Major WinXP Sharing Issue / Annoyance

[maxamoto]

Im having some major problems with Windows XP file sharing over my LAN.

I have numerous folders shared out from 1 pc and when I goto browse them from another xp pc, there are a number of random sub-folders that i can either dont show up or cannot view the contents of.

Its extremely annoying and I just cant figure out what the hell is going on.  Ive double checked security and share permissions on both pc's, tried re-created the share, rebooting and dont see any reason as to why this is occuring.

The really strange thing is, I can type the full path to one of these hidden folders and it will show the contents...

Any suggestions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Turn off offline files and folders

[maxamoto]

Well, for anyone who cares... I figured out a workaround for this, but still not sure as to whats causing it.

After a bunch of troubleshooting I realized that if I accessed my shares using my IP address instead of the hostname, I could see all of the folders without issue.  I then added the IP and hostname of the PC which has the shares setup to the hosts file of the PC which i was trying to access the shares from and BLAM I was able to browse all folders without issue.

Id still love to find out why the hell I need to do this in order to see all shares over the network... I really dont think Ive ever had this issue before....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had a similar problem. I installed simple simple tcp/ip services and seem to solve my problem.

control panel>add/remove programs>add/remove windows components . under networking

Hope that helps.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Simple TCP/IP services don't have anything to do with file sharing, rathar it is a collection of tools, albiet outdated, designed to help admin connectivity. And, even with the computer browser service disabled you will still be able to map drives from the command line; you just won't see any other computers in Network Neighborhood. Here are some commands you can try to ensure both PC's are on the same page, so to speak, assuming that you have everything else set up correctly (Subnet, workgroup name, user/pass, etc):

Try nbtstat -R, and nbtstat -RR (make sure the R's are caps). This will sort out the name-to-IP mappings your computers will have (much like DNS) for the WINS service. Let me give you a quick example of why this is important:

You have a network with 2 computers, BOXA and BOXB. BOXA comes online and gets an IP via DHCP of 192.168.0.10. BOXB then comes online and gets assigned 192.168.0.11. Transparently, both machines go through a browser election to see which one is going to maintain a list of computer names and what their current IPs are. BOXB wins the election and now has 2 mappings in its table. BOXA->192.168.0.10 and BOXB->192.168.0.11. Now, let us suppose that BOXA gets rebooted, and the DHCP server decided to assign it 192.168.0.12 (unlikely, since BOXA should have sent a DHCP_RELEASE right before going down, but with all the cheap hardware out there I have encountered more than one router/DHCP server device that ignored the DHCP_RELEASE and kept the IP in it's assigned tables, so it thinks that there is already a client on the network with that IP). Another browser election occurs and now BOXB has 2 IP mappings for BOXA, each one different. This can definitely cause issues when trying to browse remote shares, for obvious reasons. BOXA should tombstone the record on BOXB, but this doesn't always happen. For this reason, I always try and use static IPs on small networks and map drives using IP addys. Of course, this becomes impractical after about 5 machines, and you're forced to spend a lot more time maintaining the junk, but that is a story for another day...

[JuMz]

Im having some major problems with Windows XP file sharing over my LAN.

I have numerous folders shared out from 1 pc and when I goto browse them from another xp pc, there are a number of random sub-folders that i can either dont show up or cannot view the contents of.

Its extremely annoying and I just cant figure out what the hell is going on.  Ive double checked security and share permissions on both pc's, tried re-created the share, rebooting and dont see any reason as to why this is occuring.

The really strange thing is, I can type the full path to one of these hidden folders and it will show the contents...

Any suggestions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Turn off offline files and folders

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

how do you disable offline files / folders?

[maxamoto]

how do you disable offline files / folders?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check Here

[RumaNoV]

Just to let you guys know: I reformatted the host pc and the problem is gone 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

now did you reformat the pc which you were hosting the files from or the pc you were trying to access the files from?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I formatted the pc where i was hosting the files from

[JuMz]

how do you disable offline files / folders?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check Here

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But i already have that disabled, i am using fast-switching mode and there, do not have it enabled.

I still have the problem, i guess i will just have to do it the hosts file way.

[durex]

You have a network with 2 computers, BOXA and BOXB. BOXA comes online and gets an IP via DHCP of 192.168.0.10. BOXB then comes online and gets assigned 192.168.0.11. Transparently, both machines go through a browser election to see which one is going to maintain a list of computer names and what their current IPs are. BOXB wins the election and now has 2 mappings in its table. BOXA->192.168.0.10 and BOXB->192.168.0.11. Now, let us suppose that BOXA gets rebooted, and the DHCP server decided to assign it 192.168.0.12 (unlikely, since BOXA should have sent a DHCP_RELEASE right before going down, but with all the cheap hardware out there I have encountered more than one router/DHCP server device that ignored the DHCP_RELEASE and kept the IP in it's assigned tables, so it thinks that there is already a client on the network with that IP). Another browser election occurs and now BOXB has 2 IP mappings for BOXA, each one different. This can definitely cause issues when trying to browse remote shares, for obvious reasons. BOXA should tombstone the record on BOXB, but this doesn't always happen. For this reason, I always try and use static IPs on small networks and map drives using IP addys. Of course, this becomes impractical after about 5 machines, and you're forced to spend a lot more time maintaining the junk, but that is a story for another day...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The PC which is sharing the files has a static IP so this wouldnt apply to my configuration. and I have offline files disabled.

