Computer Browser Service Shut Itself Down

[toadeater]

On a client's network I had set up recently they started having trouble with a printer share that had been working fine for weeks. I came in to look at it and it turns out that something (or someone) shut down the Computer Browser service on all the computers, so shares could no longer be browsed. The weird thing is that Computer Browser wasn't disabled, it was still set to Automatic, yet it had not started up automatically and just sat there. I clicked "start" and it started up normally, all the shares came up immediately.

Any ideas what might have caused something like this on an entire network (9 XP Home, Pro PCs + Win2K3 server)? I can understand a glitch on one PC, but not all 9 of them???

It's bloody strange I tell you. I'm going to call Ghostbusters. :p

[toadeater]

So has anyone seen something like this happen before? I still can't pinpoint what caused it. Windows Firewall is turned off on the PCs, so there's no port blocking problems AFAIK. The Computer Browser service is set to automatic. It's been working since I manually started it again and rebooted each PC, I'm trying to find out why it turned itself off the first time on all the PCs.

[+BudMan MVC]

You do not understand how computer browsing works do you??

The computer browsing services does NOT need to be running on all computers - in only needs to run on the browse master.. which in this case should only be the 2k3 server.

Here -- I suggest you read up on how computer browsing works!

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

Computer Browsing for SOHO Networks with Microsoft Windows

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

Troubleshooting Computer Browsing on SOHO Networks with Microsoft Windows

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserve...3.mspx?mfr=true

How Computer Browser Service Works

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188001

Description of the Microsoft Computer Browser Service

If this reg key is set

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters]

"MaintainServerList"="NO"

The the service would start an then stop right away.. Also after sp2, if the firewall is not set to allow file an print sharing - the computer browser service will also be shutdown.

"To prevent confusing browsing behavior when Windows Firewall is enabled, the Computer Browser service is not started unless the File and Printer Sharing exception for Windows Firewall has been enabled. You can enable the File and Printer Sharing exception from the Exceptions tab of the Windows Firewall Control Panel applet. When enabled, Windows Firewall allows incoming computer browsing messages so that a computer running Windows XP with SP2 can act as a Master Browse Server for a workgroup."

I do believe there was/is an issue with the service stopping when the firewall has be disabled.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...KB;EN-US;889320

When you disable the Windows Firewall service on your Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer, the Computer Browser service stops after five minutes and Event ID 7023 is logged in the Event Viewer

I would REALLY suggest you get some basic understanding of how computer browsing works before you attempt to support clients.

The computer browsing service has NOTHING to do with accessing shares or printers, etc. It has to do with BROWSING to machines. An the only machines that need this service running are machines that will maintain this browse list..

Nor does the computer browser having anything to do with accessing shares! Its only for the "browse function" - it really has nothing to do with accessing \\someservername

The service is not running on any of our client machines, since we do not want client machines to be able to maintain the browse list.. You can have issues when you boot a machine off the network, it does not find any browsemasters an therefore thinks it should be one. An then comes online an registers itself with wins that its the browsemaster!

You can also have issues with way to many elections going on, etc.. when machines go on an off the network.

I would suggest you disable the service on your client machines - an let your server maintain the browse list. Or setup some real name resolution vs browse lists and broadcasting. How about DNS or even wins? Since you have XP home in this setup - its clear your 2k3 server is in workgroup mode vs AD. But you could still have it run wins - which would allow for more robust netbios name resolution, etc.

[toadeater]

  BudMan said:

I do believe there was/is an issue with the service stopping when the firewall has be disabled.

I found out about that bug today. Unfortunately, it was before I read your reply, which would have saved me some time.

  Quote

The computer browsing service has NOTHING to do with accessing shares or printers, etc. It has to do with BROWSING to machines. An the only machines that need this service running are machines that will maintain this browse list..

I know that! They moved the printer to a different PC, and they needed to share it again. Shared printers will NOT show up in the add printer wizard unless the service is running. Whether on one PC in the workgroup or all of them, I don't know, but with computer browser on by default in Windows, it's not normally a problem.

  Quote

I would suggest you disable the service on your client machines - an let your server maintain the browse list.

Or setup some real name resolution vs browse lists and broadcasting. How about DNS or even wins? Since you have XP home in this setup - its clear your 2k3 server is in workgroup mode vs AD.

I just built the server recently and set it up as a domain controller. The workgroup was already in place before I added the server, so that's why it wasn't set up as a domain originally. I plan to add them to the domain and use WINS as soon as I finish upgrading and reformatting their PCs. XP Home is being replaced with XP Pro.

Thanks for your help.

[+BudMan MVC]

Your more than welcome - any time!

  toadeater said:

Shared printers will NOT show up in the add printer wizard unless the service is running. Whether on one PC in the workgroup or all of them, I don't know, but with computer browser on by default in Windows, it's not normally a problem.

It only needs to be running on "1" of them in the workgroup or domain.. ie the browsemaster. An that would be because the wizard is "browsing" for them ;)

You could also have issues with that when you move a printer, if the browse list has not been updated yet, etc.. Browsing is not a very reliable way of accessing anything off your network. Here lets quote MS on their own browse service ;) From the first doc I linked to.

  Limitations of Computer Browsing said:

The communication that the Computer Browser service uses has the following characteristics:

• Periodic

Messages sent to maintain the browse list are sent periodically, typically every 12 or 15 minutes.

• Unreliable

Messages typically exchanged are sent as single messages, without first establishing a connection or session for communication.

• Unsynchronized

The browse list that is stored on multiple browse servers in a workgroup can become unsynchronized. Therefore, a browse client that uses one browse server can display a different set of computers and workgroups than a browse client that uses another browse server.

the Computer Browsing service (used for collecting, distributing, and servicing browse list requests) operates independently from the Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks components (used for viewing shared resources and making file and printer sharing connections).

But you could just as easy -- actually even faster just go \\computername -- click on the printer you want to access, and it will be added to your machines printer list. An this has nothing to do with any browse service.

How many clicks does it take to use the wizard to access a simple printer???

Does something that is described as Periodic, Unreliable and Unsynchronized by the people that put it together sound like something you should depend on for accessing resources on your network? ;)

I never really understood this fascination with "browing" When would you not know the computer name of share your trying to access?? Especially in a small home/workgroup type setup? Is it not easier to just go to that computername vs having to "browse" for it on some list - that it may or may not even be on ;)

[Bgnn32]

People actually browse, that is completely pointless, type \\computername and your done.

[toadeater]

  BudMan said:

I never really understood this fascination with "browing" When would you not know the computer name of share your trying to access??

They've always used the add printer wizard in the past. When you add a printer to XP Home, it usually gets shared automatically. It suddenly stopped working, so they had no idea what was wrong with the printer. They called me up and said it was "broken", not that they couldn't figure out how to share it after they moved it.

I told them to stop moving stuff around without me, now they just call me if something needs to be done.

[Bgnn32]

  toadeater said:

They've always used the add printer wizard in the past. When you add a printer to XP Home, it usually gets shared automatically. It suddenly stopped working, so they had no idea what was wrong with the printer. They called me up and said it was "broken", not that they couldn't figure out how to share it after they moved it.

I told them to stop moving stuff around without me, now they just call me if something needs to be done.

And what does that have to do with the post you quoted?