Not recognizing network path

[Aarem]

Hi, I have a python script that is supposed to check to see if a computer exists on a windows network, but python always seems to return false:

os.path.isdir("\\\\MyPCNetworkname\\")

should work, right? for some reason, if i have a trailing folder (like \\MyPCNetworkname\folderhere), then it returns true (if it exists). But not every computer the user enters is going to have a folder. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[JustinEzequiel]

my understanding, emphasis on the my, is that network shares are in the format
\\<computername>\<sharename>
for example, on my desktop, I have the following shares
SpringerIN
SpringerOUT
which others on our network access as
\\sp0234\SpringerIN
and
\\sp0234\SpringerOUT
I also have the following default shares
\\sp0234\C$
\\sp0234\D$
which allow, depending on permissions, access to the roots of my drives C: and D:

 

[Aarem]

Yes, that is the format I used. (the slashes are escaped.)

"\\\\MyPCNetworkname\\"

becomes

\\MyPCNetworkname\

 

[Aarem]

Basically, I just need something that will allow me to access directory listings of other computers on the network.

 

[JustinEzequiel]

what you used is just \\<computername>
yung need to include the \<sharename>

 

[Aarem]

So there's no way to just tell if a computer exists without having a shared folder under it?

 

[JustinEzequiel]

well you could ping it and see if it responds
although some machines on our network do not repond to pings