Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

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HansV
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by HansV »

You can see the post number by hovering the mouse pointer over the subject line.
Best wishes,
Hans

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BobArch2
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by BobArch2 »

HansV wrote:
15 Nov 2020, 19:31
You can see the post number by hovering the mouse pointer over the subject line.
Thanks! I was looking all over the screen, searched the FAQs with no happy result. Then, I hovered the mouse over this message and saw that at the very bottom of my screen there was a great deal of data which included the post number at the end. I will now get the post number and edit my reply.

Thanks again.

P.S. I am wrong in stating that in the old version of the board software the post number appeared just below the user's avatar in the posting? (memory being the second thing to go :grin: )
Regards,
Bob

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HansV
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by HansV »

BobArch2 wrote:
15 Nov 2020, 19:37
P.S. I am wrong in stating that in the old version of the board software the post number appeared just below the user's avatar in the posting? (memory being the second thing to go :grin: )
Yes, that is correct. That was a custom feature that we haven't been able to reproduce in the new version... :sad:
Best wishes,
Hans

Donjohn24
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by Donjohn24 »

StuartR wrote:
28 Oct 2020, 13:50
The way to run a scheduled task is to run Task Scheduler, click on Create Task, Set the action to be your bat file, create a new trigger "At log on". Give it a try and let us know if you run in to problems.
These instructions and your batch file, ended hours of frustration for me after I mistakenly thought that adding a USB/Network adapter to my Surface Pro 3 ad connecting to my router would enable me to share files with my PC within minutes. Thank you, thank you, thank you :clapping:

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StuartR
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by StuartR »

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad it helped you.
StuartR


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hlewton
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by hlewton »

Well I have to revisit this thread.

I have the same problem as many others, according to what I found on the WEB. Often my computers will not display in File Explorer’s Network section, which is why this thread was started. I have set the services Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication the way I found on the NET to correct this problem. I also have a bat file I can run to stop and then start the Function Discovery Resource Publication service. This usually makes whatever computer I run it on show up both in the File Explorer on the same computer it was run on and any other computer that may be powered on at the time. This is a pain, but I never found any other solution until searching the NET again. Also, maybe I should point out that when the computer I am on does not show up in an open File Explorer’s Network folder, running that bat file only makes it display for that open instance of File Explorer most of the time. If that instance is closed and a new one opened and I want the computer to display under Networks, I have to run the bat file again.


A solution I just found is what I need to ask about. I stumbled upon something called Lanman Workstation that an article on the NET claims could fix the problem mentioned above. The author claims that running this command in the command prompt window is a permanent fix: “sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation” I read another article that suggests this:

“How do I enable Lanman Workstation?

Resolution

Open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit. msc).
In the console tree, select Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation.
For the setting, right-click Enable insecure guest logons and select Edit.
Select Enabled and select OK.”


I don’t know anything about this Lanman Workstation and am wondering if anyone can advise me about it. Would it hurt to enable it as mentioned by using the Group Policy Editor, which by the way, does not open for me in Windows 11 using gpedit.msc, as suggested above. It appears to me now to not be enabled at all. Please see the attachment. However, I have no idea what – For the setting, right-click Enable insecure guest logons and select Edit. And Select Enabled and select OK.” will do. Will that make Lanman Workstation active or just part of it, and do you think it would do any good to have it enabled? Or would running the code, mentioned above, in the Command prompt window be a better solution? The author of that solution also says, “(you can undo this handiwork by repeating above, omitting /LanmanWorkstation from the end of the string)” This bothers me because if it is actually a permanent solution, why then would I need to reverse it? When he mentions permanent solution, I assume that it does not have to be run every time the computer is rebooted like my bat file does. I do have all shares, permissions, and network discovery set properly on each computer, but this problem has persisted ever since Windows 10 was installed on my computers years ago.

As you can probably tell, I do not know enough about this Lanman Workstation to know exactly what to ask. I found this definition of it: Workstation Service, also known as LanmanWorkstation, is a component of the Microsoft Windows Server operating systems that allows a client to request file and print resources from servers over the network. Not knowing anything about it, it still seems to me that it should have been enabled years ago for me since I am using a network but, I am not using servers so I have no idea if that is the case.

Any help or advice about this would be appreciated.
Lanman Workstation.jpg
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Regards,
hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by StuartR »

I just checked on my laptop and the Workstation service is set to "Automatic" startup, and it is running. I guess it should have been running on your computer too.
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hlewton
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by hlewton »

Stuart, thank you very much for the reply and the attachment. However, I think it just shot another theory or solution. Yesterday I looked for and did not find Lanman Workstation in Services. Your attachment showed me where it was located and mine too is set to Automatic. Again, I have no idea what it all means but I guess it won't fix my problem.
Regards,
hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by hlewton »

I have to ask another question. I tried to find out what is claimed as a permanent fix, sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation, does. If you double click on Function Discovery Resource Publication in services you see its properties. On the Dependencies tab you see what it shows in the first attachment, "Before." After running that sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation, command, you see what is shown in the second attachment, "After." I don't understand what that means or what it does. Can anyone explain it or how it would help?
Before.jpg
After.jpg
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Regards,
hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by StuartR »

This means that if you try to start FDResPub AND the Workstation service is not yet started then it will try to start it. If it can't then FDResPub won't start.
StuartR


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hlewton
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Re: Can’t See Network Computers In Windows File Explorer

Post by hlewton »

StuartR wrote:
09 Nov 2022, 14:26
This means that if you try to start FDResPub AND the Workstation service is not yet started then it will try to start it. If it can't then FDResPub won't start.
Thank you very much.
Regards,
hlewton