cannot access 'Workgroup'

Hi everyone
since some time I cannot access Workgroup in windows explorer under Network - ... - Windows Network - Workgroup
nor can I see any computers in Network Neighbourhood

BUT: I can search (and find) all computers in the network, see all shares, files, everything just fine. I am using a workaround by pulling shortcuts to Network, and I can access everything through these shortcuts.
Problem is that on some programs, when I need to connect to a file, I cannot see these shortcuts.

Network setup: DSL - Router (Netgear RP614v2) - some PCs directly, some via switch connected

PCs are some WinXP (no SP2 yet), some Win2000
all show same behaviour.

Ping works from and to all PCs

I have for turned the firewall (zoneAlarm) off , but it didnt help
I have searched in this forum and found the recommendation to turn NETBIOS via TCP/IP on. did this on two PCs, didnt help either.

Where else can I now search?

thank you all for your help
Lembit

 

If you've installed a third party firewall program (Norton, McAfee, PC-cillin, eTrust, ZoneAlarm, etc), make sure that it's configured to allow access on the local area network. Keep in mind that sometimes disabling a personal firewall doesn't always work. It's better to uninstall. Details here.

Personal Firewall Interferes with Windows Networking
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/personal_firewall_prob.htm

Remove All Firewall Programs While Troubleshooting
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/removefirewall.htm

Try testing the network and see if you can access the other computer and shared resources this way. Click Start, Run, and in the Open box type one of the following commands and press ENTER.

\\computer_name

\\ip-address

 

Thank you very much.
that is new for me and i will try it out tomorrow morning to uninstall ZoneAlarm.
also the other info I will try out and post the results.

the run \\computer_name and \\IP_address works perfectly, same as the search in Windows explorer.
so the network itself works fine

I was even thinking whether it might be some explorer setting, but that doesnt seem logical since when I click on Workgroup in the explorer it tells me I have no right to access it

 

This does sound like a firewall issue. If you click on Workgroup and Explorer tells you have no right to access it I would look at your firewall first.

 

Thank you very much.
that is new for me and i will try it out tomorrow morning to uninstall ZoneAlarm.
also the other info I will try out and post the results.

the run \\computer_name and \\IP_address works perfectly, same as the search in Windows explorer.
so the network itself works fine

I was even thinking whether it might be some explorer setting, but that doesnt seem logical since when I click on Workgroup in the explorer it tells me I have no right to access it

 

first of all I'm sorry that the last reply shows up twice. dont know how that happened or what I did wrong. will be more careful.

I have uninstalled ZoneAlarm, rebooted and it still doesnt allow me to access Workgroup.

In windows explorer I should see under Network (when I open that node) two items:
total network (sorry, dont know the exact English name, translating from German) and
Network neighborhood.

none of these is there. all I can see are the shortcuts which I placed there.

 

Please start with ipconfig information for each computer. Start - Run - "cmd ". Type "ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt" into the command window - Open c:\ipconfig.txt in notepad, copy and paste into your next post. Identify operating system by name with each ipconfig listing.

 

Thank you very much for your help
although I dont know what happened, now suddenly it is working again.
(and yes, in the meantime I have reinstalled ZoneAlarm)

funny thing is that I first found it fixed on a PC where I had NOT uninstalled/reinstalled ZoneAlarm. that PC was sitting there all night and when I went there first time this morning I could quite normally access workgroup in explorer. then I worked on this pc and installed office and when I just now returned to the one where I had uninstalled and reinstalled Zonealarm and that works as well (I know for sure that it gave me this error cannot access workgroup this morning after I had uninstalled ZA and rebooted, and even after reinstalling it)

and it is working on the other PCs which I hadnt even touched as well

Maybe after all it has life of its own

and thanks again for helping
Lembit

 

You're welcome. Glad it's working.

 

And Lembit, with so many security known problems in the original release of Windows XP and SP1, it would be risky to connect to the Internet on a un-updated system. There are many known problems as well that have been fixed in SP2. The updates are important so obtain the latest service pack as soon as possible.

