I asked a question about repairing my network in this newsgroup a few days
ago and got no response so I'm going to ask it a little differently and see
if anyone can help.

Up until about two weeks ago I had a working network of three
computers running WinXP and two running 32-bit Vista. I could get on any of
the XP computers and access files in shared folders on the Vista machines.
I could go to any of the computers and click on "Network" and see all five
computers. I didn't use the network every day but it was there when I
wanted it. Yesterday, I was on one of the XP machines and wanted to open an
Excel file that was in a folder on a Vista machine and I couldn't access the
network. This is a file that I'd opened on that machine many times in the
past. I looked on the Vista machine and the file was there but I couldn't
see any other computers on the network. Nothing was working like it had
been the last time I looked. I hadn't changed a thing--no new software or
hardware! Nothing!

After changing some firewall settings and adding some protocols on the XP
machines I can get them to see each other and access files among them. I
can get the two Vista machines to see each other and swap files between
them. However, I can't get any connection between the Vista
machines and the XP machines. They're in the same workgroup but it's like
they don't know the other part of the group exists.

All five computers can access the web through the router and DSL modem so I
don't think it's a hardware problem.

As I said, I made no hardware or software changes to any of the computers in
the workgroup between the time the network worked and the time it didn't.
No changes to firewall settings, no changes to workgroup name. I'm running
the same firewall and same anti-virus as before.



As far as I know the only things that's happened to the computers are that
the anti-virus program updated it's signatures and the computers downloaded
and installed the Microsoft updates that came out. Is it possible that
Windows update installed something that changed enough settings to bung up
the network? I've thought about using system restore to go back before any
updates to see if that returns everything back to where it was. However,
I'm reluctant to do that since I haven't had the greatest experiences with
system restore in the past. Every time I've used it I've had something
break and I've ended up having to reinstall and reconfigure things.

Anyhow, does anyone have any suggestions? TIA

Gary

It seems unlikely that a Windows update impacted all your XP and Vista PCs
this way, but you could open System Restore and look at history on each
computer without actually running a restore. Is there any common event
around the time the problem started?

What protocols and firewall settings did you change on the XP machines?

What happens if you try to ping a problem Vista from XP and XP from Vista
machine?

Open an (elevated in Vista) command prompt. What happens if you run start
\\NETNAME between the problem PCs? What happens if you try to map a share
with a net use command (exactly what message do you see)?

Have you tried rebooting your router?
--

"Gary" <gary@newsgroup-1-roof.com> wrote in message
news:O9artgRPKHA.1372@newsgroup

>I asked a question about repairing my network in this newsgroup a few days
>ago and got no response so I'm going to ask it a little differently and see
>if anyone can help.
>
> Up until about two weeks ago I had a working network of three
> computers running WinXP and two running 32-bit Vista. I could get on any
> of
> the XP computers and access files in shared folders on the Vista machines.
> I could go to any of the computers and click on "Network" and see all five
> computers. I didn't use the network every day but it was there when I
> wanted it. Yesterday, I was on one of the XP machines and wanted to open
> an
> Excel file that was in a folder on a Vista machine and I couldn't access
> the
> network. This is a file that I'd opened on that machine many times in the
> past. I looked on the Vista machine and the file was there but I couldn't
> see any other computers on the network. Nothing was working like it had
> been the last time I looked. I hadn't changed a thing--no new software or
> hardware! Nothing!
>
> After changing some firewall settings and adding some protocols on the XP
> machines I can get them to see each other and access files among them. I

"> can get the two Vista machines to see each other and swap files between

> them. However, I can't get any connection between the Vista
> machines and the XP machines. They're in the same workgroup but it's like
> they don't know the other part of the group exists.
>
> All five computers can access the web through the router and DSL modem so
> I
> don't think it's a hardware problem.
>
> As I said, I made no hardware or software changes to any of the computers
> in the workgroup between the time the network worked and the time it
> didn't. No changes to firewall settings, no changes to workgroup name.
> I'm running the same firewall and same anti-virus as before.
>
> As far as I know the only things that's happened to the computers are that
> the anti-virus program updated it's signatures and the computers
> downloaded and installed the Microsoft updates that came out. Is it
> possible that Windows update installed something that changed enough
> settings to bung up the network? I've thought about using system restore
> to go back before any updates to see if that returns everything back to
> where it was. However, I'm reluctant to do that since I haven't had the
> greatest experiences with system restore in the past. Every time I've
> used it I've had something break and I've ended up having to reinstall and
> reconfigure things.
>
> Anyhow, does anyone have any suggestions? TIA
>
> Gary

Hi! Thanks for the reply! The problem that I have is that I don't know for
sure when the issue started. I said two weeks, but in all honesty it may
have been even longer. As I said, it's not that I work on anything on the
network with any regularity. Most of my files are on a Vista machine and
that's usually where I'm working on them. It's just that once in awhile
I'll be on one of the other machines and want to work on an Excel file or
Word document that's on the main Vista machine (in a shared folder). A
little while ago I could do that with no problem and now I can't

I checked system restore on all the machines and don't see anything unusual
over the past few months. About the only thing that's happened is Windows
update sent service packs to every machine

Anyhow, I added a MS TCP/IP Version 6 protocol to the XP machines and
checked the firewalls to make sure they were allowing my LAN IP addresses.
I tried to load the LLTD Responder to the XP machines but I got the message
that my service packs were newer than the file that I was trying to load so
it wouldn't let me load it.

