Missing Computer in Workgroup


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We are running a Windows 2000 SBS server and have Windows 2000 and windows 98 client machines. The problem we have is that user's on windows 2000 machine can't see all the Windows 98se machines on the network. To make things even more strange they can see SOME windows 98se machines but not all of them. (windows 98se user's can see everything)

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening and how to fix it as i can't find anything on M$ KB :no:

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Go around to *all* of the Windows 98 machines and double check the properties of the file sharing on them (I believe it's under this part) and look for "Browse Master" and set to "NO" on every Win9X/WinME machine you have.

They are supposed to "give up" control of the network list to "Server" machines but normally don't. So some machines go to Win98 for the list and some go to Win2000 for the list.

If you look at your event logs you will most likely see "A computer browser has forced an election..." or something like that. That's the Win98 machines not playing nice.

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often the simplest answer is the best...

make sure file and printer sharing is enabled on all the machines u want to see on the network...

often if this is disabled, it wont broadcast itself on the network...

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all printer and file sharing is "On" still not being able to view all the machines on the network. I have also tried to ping the address of a missin machine in CMD.exe and i can ping it, resolve the host name but am unable to view it within windows enviroment.

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i got it sorted. we also are running a Novell server (why i am not to sure) but i had File and printer sharing for Netware installed where i should have had File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks. i can now, see and browse all the machine on the network from a windows 2000 machine,

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Windows 9x/ME machines have a hard time broadcasting themselves, like peete and damien have said. I always use WINS (or DNS will work too, but WINS is better suited for legacy machines such as yours) for Windows 9x/ME clients. Problem solved.

Also, perhaps you have an incorrectly configured VPN Staticmat, because I've never had any WINS issues messing up the VPNs I've set up.

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i got it sorted. we also are running a Novell server (why i am not to sure) but i had File and printer sharing for Netware installed where i should have had File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks. i can now, see and browse all the machine on the network from a windows 2000 machine,

Novell? Why the heck are you running Novell? Ewww, get the holy water and cleanse the network. :laugh:

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We use novell for some Accounts software and for production control on the factory floor, i dont get the last say in the IT budget but i wonna get rid ASAP. its a headache to say the least.

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Windows 9x/ME machines have a hard time broadcasting themselves, like peete and damien have said. I always use WINS (or DNS will work too, but WINS is better suited for legacy machines such as yours) for Windows 9x/ME clients. Problem solved.

Also, perhaps you have an incorrectly configured VPN Staticmat, because I've never had any WINS issues messing up the VPNs I've set up.

You misunderstood. WINS actually fixed my server problems! :p

The VPN always works perfectly unless you are trying to browse it through network neighborhood or my network places. The name resolution wouldn't even work properly until I created and LMHOSTS file. After that browsing using \\computername\sharename was fine. But the Network Neighborhood browser still wasn't working. Once I switched to a Windows 2K DHCP/DNS Server names were resolved and the browser did eventually pick up the remote network over the VPN after about an hour. That was just unacceptable because normally users aren't even connected that long. Once I added a WINS server to the mix the browser was populated right away.

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