 

oh, well, it seems it isnt quite fixed
now the one PC which I found fixed this morning as first one is drawing back.
right now the explorer doesnt show the 'total Network' node under Network any more
however if I do right-click - properties -... I can get to workgroup and access al PCs
drives me crazy...

anyway, I have run ipconfig /all on those PCs which are presently turned on.
here are the results (sorry for the German language, but I think the items are all on the same place as in the English version, so it should be understandable. otherwise i will do a translation):

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

K:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\Soobik>ipconfig /all

Windows-IP-Konfiguration

Hostname. . . . . . . . . . . . . : m2533
Primäres DNS-Suffix . . . . . . . :
Knotentyp . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unbekannt
IP-Routing aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein
WINS-Proxy aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein

Ethernetadapter LAN-Verbindung 2:

Verbindungsspezifisches DNS-Suffix:
Beschreibung. . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com Gigabit LOM (3C940)
Physikalische Adresse . . . . . . : 00-0C-6E-34-6C-C6
DHCP aktiviert. . . . . . . . . . : Ja
Autokonfiguration aktiviert . . . : Ja
IP-Adresse. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.4
Subnetzmaske. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Standardgateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP-Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS-Server. . . . . . . . . . . . : 217.237.151.97
217.237.150.33
Lease erhalten. . . . . . . . . . : Mittwoch, 2. März 2005 13:10:50
Lease läuft ab. . . . . . . . . . : Dienstag, 19. Januar 2038 04:14:07

K:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\Soobik>

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\Soobik>ipconfig /all

Windows-IP-Konfiguration

Hostname. . . . . . . . . . . . . : v1000
Primäres DNS-Suffix . . . . . . . :
Knotentyp . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unbekannt
IP-Routing aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein
WINS-Proxy aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein

Ethernetadapter LAN-Verbindung:

Verbindungsspezifisches DNS-Suffix:
Beschreibung. . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter

Physikalische Adresse . . . . . . : 00-E0-18-3B-AB-BB
DHCP aktiviert. . . . . . . . . . : Ja
Autokonfiguration aktiviert . . . : Ja
IP-Adresse. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.9
Subnetzmaske. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Standardgateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP-Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS-Server. . . . . . . . . . . . : 217.237.151.97
217.237.150.33
Lease erhalten. . . . . . . . . . : Donnerstag, 24. Februar 2005 15:42:0
9
Lease läuft ab. . . . . . . . . . : Dienstag, 19. Januar 2038 04:14:07

C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\Soobik>

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows-IP-Konfiguration

Hostname. . . . . . . . . . . . . : s856
Primäres DNS-Suffix . . . . . . . :
Knotentyp . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unbekannt
IP-Routing aktiviert. . . . . . . : Ja
WINS-Proxy aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein

Ethernetadapter LAN-Verbindung:

Verbindungsspezifisches DNS-Suffix:
Beschreibung. . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI-TX-NIC
(3C905B-TX)
Physikalische Adresse . . . . . . : 00-01-02-F4-B4-2E
DHCP aktiviert. . . . . . . . . . : Ja
Autokonfiguration aktiviert . . . : Ja
IP-Adresse. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.8
Subnetzmaske. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Standardgateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP-Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS-Server. . . . . . . . . . . . : 217.237.151.97
217.237.150.33
Lease erhalten. . . . . . . . . . : Montag, 28. Februar 2005 19:59:49
Lease läuft ab. . . . . . . . . . : Dienstag, 19. Januar 2038 04:14:07

C:\>

Windows 2000-IP-Konfiguration
Hostname. . . . . . . . . . . . . : e908
Prim„res DNS-Suffix . . . . . . . :
Knotentyp . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcastadapter
IP-Routing aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein
WINS-Proxy aktiviert. . . . . . . : Nein

Ethernetadapter "LAN-Verbindung ":
Verbindungsspezifisches DNS-Suffix:
Beschreibung. . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI-TX-NIC (3C905B-TX)
Physikalische Adresse . . . . . . : 00-01-02-E2-2F-61
DHCP-aktiviert. . . . . . . . . . : Ja
Autokonfiguration aktiviert . . . : Ja
IP-Adresse. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.5
Subnetzmaske. . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Standardgateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP-Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS-Server. . . . . . . . . . . . : 217.237.151.97
217.237.150.33
Lease erhalten. . . . . . . . . . : Mittwoch, 2. M„rz 2005 15:06:28
Lease l„uft ab. . . . . . . . . . : Dienstag, 19. Januar 2038 04:14:07

 

I have found out that the only problem left is now that I have to click on refresh in the explorer when I want to see the network. Thats not quite standard behaviour, but it is a minor annoyance only. At least I can access the workgroup.
oh, and I have so far converted one PC to WinXP SP2 latest updates and am doing it for the others one by one.

thank you for the help
Lembit