No "Entire Network" in Windows Explorer

[Solemn]

Hello, could someone help me with this?

I'm testing our new Windows 2003 Server -domain with an XP Pro, and this morning I lost the "Entire Network" thing when browsing through Windows Explorer. "My Network places" stays empty no matter what I do!!! When clicking "My network places" on desktop, I see the "Entire network"-tab, but why doesn't it show up in Windows Explorer??? Please help.

On our 2003 server there are installed AD, DHCP, DNS, and also "File Server". I should not need WINS, right? The problem started this morning about the same time when I installed WINS, but removing it did not help!

I can access the shares on the server. Only problem is the missing "Entire network" at the Explorer.

Any help or suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Solemn]

One more thing:

Above thing happens only when logged in to the domain. Not when logged on locally to the XP conputer. It goes beyond my reasoning!

 

[bcastner]

There is a builtin scanner that crawls the network and any shares or printers discovered are added to My Network Places or Printers and Faxes.

The scanner is started in the following situations:
. At startup
. When opening My Network Places
. When refreshing My Network Places by pressing F5

The scanner is not started if one of the following conditions are true:
. If more than 10 computers are detected sharing folders (To be gentle on corporate networks)
. If using DUN or VPN connection
. If the scanner is disabled.
The scanner saves its findings here (If more than 7 days old then they are deleted)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Explorer \Netcrawl \Shares]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Explorer \Netcrawl \Printers]

Depending on the "Node type" of your client, having enabled a WINS server, then removing it, may have temorarily confounded the scan at the workstation client.

Go to the desktop icon for My Network Places, View, Refresh and be certain that the display repopulates. If not, open Network connections and be sure that the only DNS entry for the workstation client points at the IP of the Windows 2003 server/DNS server.

 

[Solemn]

Thanks for replying! Some more questions....

Why does the "Entire Network" folder disappear from "My network places" at the Explorer only when a user is logged in to the domain? And why does it yet show up always at the left side-bar of Windows XP when clicking to "My network places" from desktop icon?

I have tried pressing F5 a milloin times and waited several hours, but no change. The test network has 3 computers currently. No VPN or routers. Just three machines and a HUB.

The first DNS-address of the client points to the 2003 server which is the AD&DNS-server. The second DNS-adress of the client point to an external DNS-server. Could the Windows XP have just gone mad...? I think I'll try re-installing it so that I can be sure that the problem is not with the server...

 

[bcastner]

I hope you will accept my apologies in advance, I am not certain why your client is acting as you describe. I can only make guesses. My apologies if these resolve nothing for you.

Issue #1: Why does in Explorer the folder "Entire Network" disappear?

Attempt at an answer: There is a transport failure somewhere. Both the Client and the Server need to have Netbios over TCP/IP enabled. The Client needs to have Client for Microsoft Networking, and File and Printer sharing enabled. The client needs to have workstation, server, RPC and Netbios Helper services set to Automatic and all of these services have to be running and active.

In addition, open Network Connections, highlight the LAN connection, click Advanced, Advanced Settings, (at the top menu bar), and make sure that the Windows Client services are the first listed in any ordering, including Provider Order.

After checking/modifying any of these settings, a reboot is necessary to reflect any changes. If you are not using the DNS server, but are depending on Netbios for Name resolution, see my notes as well in faq779-4017 as a hardware configuration issue needs to be ruled out as a start.

Issue #2: "The first DNS-address of the client points to the 2003 server which is the AD&DNS-server. The second DNS-adress of the client point to an external DNS-server."

There should not be a second DNS address. If there is any problem pulling a valid DHCP IP, or any issue with local DNS resolution of other workstations, servers, etc.. then XP as client will attempt to resolve the issue by faulting to the secondary DNS. You do not want this to happen. There should be only one DNS entry for XP as client. Again, I attempted to explain this in faq779-4017

Please post again as to your progress.
Bill

 

[Solemn]

I replicated the test environment at my home with 2003 Enterprise edition (180d evaluation), XP Pro and 2000. The same problem occurred with the XP. I can access shares on the server and modify folder rights, and there seems to be no other problems. When logging to the domain as a domain user with the Win2000, there was no problem, the "entire network" tab showed up. So I would assume that the problem is not with the server settings. What do you think?

You wrote:
"
Attempt at an answer: There is a transport failure somewhere. Both the Client and the Server need to have Netbios over TCP/IP enabled. The Client needs to have Client for Microsoft Networking, and File and Printer sharing enabled. The client needs to have workstation, server, RPC and Netbios Helper services set to Automatic and all of these services have to be running and active.
"
I went through all the above, but all the services were running and automatic on the XP and Client for MN and file and printer sharing were OK, and Netbios over TCP/IP enabled.

I also removed the external DNS address from the XP so then it pointed only to the server, but still no change.

Could this problem by a bug in XP Pro or a behaviour by design? It only happens when logging to the domain with an XP computer and as a domain user or administrator. I tried installing SP1 to the XP but it didn't fix it.

Thank you again for the advice!

 

[Solemn]

Okay, this is what I found out recently:

When logged in as a domain user or administrator, the "Entire network" tab does not appear in the Explorer under "My network place". No change after pressing F5 a zillion times.

But after I had browsed the network through the "My network places" desktop icon and clicking the left side-bar "entire network", and accessed and used some shares on the network, Windows XP automatically places shortcuts to previously used shares. After this I went back to the Explorer where the shortcuts also showed up, and after pressing F5 the "Entire network" tab showed up and was usable!!!

Thank you Bill for your time and effort, you helped me to rule out common misconfigurations!

-Tero


-----------------------
Can YOU put Finland on the map? =)

 

[FoxEgg]

Uh Oh !!! Sorry to be the late one here

I have exactly the same problem....

Two XPPro machines same configuration ... NetGear Hub. One has the lot under Network Neighborhood .. the other has My Network Place but no "Entire Netrork"

I can get "My Network Places" to be on show but I do not get "Entire Network" (or any of the other sub options....) on the original machine,,, so I cannot see all the computers on the system... But I have a long list (about 25) shared directories...

Thanks


John Fox

PS I did the registry fix ...was very careful and NO CHANGE...

 

[FoxEgg]

My apologies for the inconvenience, but I should have posted as a new problem...

JF

 

[linney]

Cannot display "Entire Network" in XP Pro
thread779-980130