I honestly figured this to be a problem with the pc's accessing the files, not the host, but assuming RumaNoV's results actually fixed the problem and not simply coincedental, then perhaps the issue resides in the host pc after all.

Im going to try to get around to reformatting my host pc within the next couple days with an un-modified windows install cd... which is not what was used to install the version thats on it now. ill post back results as soon as I do.

btw.. a big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. i thought i was the only one having this issue and figured i wouldnt recieve much assistance as its such a completely random and strange problem. you guys rock for sifting through 7 pages of ranting to try to help figure out someone elses problem.

[Cartoonite]

I honestly figured this to be a problem with the pc's accessing the files, not the host, but assuming RumaNoV's results actually fixed the problem and not simply coincedental, then perhaps the issue resides in the host pc after all.

That was the impression I got too, since I seem to recall someone saying that the files showed up properly from one of the machines that they had set up on their network. I could be mistaken though, and I've already sifted through this entire thread several times so I don't feel like doing it again.

Im going to try to get around to reformatting my host pc within the next couple days with an un-modified windows install cd... which is not what was used to install the version thats on it now.  ill post back results as soon as I do.

Please do. I am really curious to know if that is an actual solution or just a coincidence.

btw.. a big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.  i thought i was the only one having this issue and figured i wouldnt recieve much assistance as its such a completely random and strange problem.  you guys rock for sifting through 7 pages of ranting to try to help figure out someone elses problem.

Help you? Man, I just do it for the post count.

[spiritpyre]

I was having a real pain in the a** with shares on my network too. The problems I was having were very similar at worst and to the letter at best. Anyway I FINALLY managed to nail down something that worked.

network:

2 pcs (xp home sp2 both) + 1 laptop (xp home sp1... at the moment)

all connected thru a linksys router

problem beforehand:

When I tried accessing shares they wouldn't show up and I couldn't access them manually (yes everything was configured correctly/double-, triple-checked/same workgroup/straight-thru cables etc.) using ip or mapping drives. Sometimes (from one pc or another) I wouldn't even see the other computers listed.

Like this: network_problem.jpg

As I knew I had gone over everything and they weren't even showing up.. even used cmd to ping and that checked out ok.. anyway it was really starting to p*** me off. But I noticed for some reason or another that they COULD see each other if I connected 2 to each other via crossover AND the mapped shares STUCK.

so I used InstallRite & figured out what reg entries needed to be entered and since then this has worked on all three of my computers flawlessly. Don't know if it would work for you and sorry if it doesn't help. But nobody has suggested it that I can see and its worth posting if it helps even one person out so here's the "template" of the reg file I been using:Add_Network_Drives_generic_template.txt

Edited June 26, 2005 by spiritpyre

[Pat57]

Had the same issue browsing folders from one XP pro to another XP pro, some subfolders or files could not be opened.

Had to live with this for the last 3 month and used to copy manually files accross the machines.

Just uninstalled security update kb885250 as per http://www.gadgetopia.com/2005/02/16/Windo...teKB885250.html

and guess what issue is gone, can access all files.

Hope it helps.

[JuMz]

I have found a solution that seems to work for me. In MY case, it is the host PC that has the problem. Here is what I did. I simlpy went to the root of my HD in my computer (C:\) . Then I selected all the FOLDERS (not files) and right clicked and went properties, then clicked on the sharing and security tab. A Pop warning comes up about RESETTING all the permissions again and i clicked yes. Then i simply just closed and exited out of the properties window.

Now, when another PC maps into my PC (with proper permissions etc etc), they see all the files they couldn't see before!! woo HOo!!

[suryad]

My problem is when I try to access the files from another comp...I see the files....but then explorer gives a fatal error and it crashes. I think the workaround i got it to disable autoend tasks in the registry and that way though there would be an error window still present, I can actually get back the normal functionality of what I wanted to do.

[bilemke]

Pat57 added a interesting note with teh hotfix giving problems.. I only recently started to notice that one (not arround 9x machines much)...

Anyway, a good read in regards to that particulair hotfix giving people trouble and a possible helper to some problems people are having in this thread.. See http://castlecops.com/p566526-Cannot_Unabl...le_Sharing.html

Forum keeps screwing that address up.. so..

http://castlecops.com/p566526-Cannot_Unable_to_view_folders_files_XP_File_Sharing.html

Further, reference to a possibility of Microsoft having re-released that hotfix to fix some problems here. Which, contains a note in regards to knowledge base article 895900. This mentions a hot fix available to fix the problems accessing 9x based file shares from 2k/xp machines with the hotfix mentioned above. Hotfix, so, you are supposed to contact MS to get it. The file versions of the files in both the original (problematic) hotfix and the new one are different. Hotfix 895900 is supposed to contain newer file versions.

Another edit.. RyanVM already has this in his update pack (here I was about to e-mail/pester Microsoft to ask them to send me a download link).. See info on his site here and download from his site or Softpedia.

Edited June 28, 2005 by bilemke

[Pat57]

I have a friend who also had the problem and called him yesterday eveninig.

He just uninstalled the hotfix and it is working now, all folders and files are accessible again.

[earthsfate]

I installed my XP with RyanVM's hotfixes and i still have the same problem.

So did kb895900 replace kb885250? Am i suppose to uninstall kb895900 now?

Edited June 28, 2005 by earthsfate