The router has been rebooted, along with the DSL modem, even though I know
the modem shouldn't have anything to do with it.

Now we're getting in uncharted waters with me! In other words, I know just
enough to screw things up! However, I can ping the XP machines from the
Vista machines and get a reply and the other way, too.

As I said, the XP machines all see each other and allow sharing, and I can
open files on one Vista machine from the other.

Thanks, again, for the reply!

Gary

"GTS" <x@newsgroup> wrote in message
news:%23LOd5PSPKHA.1512@newsgroup

> It seems unlikely that a Windows update impacted all your XP and Vista
> PCs this way, but you could open System Restore and look at history on
> each computer without actually running a restore. Is there any common
> event around the time the problem started?
>
> What protocols and firewall settings did you change on the XP machines?
>
> What happens if you try to ping a problem Vista from XP and XP from Vista
> machine?
>
> Open an (elevated in Vista) command prompt. What happens if you run
> start \\NETNAME between the problem PCs? What happens if you try to map a
> share with a net use command (exactly what message do you see)?
>
> Have you tried rebooting your router?
> --
>
> "Gary" <gary@newsgroup-1-roof.com> wrote in message
> news:O9artgRPKHA.1372@newsgroup

>>I asked a question about repairing my network in this newsgroup a few days
>>ago and got no response so I'm going to ask it a little differently and
>>see if anyone can help.
>>
>> Up until about two weeks ago I had a working network of three
>> computers running WinXP and two running 32-bit Vista. I could get on any
>> of
>> the XP computers and access files in shared folders on the Vista
>> machines.
>> I could go to any of the computers and click on "Network" and see all
>> five
>> computers. I didn't use the network every day but it was there when I
>> wanted it. Yesterday, I was on one of the XP machines and wanted to open
>> an
>> Excel file that was in a folder on a Vista machine and I couldn't access
>> the
>> network. This is a file that I'd opened on that machine many times in
>> the past. I looked on the Vista machine and the file was there but I
>> couldn't see any other computers on the network. Nothing was working
>> like it had been the last time I looked. I hadn't changed a thing--no
>> new software or hardware! Nothing!
>>
>> After changing some firewall settings and adding some protocols on the XP
>> machines I can get them to see each other and access files among them. I

> "> can get the two Vista machines to see each other and swap files between

>> them. However, I can't get any connection between the Vista
>> machines and the XP machines. They're in the same workgroup but it's
>> like
>> they don't know the other part of the group exists.
>>
>> All five computers can access the web through the router and DSL modem
>> so I
>> don't think it's a hardware problem.
>>
>> As I said, I made no hardware or software changes to any of the computers
>> in the workgroup between the time the network worked and the time it
>> didn't. No changes to firewall settings, no changes to workgroup name.
>> I'm running the same firewall and same anti-virus as before.
>>
>> As far as I know the only things that's happened to the computers are
>> that the anti-virus program updated it's signatures and the computers
>> downloaded and installed the Microsoft updates that came out. Is it
>> possible that Windows update installed something that changed enough
>> settings to bung up the network? I've thought about using system restore
>> to go back before any updates to see if that returns everything back to
>> where it was. However, I'm reluctant to do that since I haven't had the
>> greatest experiences with system restore in the past. Every time I've
>> used it I've had something break and I've ended up having to reinstall
>> and reconfigure things.
>>
>> Anyhow, does anyone have any suggestions? TIA
>>
>> Gary

>

Okay! I give up! All of a sudden things are almost back to the way they
used to be. When I'm on an XP machine I can open files that are in folders
on a Vista machine and I print from a XP machine using the printer attached
to a Vista machine. I could do those things before and then five days ago
it stopped working. It didn't work last evening but now it's working,
again. Gremlins live in these machines!

Anyhow, thanks for the help and wish me luck.

