Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

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hlewton
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Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

I have 4 computers on my network using Windows 10. I do not and never have used passwords on my computers to use them or to connect to any other computer. Until about 4 or 5 months ago if I couldn’t make Windows Explorer Network show all my computers the fellow who builds my computers could. But this time he is stumped too.

Right now Windows Explorer’s Network on my main computer only shows 1 on my computers in the Network. I have no idea what setting or which computer’s setting needs to be changed to allow my main computer to show the other 2 computers. But something has to be set wrong, I believe, because 1 computer does consistently show up on my main computer. The 2 that do not show up are both laptops but it makes no difference if they are on the wireless router or hard wired by an ether net cable, they still do not show up in Windows Explorer.

I can map to them using something like this “\\OWNER-PC” without the quotes to access these 2 computers and once I use that mapped connection I can then see the entire computer. Doesn’t seem to make any sense to me but that is how it is working.

I do not want to change anything like using a Network password. So are there any suggestions on what I can do to make these two laptops appear in Windows Explorer on my main computer?

The 2 that do not show up are Windows 10 Home Edition, if that matters. The other 2 are Windows 10 Professional.

Thanks
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hlewton

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DaveA
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by DaveA »

What type (Admin, Standard) are all of the user accounts on all machines?

Windows does like to have a "Common" user Admin account on each machine. It does NOT need to be the one in use, just fully set up.
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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

DaveA wrote:What type (Admin, Standard) are all of the user accounts on all machines?

Windows does like to have a "Common" user Admin account on each machine. It does NOT need to be the one in use, just fully set up.
There is only 1 account on each machine, as far as I know, and they are or Admin or have admin privileges. I am not even sure how to check that out to answer you better.
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hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by StuartR »

You could create a simple .BAT file with just this line...
net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$
Then add that to task manager set to run every time you log in.
StuartR


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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

StuartR wrote:You could create a simple .BAT file with just this line...
net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$
Then add that to task manager set to run every time you log in.
Thanks. I do have one question. Since I have another computer that I also want to see in Windows Explorer would I add an additional line like this without the quotes, "net use \\New-PC\ipc$" or do I have to create an additional bat file?

I guess after searching and not finding a clear answer can you tell me or give me a link how to run a batch file in Windows 10.

Thanks
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

hlewton wrote:
StuartR wrote:You could create a simple .BAT file with just this line...
net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$
Then add that to task manager set to run every time you log in.
Thanks. I do have one question. Since I have another computer that I also want to see in Windows Explorer would I add an additional line like this without the quotes, "net use \\New-PC\ipc$" or do I have to create an additional bat file?

I guess after searching and not finding a clear answer can you tell me or give me a link how to run a batch file in Windows 10.

Thanks
I think I found how to run at start up. However, I created a bat file just by copying net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$ and ran it but still that computer did not appear in Windows Explorer. I did not restart the machine but I did run the bat file. Not sure why it didn't work.
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hlewton

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viking33
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by viking33 »

hlewton wrote:
hlewton wrote:
StuartR wrote:You could create a simple .BAT file with just this line...
net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$
Then add that to task manager set to run every time you log in.
Thanks. I do have one question. Since I have another computer that I also want to see in Windows Explorer would I add an additional line like this without the quotes, "net use \\New-PC\ipc$" or do I have to create an additional bat file?

I guess after searching and not finding a clear answer can you tell me or give me a link how to run a batch file in Windows 10.

Thanks
I think I found how to run at start up. However, I created a bat file just by copying net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$ and ran it but still that computer did not appear in Windows Explorer. I did not restart the machine but I did run the bat file. Not sure why it didn't work.
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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

Well created the bat file and placed it in the startup folder to run at start up and rebooted. It still is the same in that neither of my laptops show up. Still only the 1 other as shown in the attachment. Possibly I did something wrong but have no idea what it was.
New.jpg
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

I created a basic task to ron when computer is turned on to run that bat file, rebooted and still nothing. I ran the bat file from the command prompt it said it executed but still not showing the laptop in Windows Explorer Network. I did make sure I had copied the suggested bat file above correctly but it just isn't working for me.
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hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by StuartR »

I strongly recommend using Task Scheduler to run the BAT file when a user logs in, rather than when the computer restarts, that way it maps the computer so that the user can see it.

