ok, I just went to the new box and in the file explorer i typed in \\oldxp\ and it pulled up all the shared folders...so now i'm really stumped

yah, Client for MS Networks, TCP/IP and File and Print sharing..those are the only ones I need. What makes it so troublesome is that this new XP box is the Chinese version and it actually does seem different.
 
Like I said, I can access the shares on the new box by file explorer typing \\192.XXX.XX.X\ but I can't access it thru Network Neighborhood, none of the other machines are showing up. It can surf the Internet fine too.
 
The other machines can't access the new XP box either via Net. Neigborhood nor thru file explorer, it can ping it though. I had thought maybe it was firewall settings on the new xp box, but nope, it's not.
 
Well...I'm at home today..so I won't be able to fiddle with it till tomorrow.

Below you will find Q articles that deal with the browser service. Are there errors in the Event Log that correspond to "The browser service has failed to retrieve the backup list too many times ..." and such?
 
I would also like to recommend LMHOSTS for Netbios Resolution. You will find it in the %systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc folder. Place static entries for your other machines in it.
 
Still sounds though that you modified the User groups on the XP machine so much so that the DACLs lock out the 98 users browsing to it.
 
(Unfortunately, this deals with DCs but I am including it anyway)
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=257942
Error Message: Unable to Browse the Selected Domain Because the Following Error Occurred...
 
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188305
Troubleshooting the Microsoft Computer Browser Service

This is a fresh install of XP, did not modify much on it, all that was done was added account names of the other box's to it. Guest account is open as well.
 
It has been a while since I messed around with this, so I just basically copied all the settings on my XP box over to the new one. Well...I guess I'll have a busy day ahead of me trying to figure this out..some start for a new year if all else fails, I guess I'll just place win98 on it
 
What's also strange is that it doesn't even show itself in Net.Neigh. No workgroups, nothing is visible. It gives me an error that there are no workgroups.
 
A quick IPCONFIG on both XP machines, the only difference I notice is that with the working XP Box, WINS Proxy is Enabled, but not on the other one, could this be the problem? And if so, how can I enable it? Can't find it anywhere.

Well it seems like I'm gonna have to put 98 on there, there is an accounting program that won't run on XP... :x
 
but still would like to figure it out...
 
anyways, on my XP box, i can see the other XP in Net. Neigh. but when I click on it, it gives me the "...is not accessible. You might no have permission to use this network. Contact administrator..etc..etc... Network path was not found"
 
Strange, cause when the box is off, it doesn't show up, but when on, it shows up.

Well to clarify your WINS Proxy question ...
If you have non-WINS (non MS OS PCs) machines on your subnet and want them to be visible participants, you will want a Proxy Agent to be active within this subnet. On a SOHO network like yours, your netbios resolution would primarily come from broadcasts.
 
Heres the registry key for that
 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters and set the EnableProxy parameter to 1. (NT/2K/XP)
 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
(9X/ME)
 
But for you, it should be set to 0.
 
Strange, XP will always win the browser service elections when on a network with 2000 pro, 98, and so on. It would maintain the copy of the browse list. And as long as you have had proper login credentials, you would retrieve this list .....
 
...BLINKS... 8) Must be something I aint seeing or that you havent said

Quote:Ok, we got a new XP box at work. I hooked it up and the IP is thru DHCP of the IP router. It can ping all the pcs (98 & XP) and even browse the internet, but when I click on network places, nothing shows up. I know it's in the correct workgroup and also same subnet mask, but still nothing. My XP box see's it in the neighborhood browser but says I don't have permissions...i already added the appropriate user accounts to the new XP box.

is there something i'm overlooking?

I had a similar problem.
I have a home network of 3 PCs - Win98, WinMe & WinXp on a Netgear router, connected to Road Runner Cable Modem.
The WinMe hard disk was replaced by Gateway and I have reconnected it to the router. I could browse the internet, but the Entire Network said Unable to Browse the Network. The other PCs showed the WinMe PCs name, but would say don't have permission to see it. The WinMe could ping other PCs, but when other PCs pinged the WinMe, no response.
I tried everything I could think of, then found this site, read posts, tried the nbtstat, still not working. Started typing this post, then noticed the Entire Network now lists all my PCs and are accessable.
I don't know what fixed the problem, but I hope it keeps working.
Your problem sounds similar and I'm interested in how to troubleshoot these symptoms.