Gary

"Gary" <gary@newsgroup-1-roof.com> wrote in message
news:%23faJlNYPKHA.764@newsgroup

> Hi! Thanks for the reply! The problem that I have is that I don't know
> for sure when the issue started. I said two weeks, but in all honesty it
> may have been even longer. As I said, it's not that I work on anything on
> the network with any regularity. Most of my files are on a Vista machine
> and that's usually where I'm working on them. It's just that once in
> awhile I'll be on one of the other machines and want to work on an Excel
> file or Word document that's on the main Vista machine (in a shared
> folder). A little while ago I could do that with no problem and now I
> can't
>
> I checked system restore on all the machines and don't see anything
> unusual over the past few months. About the only thing that's happened is
> Windows update sent service packs to every machine
>
> Anyhow, I added a MS TCP/IP Version 6 protocol to the XP machines and
> checked the firewalls to make sure they were allowing my LAN IP addresses.
> I tried to load the LLTD Responder to the XP machines but I got the
> message that my service packs were newer than the file that I was trying
> to load so it wouldn't let me load it.
>
> The router has been rebooted, along with the DSL modem, even though I know
> the modem shouldn't have anything to do with it.
>
> Now we're getting in uncharted waters with me! In other words, I know
> just enough to screw things up! However, I can ping the XP machines from
> the Vista machines and get a reply and the other way, too.
>
> As I said, the XP machines all see each other and allow sharing, and I can
> open files on one Vista machine from the other.
>
> Thanks, again, for the reply!
>
> Gary
>
> "GTS" <x@newsgroup> wrote in message
> news:%23LOd5PSPKHA.1512@newsgroup

>> It seems unlikely that a Windows update impacted all your XP and Vista
>> PCs this way, but you could open System Restore and look at history on
>> each computer without actually running a restore. Is there any common
>> event around the time the problem started?
>>
>> What protocols and firewall settings did you change on the XP machines?
>>
>> What happens if you try to ping a problem Vista from XP and XP from
>> Vista machine?
>>
>> Open an (elevated in Vista) command prompt. What happens if you run
>> start \\NETNAME between the problem PCs? What happens if you try to map
>> a share with a net use command (exactly what message do you see)?
>>
>> Have you tried rebooting your router?
>> --
>>
>> "Gary" <gary@newsgroup-1-roof.com> wrote in message
>> news:O9artgRPKHA.1372@newsgroup

>>>I asked a question about repairing my network in this newsgroup a few
>>>days ago and got no response so I'm going to ask it a little differently
>>>and see if anyone can help.
>>>
>>> Up until about two weeks ago I had a working network of three
>>> computers running WinXP and two running 32-bit Vista. I could get on
>>> any of
>>> the XP computers and access files in shared folders on the Vista
>>> machines.
>>> I could go to any of the computers and click on "Network" and see all
>>> five
>>> computers. I didn't use the network every day but it was there when I
>>> wanted it. Yesterday, I was on one of the XP machines and wanted to
>>> open an
>>> Excel file that was in a folder on a Vista machine and I couldn't access
>>> the
>>> network. This is a file that I'd opened on that machine many times in
>>> the past. I looked on the Vista machine and the file was there but I
>>> couldn't see any other computers on the network. Nothing was working
>>> like it had been the last time I looked. I hadn't changed a thing--no
>>> new software or hardware! Nothing!
>>>
>>> After changing some firewall settings and adding some protocols on the
>>> XP
>>> machines I can get them to see each other and access files among them.
>>> I

>> "> can get the two Vista machines to see each other and swap files
>> between

>>> them. However, I can't get any connection between the Vista
>>> machines and the XP machines. They're in the same workgroup but it's
>>> like
>>> they don't know the other part of the group exists.
>>>
>>> All five computers can access the web through the router and DSL modem
>>> so I
>>> don't think it's a hardware problem.
>>>
>>> As I said, I made no hardware or software changes to any of the
>>> computers in the workgroup between the time the network worked and the
>>> time it didn't. No changes to firewall settings, no changes to workgroup
>>> name. I'm running the same firewall and same anti-virus as before.
>>>
>>> As far as I know the only things that's happened to the computers are
>>> that the anti-virus program updated it's signatures and the computers
>>> downloaded and installed the Microsoft updates that came out. Is it
>>> possible that Windows update installed something that changed enough
>>> settings to bung up the network? I've thought about using system
>>> restore to go back before any updates to see if that returns everything
>>> back to where it was. However, I'm reluctant to do that since I haven't
>>> had the greatest experiences with system restore in the past. Every
>>> time I've used it I've had something break and I've ended up having to
>>> reinstall and reconfigure things.
>>>
>>> Anyhow, does anyone have any suggestions? TIA
>>>
>>> Gary

>>

>

You're welcome and Good Luck!
--

"Gary" <gary@newsgroup-1-roof.com> wrote in message
news:OM2hIGfPKHA.2092@newsgroup

> Okay! I give up! All of a sudden things are almost back to the way they
> used to be. When I'm on an XP machine I can open files that are in
> folders on a Vista machine and I print from a XP machine using the printer
> attached to a Vista machine. I could do those things before and then five
> days ago it stopped working. It didn't work last evening but now it's
> working, again. Gremlins live in these machines!
>
> Anyhow, thanks for the help and wish me luck.
>
> Gary
>