Can't see computers in "My Network Places" (Win2k)

[gutted]

I guess this must be a common problem (I've seen it so many times!!) but just wondering if someone could tell me, once and for all, why is it that sometimes I can't see computers in "My Network Places"? It's very annoying.

It kind of follows on from my last post about "Win98 can't see Win2k".

Sometimes on my Win2k machine I can't browse the network ("workgroup unavailable" error) while other times it works ok. I can always ping Win98 and I can set up a network printer using UNC path, similarly I can map a network drive ok. The actual connection from Win2k to Win98 is fine.

Why is the network sometims unavailable then, according to Win2k?!

Both Win98 and Win2k are set to automatic in terms of browser elections.

Anyone got a solution for this?

Cheers!
Dan.

[Gollo]

How are you issuing ip addresses? Is there a domain server somewhere on the network? Are both computers in the same workgroup?

[confus-ed]

The opening part of this 'saga' can be found here Win98 can't connect to Win2k PC (http://forums.windrivers.com/showthread.php?t=54423)

So to answer Gollo ('cos its easy :D) ... dhcp assigned by router ;)

Just a comment without reading all of the preceeding thread ... You say
...Both Win98 and Win2k are set to automatic in terms of browser elections..

Well that's not right !! .... you just want one master browser set, or one winning any 'election' held (here) by your router pressumably ?

You might want to note this concerning firewalls & such ...
" ...make sure you allow ports 137-139 (both TCP and UDP) in and out. If you don't, your computer cannot hear the master browser election going on and may force itself to become the master browser."

[NooNoo]

And just to top if off, it can take 12 minutes for my network places to update. If it maps, don't worry about nethood....

[confus-ed]

For information : ....While this has my attention, & as I anticipate its the next subject ...

To Change master Browser settings .... open regedit (usual disclaimers about messing with any registry files applies - IF IN DOUBT DON'T !)

Navigate to the key 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servi ces\Browser\Parameters' :-
Insert or change a value with the following details:
Data Type: SZ
Value Name: IsDomainMaster
Value:

Yes: Is the master browser
No: Is not the master browser
Auto: Resolve through browser elections (default)

Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
I think its the same key all o/s's ...

The xp machine here wants to be auto (or yes if you are so minded), the 98 machine just 'no' ... if it doesn't find one (i.e the xp box is off), as a single machine that just doesn't matter (In all honesty I'm not 100%, but I 'think' - can someone confirm?) ... however the whole 'master browser' issue is lots of 'fun' (I think not) & do we actually have netbios over tcp/IP enabled ? - you need that for it to work, else each machine decides it was the winner anyway !

[gutted]

Cheers guys.

It's not a major deal or anything, just annoying. As NooNoo says, I can still map drives so I can ignore it if I like. It just harasses me when little things like this aren't quite right :D

As for browser elections, yep - I'll leave mine at auto, and set Win98 to "no". I don't know much about this sort of stuff, but I was under the impression that if you set both to auto then if no master is found the machine in question will automatically become the master browser? Does each machine actually participate in elections? Including the router? Anyway - I'll try setting Win98 to no and see what happens.

As for the original part of the 'saga' - still unresolved. Will get hold of another NIC at some point and give that a try...

Cheers again for your help though!!
Dan.

[NooNoo]

a further explanation on browsing here (http://www.mail-archive.com/techtarget@lists.techtarget.com/msg00110.html)

part two of the explanation (http://searchwin2000.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid1_gci853661,00.html)

[gutted]

Great info. That info, along with the answers given above, looks like it resolved the problem.

The "Computer Browser" service wasn't started - for some reason it was disabled in my hardware profile (?!). After starting that and then setting registry to "IsDomainMaster" to "TRUE" I can see my list of computers again.

If I leave Win98 at auto, that should be fine when Win2k isn't active. Currently Win2k is the preferred browser so when this machine comes online it should initiate (and win) an election.

Sweet :D

Thanks again everyone - problem solved!
Dan.

[NooNoo]

great!

[confus-ed]

Yup 'great' :thumbs: ... so that's everything fixed ?you mumbled about nic's, but I'm too idle to trawl the other thread, & figure out what's missing, especially given our 'improvements' ...

[gutted]

Confus-ed - nope, not quite everything is sorted. I still have the original problem as per my other post.

But the good news is that I have a couple of ideas:

NooNoo suggests changing the NIC in Win98 machine - I'll try that when I get hold of another NIC
I'm going to re-apply Win2k service pack 2. Might move to sp3 - not decided yet.
Last resort will be to reinstall Win98. But if/when that happens I'll probably move my girlfriend's Win98 pc to Win2k.

I can live without it for now though.

Thanks again!
Dan.

[NooNoo]

Win 2k is now at sp4

I would go straight to sp4 if you have sp2.

All my 2k installs with sp4 are stable.