Windows 7 Silly Network Problem

[Cheemag]

Hi,

I have two Win-7 pro 64 machines networked. Called BB and CC. On ethernet.

MP3s recorded with ReAllPro ro on CC and saved to //CC/Sounds cannot be seen from BB with any of Total Commander, Windows Explorer or cmd (dir \\CC\Sounds). CC's Sounds' directory is empty as far as the network is concerned although the MP3 can be copied across from CC to BB and be played there.

I have exactly the same RecAll Pro setup on BB with exactly the same parameters, which works without problems across the network.

None of the other providers of MP3 files on CC exhibit this problem.

One would have thought that RecAllPro or its settings were the problem, but it isn't. The MP3s produced are perfectly good MP3s, they just don't exist as far as the network is concerned. RecAllPro's WAV files network normally.

????
My System Specs

 

[Mike]

Presumably, this is part of a workgroup or are you using HomeGroups? Also, do the physical files created on CC appear on CC as physical files? Check your file sharing settings on both folders and make sure they are identical?

 

[Cheemag]

Presumably, this is part of a workgroup or are you using HomeGroups? Also, do the physical files created on CC appear on CC as physical files? Check your file sharing settings on both folders and make sure they are identical?

GA Mike,

It's all part of a workgroup known as simply 'Workgroup', not HomeGroups.

Yes the files produced are valid mp3s and no matter what folder they're written in, they only show up on CC and not across the local network. They can be copied across to other machines, but only from CC.

A third machine, AA, exhibits the same problem, RecAll Pro's files only have a real existence on AA.

The files are produced via the LAME encoder on all the machines, all have the same parameters. Changing a parameter such as the sample-rate makes no difference.

Sharing: the C:\Sounds folders on all three machines are shared for Everyone/Read-write. The FOLDERs can be see over the local network, but the mp3s in them created by RecAll Pro cannot be seen. Wavs can be shared normally . Mp3s produced by e.g. Total Recorder (MPEG Layer 3) are networked normally.

Regards

Cheemag

 

[Mike]

This is a very strange issue. It sounds like you're creating a big problem for yourself if you're using multiple network shares. Ideally, you would use one machine to host all the files, but multiple shares are still possible. What you should do is set up one main system that hosts all the files over the workgroup. Just say you only have one network share on //CC/Sounds and try to access this share from multiple systems. Have you set the workgroup permissions that the users on each machine can access this folder?

One option is to check the permissions on the files created by this software. That may be why you are not able to see it on the other workstations.

Also, one of the advantages to running it as a HomeGroup is that you only need to enter a password for authentication once, and this ties the machine to the HomeGroup. When you are connecting with workstations through a workgroup share, you are going to have to intermittently re-enter authentication credentials to access the workgroup.

 

[Cheemag]

This is a very strange issue. It sounds like you're creating a big problem for yourself if you're using multiple network shares. Ideally, you would use one machine to host all the files, but multiple shares are still possible. What you should do is set up one main system that hosts all the files over the workgroup. Just say you only have one network share on //CC/Sounds and try to access this share from multiple systems. Have you set the workgroup permissions that the users on each machine can access this folder?

Sorry ! I can't work that way. I am the only user of the network so passwords are an unnecessary inconvenience.

All the folders that need to be shared are shared. Where I have one directory shared on all three machines I have used Subst as drive F: on each machine to a folder on a large flash drive in the router's USB-3 port.

One option is to check the permissions on the files created by this software. That may be why you are not able to see it on the other workstations.

On each file? Not practical. In any case I've not been aware that files themselves could have permissions.

Also, one of the advantages to running it as a HomeGroup is that you only need to enter a password for authentication once, and this ties the machine to the HomeGroup. When you are connecting with workstations through a workgroup share, you are going to have to intermittently re-enter authentication credentials to access the workgroup.

A hell of a burden!

I recorded an .mp3 in CC\Sounds. Can't see it on BB. I copy the .mp3 to CC\Temp and it can be read and played back on BB. So it's something, somehow to do with directories having the name 'Sound' and .mp3s generated by RecAll Pro.

Every other shared folder on the system works perfectly.

Regards
Cheemag

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

I believe Mike is onto something here. You may not be aware that W7 networking shares have a mandatory password requirement, this was a pain for many years going back to W98 networking, and it's been a longtime limitation of Microsoft's Workgroups implementation. Homegroups which came out with W7 solved this problem, and you can eliminate the password restrictions on your file/folder shares with this networking construct. It has other advantages which may not be important to you such as enhanced copying speed of files over the LAN, and better packet checking, etc. You might consider making the change and getting up to speed on modern networking. The other things you need to check are your file/folder settings in your router, and testing your AV or Security Suite settings by temporarily disabling them on all 3 PCs and see if your sharing issues improve or stay the same. I've seen situations at Customer sites where settings in either of these (router or AV program) can interfere with your Workgroup shares. Homegroups networking helps with this too, as it does a better job of working around some of these settings; but not all.

Best of luck,
<<BIGBEARJEDI>>

 

[Cheemag]

Everything other than this one directory and LAME-generated .mp3s cause this nonsense. So the fault must lie with LAME or Sagebrush the vendor of RecAll Pro, an application no longer supported in any meaningful way, but very useful to me.

I see no sense in changing everything else that works perfectly just to solve this ridiculous problem.

In any case I have found that if I save the ,MP3s to the F: drive, they are magically available across the local network. F: is a Subst drive using a folder on the Nighthawk modem's USB-3 ports - made Subst as F: on all three machines.

Sorry if my networking strategy offends the recommended network environment, but it works!

Regards

Cheemag

 

[Mike]

Sorry if my networking strategy offends the recommended network environment, but it works!

Regards

Cheemag

Well I am not offended at all I am glad you resolved your issue.