Home Networking Connections Seen By Windows Explorer

[hlewton]

Gotta tell you this solution not only allows me to see the other 3 computers from my main computer but it also allows me to see all 4 computers from all 4 computers. I can't say I have ever had that happen, ever. Also with those services running sometimes and not others explains a lot of what I have seen over the years of hit and miss seeing all my computers in Windows Explorer. I'm glad it turned out to be such an easy fix but getting there took a lot of help and knowledge from those here in the Lounge. This is a great place for seeking and receiving help.

[viking33]

Thank you, JoeP, for coming up with the questions that prompted the solution!

Gotta think of the questions before you can get the answers.

[StuartR]

Well done, Thank you JoeP

[hlewton]

Though the original problem of this thread has been fixed, I didn't think I should start another thread for a related problem. I am now able to use Windows Explorer to access the other computers. This works well on all but 1 computer. It is one named hdl-pc and it is a laptop. Over the past 5 months or so even when using the mapped access of "\\hdl-pc" without the quotes this same problem existed. The problem is sporadic in that sometimes I can access this computer and all its folders and other times I can’t until I fool around and go back and forth and sometimes running Windows network connections problem solver, which never finds any identifiable problem. I believe the problem is on the hdl-pc itself because the same problem occurs no mater which computer I use to try to access it.

I have checked and can answer that the Network is set to Private on all the computers.
The Network and devises discovery is enabled on all machines.
Function Discovery Provider Host is enabled and running on all machines
Function Discovery Resource Publication is enabled and running on all machines.

So on this problem machine is there maybe another service or something that may need to be changed or activated to give me consistent access to this computer?

Edited: I don't know if it will help but this is the message given by the diagnostic tool when running it:
Error Code: 0x80070035
The Network Path Was Not Found

Not sure if this is important either and I do not understand all I am about to say. The trouble computer is not set up like any of my others. It is a solid state drive or actually 2 drives, I guess. C: Drive is only 118 GB and is the boot up drive and D: Drive is 931 GB. Since I cannot store all I need on C: Drive it was set up to have most everything transferred to D: Drive and all my data and, I guess many programs are on that D: Drive.

[JoeP]

Is the PC sleeping or hibernating when the problem happens?
Have you checked the power management settings for the troublesome PC's NIC?
What happens if you disable the firewall on the troublesome PC?

[hlewton]

Is the PC sleeping or hibernating when the problem happens?
Have you checked the power management settings for the troublesome PC's NIC?
What happens if you disable the firewall on the troublesome PC?

The problem occurs whether or not it is sleeping or hibernating.
Not sure what to check on the NIC but will try to get that done.
I turned the Firewall off and it made no difference even after rebooting it with the firewall off.

[hlewton]

From what I found for my network adapter there is nothing checked on the Power Management Tab now. "Allow the computer to turn off this devise to save power" was checked so I unchecked it. Didn't seem to make a difference.

The Power Options settings are set for the only thing to turn off is the monitor. The computer is set to never go to sleep.

I hope the things I checked are what you were asking about.

[JoeP]

Have you checked to see it is connected to your network?

Have you checked the workgroup name?

[Argus]

Thank you, JoeP, for coming up with the questions that prompted the solution!

Gotta think of the questions before you can get the answers.

True, Bob.
(I would always start with checking that all necessary services are running.)

[hlewton]

Have you checked to see it is connected to your network?

Have you checked the workgroup name?

Yes it is definitely connected to my network and it is the same work group as the other 3.

[JoeP]

Have you tried to reset the network on the problem PC? See How to reset your entire network in Windows 10.

[hlewton]

Have you tried to reset the network on the problem PC? See How to reset your entire network in Windows 10.

I haven't but will look into it now. Thanks

Edited: Just looked at that link and know I won't be resetting my network without getting the fellow who set it up in the first place back here to my home. There is just too much potential for me to really mess it up since I know so little about that and have never tried it before without help.

I appreciate your suggestions but just do not feel at all comfortable resetting my network. Let me give just a little more back ground. I have an Explorer Right Click extension, I believe it is called, called MyFolders. It allows me to create paths to any network drive or folder I want to and save it for future use. When I am transferring data files to those drives or folders all I have to do is Right Click on the MyFolders Explorer extension and send the data files to whatever folder I have created and saved within the MyFolders extension. Even to this troubled computer the MyFolders always works. So I only really have to have access to that computer is and/or when I wanted to create an additional path. Other than that I can just use that computer itself if I can't access it from my main computer when I wanted. Since I can usually mess around and eventually get access to that computer from my main computer I think the headaches I would get from trying to reset my entire network wouldn't be worth it.

