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kcartwright

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Computer Lost on Home Network

I am not sure what changed but my previosly working home network has one computer that cannot access the other two from network places nor can it be reached. I get a not accessible error. You might not have permission... These are all XP pro computers and the network had been working well for a few months.
 
The other two computers can access it and it can access the other two by IP address but not by computer name. I have not installed a firewall and I have tried turning off the xp firewall completely, although it had been working with it on and the file and sharing exception, without success.

Before I spend too much time going down blind alleys or doing unnecessary reinstalls I would appreciate troubleshooting guidance. I have been able to map network drives to the shared folders but I would rather know what the problem is with network places and fix it if possible.

Thanks,

Karen
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Fatal_Exception
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First, here is my P2P troubleshooting list and steps for you to work through:

http://65.24.134.81/KipSolutions/P2PNetworks/TroubleshootingP2P.htm

Since you can use the IP Addresses to access shares, then the problem is usually with the Computer Browser Service, so take a look at that fix on my page..  And make sure that Netbios over TCP/IP is checkmarked on your TCP/IP Properties / Advanced / WINS Tab window (again, look at my tip on this).

Don't worry about the firewall.  If you can access your shares with an IP Address, then it has nothing to do with your problems..

FE
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kcartwright

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At step one on you helpful tips I see the following in my event viewer:

Warning
Event 8021:
The browser was unable to retrieve a list of servers from the browser master \\D3Y1N011 on the network \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{78D2BA7F-1EB9-4D1A-83CE-5E91DE57FAFD}. The data is the error code.

Followed by
Error
Event ID 8032:
The browser service has failed to retrieve the backup list too many times on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{78D2BA7F-1EB9-4D1A-83CE-5E91DE57FAFD}. The backup browser is stopping

The Help link isn't helping me much. The other two networked computers are working so I don't think it is "network health". I do have NetBios over TCP/IP enabled on this computer (I changed it from the default NetBios as backup.) The computer browser service was started and set to automatic when I checked it, but I stopped and started it again anyway.  Still no joy.

What should I try next?

Thanks in advance,

Karen

This is a Browser Issue then..  Is this computer a multi-homed computer?  (2 NICs)  Although from your description, is does not seem to be, but if it is, this applies:

http://www.chicagotech.net/browser.htm#

The browser was unable to retrieve a list of servers from the browser master

This symptom occurs because 1) your computer is a multihomed computer or using multiple network cards in the same subnet; 2) your computer is a master browser; 3) Your computer is running the TCP/IP protocol.
Resolutions: find the failed protocol_netcard or use browstat status (from NT Resource Kit) to find the problem and the card.

1) Stop computer browser to prevents the computer from receiving computer browse lists from other networks.
2) Remove or disable the card.
3) Unbind it  from the workstation service.
4) Uncheck Client for MS Networks on the card.

Also, he has another page for Browser Issues..

http://www.chicagotech.net/computerbrowsingissues.htm
No it is not muli-homed, only one NIC card

The only thing that might apply (although I don't know why it was working before) is that this computer does not have a username/password but the other two do (and they are the same). Your trouble shooting indicates that I shouldn't change the UserName on an exiting account, but the problem computer has the same UserName without the password, can I add the password to that account and have the SID change?

--Karen
I found something else by looking  farther down in the event viewer

Error
Event ID 8003:

The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer D3Y1N011 that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on transport NetBT_Tcpip_{78D2BA7F-1EB9-4D1A-. The master browser is stopping or an election is being forced.

But I don't know how to proceed with this.  I also found some DCOM errors but I don't know if those are relevant.

--Karen
Yea, there can only be one Master Browser in your LAN.  This takes place as an election process.  Try stopping the Browser Service on this system, then reboot and see if you can browse the network.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/2000/server/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/windows/2000/server/reskit/en-us/cnet/cnfi_brs_ECEA.asp

And, certainly you can add a password for a user without any significant changes taking place, UNLESS you are using encryption, then it may present a problem.   I always recommend that users backup their encrypted files (and decrypt them) before changing passwords.  (In a domain, with a good admin that has a Recovery Key, this is not so important.)

