Windows 7 Network suddenly inaccessible

[jjjttt888]

Hi all,

I started using Win 7 about a month ago and initially everything worked fine with getting on our network at work and accessing other computers, a mixture of Win 7 and XP. Everyone uses a cable connection and fixed IP address. A couple of days ago I was at another office and needed to change the settings to automatically detect IP address before being able to access the Internet. When I returned to the home office I re-entered the IP address and settings and could access Internet and email without any issues.

The problem is that I cannot get see any of the other computers anymore on the network. They can see my computer and access without any problems, however I can only see my own computer when I open Explorer. I am running Norton and on the Network Security Map I can see all the computers on the network. I also tried turning off Norton but there was no difference.

Pinging the other computers is not a problem. Directly entering another IP address in the Search field also brings up the relevant computer, however once I open Explorer again this computer is gone, leaving only my own one listed.

I have also gone over all the network and connection settings many times and compared to other Win 7 computers on our network and there appears to be nothing wrong or different apart from the fixed IP addresses and computer names. The workgroup names are all the same and set to Work location, and Network Discovery is also turned on.

Any suggestions you have would be really appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are experiencing a network visibility issue on your Windows 7 computer after changing network settings. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this problem:

Troubleshooting Steps:​

1. Check Network Location:
   • Ensure that your network location is set to "Work network." This setting allows for greater visibility of other devices on the network.
   []Reset Networking Components:
   • Resetting the network adapter can sometimes resolve connectivity issues. You can do this by disabling and re-enabling the network adapter in the Control Panel.
   []Check Network Discovery and File Sharing:
   • Confirm that Network Discovery and File Sharing are enabled in the Network and Sharing Center. This allows your computer to see other devices on the network.
   []Windows Firewall Settings:
   • Check your Windows Firewall settings to ensure that it's not blocking network discovery or file sharing. You may need to create exceptions for file sharing.
   []Verify Workgroup Settings:
   • Confirm that your computer is part of the correct workgroup. Ensure that all computers on the network are part of the same workgroup.
   []Check Network Permissions:
   • Make sure that the shared folders on other computers have the appropriate permissions set to allow access to your computer.
   []Clear ARP Cache:
   • Clear the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) cache on your computer. Open a command prompt and type arp -d to clear the cache.
   []Disable Third-Party Security Software Temporarily:
   • Temporarily disable Norton or any other security software to see if they are causing the issue.
   []Update Network Adapter Drivers:
   • Make sure you have the latest network adapter drivers installed. Outdated drivers can sometimes lead to network connectivity problems.
   []Restart Network Services:
   • Restart the "Function Discovery Resource Publication" and "Network Location Awareness" services in the Services console.
   []Network Reset:
   • In Windows 7, you can also try using the "Diagnose and Repair" feature in the Network and Sharing Center to reset network settings.

     Additional Tips:​

   • Network Troubleshooter: You can run the built-in Network Troubleshooter in Windows 7, which can help identify and potentially fix common network issues.
   • Network Mapping: Check if mapping network drives manually helps in accessing other computers on the network. By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and resolve the issue with network visibility on your Windows 7 computer. Let me know if you need further assistance or if you have any other questions!