This is all going by the assumption that the Netgear router allows broadcast traffic ..... 99.9 % sure it does
 
Windows XP will always be the master browser in your configuration LauraLee. With 98 and ME balancing it out between the two. If the XP box isnt on, the role gets transferred down to the ME box and so on.
 
Announcements to add computers to this browse list come in the increments of 12 minutes. With this in mind ... in can take a MAXIMUM of 36 minutes for all your computers to be listed LauraLee (12 + 12 +12), more realistically, HALF of that is more assummed.
 
Backup Master Browsers only exist for every 32 computers on a physical segment. So for the SOHO user, you can rule out the option that I can "load balance" my browse list.
 
Computer Browser Service is NOT ACCURATE in any way. To allow for lost datagram frames (lost announcements), the master browser does not remove a machine from its list until 3 announcement periods have passed. If the machine is not shut down gracefully or if network connectivity is lost, the machine can remain in the master browser's list for up to 36 minutes. After this time, the master browser removes the servers name.
 
So after all this .... how can I improve my Network Neighborhood browsing??
 
1. Use Universal Naming Conventions ... this would be START / RUN / "\\nameofmyserver" (without the quotes)
 
2. Drive Mappings
 
3. Using BROWSTAT and/or BROWMON to force browser service announcements or to move (tickle) your browse list from one machine to another.
 
4. Use WINS and/or DNS
 
5. Use LMHOSTS and/or HOSTS
 
Questions?? Comments ??? Complaints ???

Quote:
Computer Browser Service is NOT ACCURATE in any way.

Amen brutha, you absolutely drilled this one home. The concept of browsing without a WINS server (or DDNS in newer arrangements) should have never been considered by MS. However, since they are trying to make up for their removal of NetBEUI and its ability to do this so easily, many people are still trying to do it. DS3 said just about everything that needs to be said, and the only other things that I can add would be using the network browsing hack (search the forums for it) which speeds up the resource resolution process when a machine either registers itself on the network or when you attempt to access shares from one PC to another. This hack disables the request for scheduled tasks, which can actually timeout and render the machine effectively "invisible" on the LAN. There's a couple of things to know about about Network Neighborhood that might help you move forward:

1. When a machine comes on the network for the first time, it will try to register with an available WINS server, if there's one configured. Now, this is a smooth process most of the time, and the client machine can register its name, IP, MAC, role of the system, and available resources. This way, when any other system needs this info, the WINS box can forward that info back to the requesting client (much like the DNS system, but with NetBIOS names). Now, without a WINS box (or Samba running on Linux can do the same thing, and it's free) you are *much* more likely to get hiccups as the acting Domain Master Browser isn't as bright as a WINS server is, and doesn't cache things like resources, and in the end actually forwards any info that it doesn't currently have to the client in question. Also, if the Domain Master Browser is in the middle of an election storm it may never respond and you will wind up waiting for that request to time out before you can move on to broadcast-based resolution of your request.

2. When using *any* of the browsing methods, you can encounter time gaps in resource availability. I read one doc on Technet that actually stated it was possible for a machine's record to remain unchanged for up to 55 minutes on a network regardless of its current state. This could mean that you wouldn't see the machine even though it's on, or you would *still* see the machine even though the PSU has been cooled off for the last 30min. or so. While this is a glaring fault with this system, there really hasn't been a pressing need to address it. WINS is much, much better about this behavior (even though MS wants to get rid of it) and the majority of users that are affected by this issue are ones not using a WINS server on their network (which MS will then not officially support). So either way, nobody cares.

If you follow DS3's comments, and maybe take a look at the reghack, or setup some form of WINS server (even a Linux/Samba version, I have been told they are even faster than the MS boxes although I have only used Samba in a client/server capacity with shares) you should be able to improve network performance a bit.

I would have responded sooner, but I have been replacing all MS systems at home with Gentoo Linux, and I am working on slowly migrating some systems at work to the same direction. This has led me to different forums more often as of late. If you have any more questions or comments for me on this reply, PM me if I don't repond here.

Clutch brought up an excellent point that I did not include about disabling the search for scheduled tasks. Gracias dood.
 
Heres a link to show you WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE AND HOW
 
http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=20450

Clutch - have any good sources for setting up a WINS server on window sor linux.

Mr. Guvernment, I think by definition a WINS server can only be WIN32-based.

hehe
 
 
DUH ME!..lol
 
hence the W?