As an experiment can you try running the BAT file manually and see if it makes the computers visible.
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HansV
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by HansV »

hlewton has already done that:
I ran the bat file from the command prompt it said it executed but still not showing the laptop in Windows Explorer Network.
Best wishes,
Hans

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StuartR
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by StuartR »

This has always worked for me in the past, but I have very little experience of PCs where there is no username or password required to log in.
The only other suggestion I have is to ensure you run the BAT file as Administrator.
StuartR


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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

StuartR wrote:This has always worked for me in the past, but I have very little experience of PCs where there is no username or password required to log in.
The only other suggestion I have is to ensure you run the BAT file as Administrator.
Thanks for your help. I called the fellow who builds my computers and he assured me I am running everything as Administrator. I ran the bat file from the command prompt assuring that I ran it as Administrator. This is the contents of the bat file as you suggested earlier in this thread, net use \\OWNER-PC\ipc$ Please see attachment for results. Still the only computer Windows Explorer sees is the same one it has since a few months ago.
batfile.jpg
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hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by StuartR »

That looks correct.
After you have run that can you please type
NET USE
to a command prompt and see what output you get. You should see that there is a connection to the remote computer.
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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

StuartR wrote:That looks correct.
After you have run that can you please type
NET USE
to a command prompt and see what output you get. You should see that there is a connection to the remote computer.
I ran the bat file again, as you'll see before running NET USE. The attachment shows the 2 computers that are my problem after I run NET USE as you asked. Not sure why the hdl-pc shows up because it is not included in the bat file I ran prior to running the NET USE command. They do show disconnected if that means anything. Please see the attachment and the P.S. below.
BAT1.jpg
P.S. Just to be clear these two computers are on and running and I can still reach them by clicking on the shortcut I created with \\OWNER-PC or \\hdl-pc in them.
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hlewton

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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by JoeP »

Is the network set a private on all the machines?
Is network & device discovery enabled on all machines?
Are you using a third party firewall?
Have you tried disabling the firewall?
Are the following two services enabled and running on all machines
. Function Discovery Provider Host
. Function Discovery Resource Publication
Joe

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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

JoeP wrote:Is the network set a private on all the machines?
Is network & device discovery enabled on all machines?
Are you using a third party firewall?
Have you tried disabling the firewall?
Are the following two services enabled and running on all machines
. Function Discovery Provider Host
. Function Discovery Resource Publication
Since I only know the answers to a couple of these questions I will contact my guy tomorrow, have him remote in and get the rest of the answers.

What I know is there is no third party firewall being used, only the one built into Windows itself.
I did not try disabling the firewall.
Function Discovery Provider Host = set to manual and running on this, my main computer
Function Discovery Resource Publication = set to manual and not running on this, my main computer

Function Discovery Provider Host = set to manual and not running on hdl-pc
Function Discovery Resource Publication = set to manual and not running on had-pc

Function Discovery Provider Host = set to manual and not running on owner-pc
Function Discovery Resource Publication = set to manual and not running on owner-pc

Function Discovery Provider Host = set to manual and not running on new-pc
Function Discovery Resource Publication = set to automatic and running on new-pc

So the only one that shows up in Windows Explorer is the one that has Function Discovery Resource Publication = set to automatic and running. Do you think I should make that change to the others?

I know I have seen the fellow who sets up my computers tell it my network is Private but I do not know how to check that and when I try following steps I find on the Internet it does not even look remotely familiar to what I have seen him do. I will have to wait until tomorrow to have him check that.
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by hlewton »

JoeP wrote:Is the network set a private on all the machines?
Is network & device discovery enabled on all machines?
Are you using a third party firewall?
Have you tried disabling the firewall?
Are the following two services enabled and running on all machines
. Function Discovery Provider Host
. Function Discovery Resource Publication
SUCCESS

Thank you JoeP. I set those services to "Automatic" on every machine and now I can see all my computers. I really appreciate all the help.
Regards,
hlewton

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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by viking33 »

Congrats. Glad to hear that your machines are all visible now.
Joe dug out the not so obvious solution. :clapping:
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Re: Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

Post by HansV »

Thank you, JoeP, for coming up with the questions that prompted the solution! :thankyou:
Best wishes,
Hans