PC not showing in browse list

[tookawhile]

Running WindowsSrv2k + SP4.

Recently 1 PC on the network has stopped appearing in the browse list, it is running XP+SP2. You can ping the PC and DNS seems Ok. The user has rebooted and it still does not appear. All other PCs on the network are fine. I have taken it out of the domain, rebooted and then rejoined it to the domain again all of which goes as aspected. The user can access all our usual network resources - what could be causing this?

 

[porkchopexpress]

You can use the NetBIOS console to try to find machines missing from the browse list.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818092

You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

 

[tookawhile]

I downloaded browcon from MS, ran the installer and it request that .NET be installed, I followed the given link, installed .NET, when I run the installer again it still asks for .NET to be installed!

 

[porkchopexpress]

Did you install Microsoft .NET Framework Version 1.1, i'm not certain that a reboot is required but it might be.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e3-f589-4842-8157-034d1e7cf3a3&displaylang=en

You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

 

[ADB100]

Has NetBIOS over TCP/IP been disabled on the PC? If it has it won't appear in the browse list. By default XP clients use the enable/disable NetBIOS option received from the DHCP Server but this can be manually overridden by changing the settings in Network Connections, TCP/IP, Advanced, WINS for the NIC.

On the workstation if you open a command prompt and type:

nbtstat -n

Does it list some local NetBIOS names, or does it say 'No names in cache'?

HTH

Andy

 

[tookawhile]

I installed the lastest .NET, using the above link for v1.1 and it solved the installer problem so thanks for that.

I get a whole laod of problem, much like the previosu tools I used, browmon and domon reported, it more or less find nothing!

NETBIOS over TCP/IP is set to the default, the same as the other PCs on the network.

nbstat does not appear to be installed at moment.

I'm confused over the WINS/DNS thing, we have no Pre-Win2k PCs on the network so do I have to have WINS running on the server? There seems to be pros and cons. Browsing has be flakey generally for awhile on our network - about 50 clients.

I've used browmon and dommon, browmon often reports that no master browser etc are available, but if I run it again after a reboot it always work, seems to go flakey after it has been running for awhile. When the browmon reports a problem dommon also says it cannot connect to the PDC, but just like bowmon, it always works for awhile after a reboot.

 

[porkchopexpress]

Are they all on the same subnet?

In theory the PDCe should end up the master browser i'd be tempted to use group policy to stop the computer browser service on your workstations. This should force the master roll onto the PDCe and a new list will be created.

I've seen this before when the PDCe is down and another box takes over, when the PDCe returned the role wasn't correctly transfered concequently both boxes seemed to end up doing half the job. Very odd.

You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

 

[porkchopexpress]

What does the NetBIOS console say when you ask it to find your missing box?

You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

 

[tookawhile]

All PCs on the same subnet.

Using brownmon, our main server is listed as the master browser in the browser info windows, state is online, but under the headings 'servers' and 'domains' there is nothing listed when it goes flakey - is this normal?

Sometimes, another server is listed under the browser info window, the icon indicates that this is a backup browser, when this is listed it lists all our PCs.

So browsmon is like this sometimes when browsing fails:

BROWSER STATE TYPE SERVERS DOMAIN

\\myserver online Windows NT5 0 0


SERVERS ON \\myserver DOMAINS ON \\myserver

nothing listed nothing listed


or like this - but browsing may work.

BROWSER STATE TYPE SERVERS DOMAIN

\\myserver online Windows NT5 0 0
\\myserver2 online Windows NT5 23 3

SERVERS ON \\myserver DOMAINS ON \\myserver

here is list the NETBIOS names here is list our domain & 2 workgroups


and after reboot of PC running browmon (not the server) I get this and this is when it works fine:

BROWSER STATE TYPE SERVERS DOMAIN

\\myserver online Windows NT5 23 3


SERVERS ON \\myserver DOMAINS ON \\myserver
here is list the NETBIOS names here is list our domain & 2 workgroups

 

[porkchopexpress]

It might be an idea to dissable the browser service on all the clients, you can do this using group policy. Then make sure the only box running the computer browser service is your PDCe and see if it still happens.

You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

 

[58sniper]

Make sure file & print sharing is installed AND CHECKED on the NIC properties.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[tookawhile]

File & print sharing is checked and installed.

Window Firewall is disabled.

The NETBIOS browsing console reports the following:

Attempting to find the PDC/Domain Master Browser for domain: mydomain.COM

PDC/Domain Master Browser: not found

The domain master browser for the specified domain could not be found.

whcih is at odd with what dommon.exe reports - it reports that the mydomain PDC is online.

Currently browsing is working, as per report on previous post, but 1 PC in particular is refusing to show up in the browse list. I'm going to swap out the NIC today - see if it helps.

 

[porkchopexpress]

Well the PDC is online but that doesn't mean it holds the master browser role.

You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

 

[tookawhile]

I should have added that browmmon also says that mydomain.com is the master browser.

I changed the NIC, no change, so I have done the following and it seems to have worked for this one problematic PC.

I took it out of the domain - rebooted

Deleted Computer Account on server

local logon, changed the PC NETBIOS name - rebooted

Checked to see if new name appears in AD - it does, all seems well

Renamed PC back to orignal name, still logged on locally - rebooted

Check to see if original name appears in AD, it does

Logged on locally again, rejoined domain - rebooted

Logged on to domain - XP creates new profile for user

Edit registry so new profile is linked to original profile, then deleted the new profile.

 

[tookawhile]

This the output from nbtstat when run on the PDC - and currently browsing is working fine - but it can break for hours at any time!!

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.199.123] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
myserver <00> UNIQUE Registered
myserver <20> UNIQUE Registered
mydomain <00> GROUP Registered
mydomain <1C> GROUP Registered
mydomain <1B> UNIQUE Registered
INet~Services <1C> GROUP Registered
IS~myserver<00> UNIQUE Registered
myserver <03> UNIQUE Registered
mydomain <1E> GROUP Registered
mydomain <1D> UNIQUE Registered
..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP Registered

\Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{39F9461E-22EF-4D56-9205-A21F155160C0}:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.199.124] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
myserver <00> UNIQUE Registered
myserver <20> UNIQUE Registered
mydomain <00> GROUP Registered
mydomain <1C> GROUP Registered
mydomain <1B> UNIQUE Registered
myserver <03> UNIQUE Registered
mydomain <1E> GROUP Registered
mydomain <1D> UNIQUE Registered
..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP Registered