FE
BTW:  you can also initiate a Reg Hack for Master Browser status..  

http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/54/
Dear Fatal

I'm getting no where fast but I do appreciate your help.

I don't know how important it is to add a password to the user account of the problem computer so that they all match but - reset password isn't available from userpasswords2 and when I ctrl-alt-del to task manager I can't find the change password command it references. I am not using encryption so if it is important to have the passwords match I would do it.

Disabling the Browser Service on the problem computer does not allow me to browse the network. I can still connect to the shares from the run command however. The network places is now blank and I can't show the workgroup computers either.

I don't know if this information helps but I downloaded browstat.exe that I read about somewhere on the net and when I run it on the two working computers it shows the same:

C:\Documents and Settings\Karen>browstat vw 1
Remoting NetServerEnum to \\D3Y1N011 on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{DBB59535-
082E-4890-A485-88231296D65A} with flags ffffffff
3 entries returned.  3 total. 32 milliseconds

\\D3Y1N011          NT   05.01 (W,S,PQ,NT,PBR,MBR)    Dell Precision 340
\\LAPDELL           NT   05.01 (W,S,NT,PBR)       Laptop
\\VOODOO            NT   05.01 (W,S,PQ,NT)        Voodoo Eden F2

But on the Voodoo it says it is unable to get backup list on transport....

Should I try using the hack to set the master browser? I would prefer it to be the Voodoo since it is the computer I leave on.

Or should I give up and just used mapped network drives....? (I hate quitting on a problem though.)


--Karen

Password problem fixed, I guess you have to be in userpassword not userpasswords2 to create a password. They are now the same username and password on all three computers, but no change in the problem.
Additonal info from browstat status if it helps:

Status for domain 1200NET on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{DBB59535-082E-4890-A
485-88231296D65A}
    Browsing is active on domain.
    Master browser name is: D3Y1N011
        Master browser is running build 2600
    1 backup servers retrieved from master D3Y1N011
        \\D3Y1N011
    There are 3 servers in domain 1200NET on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{DBB5
9535-082E-4890-A485-88231296D65A}
    There are 1 domains in domain 1200NET on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{DBB5
9535-082E-4890-A485-88231296D65A}

Browstat for Voodoo in next message.


browstat status on Voodoo:

Status for domain 1200NET on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{78D2BA7F-1EB9-4D1A-8
3CE-5E91DE57FAFD}
    Browsing is NOT active on domain.
    Master name cannot be determined from GetAdapterStatus.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Another thing you could try, and this is a work-around..  you could edit the Hosts file (and/or the lmhosts) and setup static entries there..  The only hitch to this is you need to setup static IP Addresses on all your systems..

Just a thought!   :)

FE
FE,

Well I finally did what I should have done in the beginning, even though I guess I'll never know what happened. (But I learned a lot!). I  did a system restore to a week ago and the workgroup computers reappeared on Voodoo. My network places was empty but I just recreated the share folders and everything seems to be OK. Browstat now shows:

C:\Documents and Settings\Karen>browstat vw 1
Remoting NetServerEnum to \\VOODOO on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{78D2BA7F-1E
B9-4D1A-83CE-5E91DE57FAFD} with flags ffffffff
3 entries returned.  3 total. 16 milliseconds

\\D3Y1N011          NT   05.01 (W,S,PQ,NT,PBR)    Dell Precision 340
\\LAPDELL           NT   05.01 (W,S,NT)           Laptop
\\VOODOO            NT   05.01 (W,S,PQ,NT,PBR,BBR,MBR)    Voodoo Eden F2

I realize now that the only change I had made during the week was installing the Firefox browser on Voodoo. I can't imagine that had anything to do with it. I hope not because I really like that browser. After I set another system restore I guess I'll try it again!

Thank you very much for all your help.

--Karen
No problem, and thank you MS for System Restore, eh?  :)

Firefox is a great browser...  if you install it again, and the same thing happens, you might post back here so the problem can be logged in the database for other users who have similar issues...

and thanks!

FE