
Wins also has problems on multihomed servers...
here is a good overview:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/windows2000/en/server/help/sag_WINS_und_BrowsingWithWins.htm


and another thing i found for w2k.
Before Service Pack 4 a resolution request was always passed to a WINS server and only if no entry was found the LMHOSTS file checked.

Under Service Pack 4 any entry in the LMHOSTS file that has the #PRE qualifier (preloaded) will be used and the WINS server not queried. Therefore if you have incorrect entries in your LMHOSTS file it will prevent the WINS server from being queried so you should therefore edit the file %systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\lmhosts (e.g. d:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\lmhosts) and remove the offending entries.

It might be worth it to reconfigure DNS to be your only resolver.. easier maintenance anyway.
Hopefully my info is correct!