It would be nice to have consistent access but I can get to much in over my head quickly when it comes to something like this. I don't want to or anyone else to think I am not grateful for all the help because I really am. Thank you.

[hlewton]

From what I found for my network adapter there is nothing checked on the Power Management Tab now. "Allow the computer to turn off this devise to save power" was checked so I unchecked it. Didn't seem to make a difference.

I called the fellow who builds my computers and went over the list of things JoeP suggested. Although I did as I said in bold print above, it turns out that I apparently have a duo, or something like that, network card. Of course, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I know very little about the network and how it works. In any case, he had me change the same setting on the Power Management Tab of the other half of my network card. Not sure I fully understand, but from what I believe is that I only changed that setting for the wireless part of the network card. He had me change if for the part of the network card that uses an Ethernet connection. In the devise manager I did not even recognize that listing as a network card but he did.

I am not ready to claim complete victory yet because only time will tell. However, since making that change every time I tried reaching that computer using Windows Explorer it worked.

Just thought I'd report back on the status of this problem.

[hlewton]

Just wanted to be on record here in case I ever have to look back and find this thread again. Everything is still working great. However, what concerns me is this is the second Tuesday of the month and if MS keeps to their schedule another OS update is about to happen. History tells me that is when all my troubles start with not being able to see and use my network as I should be able to do. I hope that isn't the case again.

[DaveA]

Yes, I just updated my machines.

[hlewton]

Yes, I just updated my machines.

It already started. One of my machines just updated and it is no longer visible in my Windows Explorer.

[hlewton]

I just went over everything we discussed here to make sure all was set the way it was when working. It is. I went over all the other network settings under network sharing and everything there also seems to be set the same as it was yesterday. The only thing different, as far as I know, is this 1 machine was updated by MS and the other 3 have not been yet. I'll probably lose the ability to see other computers once these latest updates are forced out.

[hlewton]

All my computers have now been updated. Everything works with the exception of the one laptop mentioned above. It still does not show up in my Windows Explorer unless it is on an Ethernet cable. This is not the one that was my problem before, it is the other laptop. I just got off the phone with the fellow who builds my computers. Along with him we checked every thing mentioned in this thread and all still is set the way it should be yet on wireless I can't see it as I could yesterday before MS's update.

I think I should mention that my "MyFolders" program still allows me to send files to this computer and the mapped (\\OWNER-PC) drive still works. The only thing is it does not show up in Windows Explorer as it did yesterday.

Also this problem computer now only shows itself while on wireless in Windows Explorer where before it showed all my computers. On Ethernet all the computers are visible.

Any ideas what could be happening with the wireless connection? It is on the network and reaches the Internet.

[hlewton]

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

I am still having the problem that is mentioned further up in this thread but just to reiterate, after one of MS’s updates about 2 months ago I could no longer see the 1 laptop as I was able to see after following the steps above. I have experimented a few times and I seem to be able to repeat a procedure and get the same results time after time. I am hoping it may help to come up with something else I can do to correct this problem.

If I open a windows explorer on my main computer it does not show the problem computer when connected to my wireless network. If I then go to the problem computer and set both Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication to Manual, stop the service, then reset both to Automatic and restart the service the problem computer will show up in the windows explorer I have open on my main computer. If I close that windows explorer and reopen another instance of windows explorer the problem machine again does not show up as part of my network. Again it is still available with a mapped link to it while still on wireless. Also if I connect it with an Ethernet cable it shows up. There must be some wireless setting that is messing it up but I sure don’t know what it could be.

Does this give any ideas what may be happening?

[hlewton]

I am trying to create batch files to allow me to see my computers the way I want to. Manually I can do it by stopping and then restarting the services Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication. I don’t seem able to come up with the correct syntax of the NET.EXE command. I found these examples
Net Stop <Service-Name>
Net Start <Service-Name>
But when I try to test them from Windows Start button Run command they do not seem to do anything. I have tries 4 different syntaxes:
Net Stop Function Discovery Provider Host
Net Stop <Function Discovery Provider Host>
Net Stop Service-Function Discovery Provider Host
Net Stop <Service-Function Discovery Provider Host>

And nothing seems to work.

Can anyone help with the correct syntax to make these commands work so I can then create a *.batch file?

Thanks.