My Network Places always Disappearing

[fallb06]

This has been a problem for a couple of years. A couple times a week, whether I'm on my workstation, someone else's worksation, or a server, when I go to My Network Places I can see the domain but I can't see any computers in it. Does anyone know why this happens?

 

[77zxmax]

Same thing happens to me

did anyone have seen this before ?

 

[NetIntruder]

My Network Places relies on WINS for computer population.

Try checking your domain for Master Browser Wars - there are a few utilities to do this: Browmon and Browstat (in the resource kit and support tools). Keep refreshing the data and see if your masters are changing. If they are, you will need to suppress this from happening. On servers that do not need to be the master, change the following reg. key:

\\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\Browser\\Parameters\\ISMasterBrowser

To "Auto" (no quotes!) and restart the computer browser service on that machine. Do this for everything that is competing for the master and you will eventually have the entire list again.



~Intruder~
CEH, CISSP, MCSA/MCSE 2000/2003

 

[Steve Bowman]

My Network Places relies on WINS for computer population" is a pretty true comment.

I have always been told "Network Places" is NOT a diagnostics tool!

In other words "NOT always true"

When this happens can you still key into the Address bar
\\MyComputerName and see the computer?

Are you using WINS?

impliment wins and you will have better results, if WINS is already setup you may not have everyone registering to it


Steve Bowman
Independent Technology, Inc.
CA, USA

 

[NetIntruder]

actually, if you take care of your master browser, it is very reliable in it's content.... though I would personally shy away from using WINS if it's not needed, and hence, say goodbye to My Network Places!

Good question though Steveb7... are you using WINS?

If not, therein lies your problem (or lack there of!)

~Intruder~
CEH, CISSP, MCSA/MCSE 2000/2003

 

[Steve Bowman]

I agree with previous comment on wins.
There are many other unknown issues
ie. DNS configuration for the DOMAIN network properties for workstations on the wire like DNS so on and on.
In short if Network Places shows missing computers on the wire but you can still communicate via IP address or MACHIENE_NAME net bios resolution the problem is not a true networking issue but a resolution issue.
Master Browser
WINS
DNS
bla, bla, bla

Steve Bowman
Independent Technology, Inc.
CA, USA

 

[NetIntruder]

well, the original post said this was happening for a couple years... i can't see that basic connectivity is an issue (for years at least!)... or fallb06 probably wouldn't have a job.

~Intruder~
CEH, CISSP, MCSA/MCSE 2000/2003

 

[tookawhile]

I had a similar problem, after replacing an intermittent NIC on the server (its was the master browser) the problem went away. The faulty NIC was causing lots elections.

 

[basst]

Do your workstations have file and printer sharing for Microsoft networks installed?
Is the server service enabled on all workstations?

Could be that the clients have the server service disabled to prevent them appearing in my network places.
This is quite comman in companies to reduce unecessary traffic. In this case you would see the domain name but no computers.

 

[fallb06]

Thanks for all the great ideas, I will try them and let you know what happens. It's been crazy here and I haven't had time to fix this issue (not a priority considering me and the other techs are probably the only people that use network places).