Win 2000 Pro machine cannot see itself in workgroup

[Bobot]

Hi guys -

Freshly installed Win 2000 Pro machine in a classroom test setting, network card installed but no cabling attached to anything at this point.

Machine is set up in a workgroup, not domain. Windows file and printer sharing is turned on. If you navigate to the Network Places and drill down into the workgroup name, the machine does not see itself. Therefore, if you share a folder, i.e. c:\test, you cannot use the UNC at the command prompt to see the share (i.e. \\computername\test)

What's the deal? We are not able (or allowed) to install service packs so I was thinking try to remove and re-install file and printer sharing.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

- Bob

 

[WindowWizard]

I found this to be a fairly common problem when setting up peer-to-peer Win2k networks. Only after some coaxing will the machine appear in the "hood". So, after making sure that everything is set correctly, including ICS if you're using it, make sure you enable something to share. Pick a drive or folder and share it. That's usually enough to tickle the gremlins into putting the system in the hood.

WW

 

[mjinks61]

You said "network card installed but no cabling attached to anything at this point."

I use mapped drives all the time, but unless there is a network hookup, (meaning you are cabled to a hub/switch etc.. and getting a link light) The machine will appear to not know about the network connection. Win 2K in my experience does not like this situation. I usually take a small hub of switch with me when needing to use locally mapped drives with my laptop while not on my regular LAN.

If the operating system isn't aware of the network, then it won't recognize a \\computername\sharename senario.

You can use a command to map a local drive through command promt. subst x: c:\temp

In this example, you would get a drive letter of X in my computer, that would equal the contents of the Temp folder at the root of C

Good luck

 

[WindowWizard]

I missed the first sentence. Duh, I'm bad. Anyway, you may be able to create a dial-up network that would suffice as well, even though you would never dial into it, to let you map drives. I don't remember if that worked or not.

WW

 

[Bobot]

Thanks mjinks61 -

Wow - that's interesting if it truly requires a network connection to see itself in the workgroup and to see/use unc paths to shared folders on itself. Not that I ever tried it without a network cabled until now. If what you are saying is true, that would be my problem.

Some other computers in the class appeared to not have a cable and theirs worked, so I'll investigate more...but I'll try your idea first.

Thanks!

- Bob