Windows 11 Strange Private network issue.

[HP8000Elite]

I have two Win 11 PCs . My wife's is Intel and mine is AMD. Both are connected to the router via cables. There is a Halo device which operates via a 4G network when the BT cable broadband signal breaks down.
The printer is wireless and both PCs have no problems printing. Neither of the PCs required wireless dongles for this setup to work.
HOWEVER.....
Both computers are on the Home private network.
There has never been a reason for either of us to access the PCs across the Home network.
However, I have bought a Trailcam, and I have to load the videos etc onto my computer via an SD card interface ( to save messing about with the smartphone).
Rather than load them onto her computer, I thought she could see the pictures across the private network on my computer.
WRONG!

Her computer cannot see mine, although I can see hers.

When I look at the router from both ends I see that hers has 2 IP addresses -one wired and one wirelss, whereas mine has only one address.
I inserted a wireless dongle in my PC.
When I look in Settings the wireless network shows up. Investigating further for networks to connect to, I find apart from the router and EE options there is a Hidden network.

Why is this and is it relevant?

I have read about Windows Updates causing Network problems.
There was a time when the private network allowed the PCs to see each other.

Why has this changed?

As a matter of interest my Samsung A25 can link to my PC

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi HP8000Elite,
The Hidden network is almost certainly just a Wi‑Fi network whose SSID/name is not being broadcast. It is usually not relevant to your wired PC-to-PC sharing problem unless one PC is actually connecting to it.
Your wife’s PC showing two IP addresses means it has both Ethernet and Wi‑Fi active. That can confuse Windows network discovery, especially if one adapter is on a different network profile or subnet. The fact that printing works does not prove Windows file sharing is working, because printers often use different discovery/printing methods.

Most likely causes​

Your issue is probably one or more of these:

• Your PC is not allowing inbound file sharing/discovery.
• Network Discovery or File and Printer Sharing is off on your PC.
• Windows Firewall profile/rules changed after an update.
• The two PCs are on different subnets because Wi‑Fi/Ethernet/4G failover is involved.
• Windows “Network” browsing is failing, even though direct access still works.

Windows updates can change or tighten SMB/file-sharing behavior, but the first thing to check is the basic profile/sharing/firewall setup.

---

Step 1: Temporarily simplify the network​

On your wife’s PC:

• Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings.
• Disable Wi‑Fi temporarily, leaving only Ethernet enabled.
• Make sure her PC still has internet access.
• Restart both PCs.

Expected result: both PCs should now be using the same wired router path only.
You can re-enable Wi‑Fi later if needed.

---

Step 2: Check both PCs are on the same subnet​

On both PCs:

• Press Win + R.
• Type cmd and press Enter.
• Run:

ipconfig
Look for the Ethernet adapter IPv4 address.
Example:

PC 1: 192.168.1.20
PC 2: 192.168.1.25
Gateway: 192.168.1.1

That is good.
But if you see something like:

PC 1: 192.168.1.20
PC 2: 192.168.0.35

then they are probably on different network segments, and discovery may fail.

---

Step 3: Make sure both Ethernet connections are Private​

On both PCs:

• Go to Settings > Network & internet.
• Click Ethernet.
• Make sure Network profile type is set to Private, not Public.

Private allows Windows discovery and sharing. Public blocks many discovery/sharing features for safety.

---

Step 4: Turn on Network Discovery and File Sharing​

On both PCs:

• Go to Settings > Network & internet.
• Open Advanced network settings.
• Open Advanced sharing settings.
• Under Private networks, turn on:
• Network discovery
• Set up network connected devices automatically
• File and printer sharing
• Under All networks, leave Password protected sharing turned On.

Do not enable SMB1. It is obsolete and insecure.

---

Step 5: Share the Trailcam folder properly​

On your PC:

• Create a folder, for example:

C:\Trailcam

• Right-click the folder.
• Select Properties.
• Open the Sharing tab.
• Click Advanced Sharing.
• Tick Share this folder.
• Give it a simple share name, for example:

Trailcam

• Click Permissions.
• For a quick test, allow Read access.
• Click OK.

For better security, share it only with your wife’s Windows user account rather than “Everyone”.

---

Step 6: Try direct access instead of relying on “Network”​

On your wife’s PC:

• Press Win + R.
• Type one of these:

\\Your-PC-Name\Trailcam
or:
\\Your-PC-IP-Address\Trailcam
Example:
\\192.168.1.20\Trailcam

• Press Enter.

If prompted for credentials, use the username and password/PIN-related account credentials for your PC, not hers.
Expected result: the shared folder should open even if your PC does not appear under “Network”.

---

Step 7: Check Windows services used for discovery​

On both PCs:

• Press Win + R.
• Type:

services.msc

• Check these services:

Function Discovery Provider Host
Function Discovery Resource Publication
SSDP Discovery
UPnP Device Host

• Set them to Automatic or Automatic (Delayed Start).
• Start them if they are stopped.

The especially important one is:
Function Discovery Resource Publication
That service helps your PC appear to other Windows PCs in File Explorer’s Network view.

---

Step 8: Check firewall rules​

On your PC:

• Open Windows Security.
• Go to Firewall & network protection.
• Click Allow an app through firewall.
• Make sure these are allowed on Private networks:
• File and Printer Sharing
• Network Discovery

If you use a third-party antivirus/firewall, check that too. Some security suites block SMB/file sharing even when Windows settings look correct.

---

Why your Samsung A25 can link to your PC​

That is probably using Phone Link, Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi Direct, cloud services, or another app-based connection. It does not necessarily mean normal Windows file sharing over SMB is working.

---

My recommended order​

Do this in order:

• Disable Wi‑Fi temporarily on your wife’s PC.
• Confirm both Ethernet IPs are in the same range.
• Confirm both Ethernet profiles are Private.
• Turn on Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing on both PCs.
• Share C:\Trailcam.
• Test using \\Your-PC-IP\Trailcam.

If direct access by IP works but the PC still does not appear under Network, the problem is only Windows discovery, not actual file sharing.

---

If you reply, please post these details​

Please paste the following from both PCs:
ipconfig
Also tell us:

• Your PC name and your wife’s PC name.
• Whether \\your-PC-IP-address\Trailcam works from her PC.
• Whether either PC is running Windows 11 23H2, 24H2, or 25H2.
• Whether you use only Windows Security or a third-party antivirus/firewall.

 

[HP8000Elite]

Both computers are Win11 24H2 OS build 10.0.26200.8457.
Both are now on Windows Defender
Currently \\my-ipaddress\trailcam does not work
Is it safe to post our computer names and ipconfigs??

Re your diagnostic procedure:-
Steps 1 to 4 OK
Steps 5 to 6 - worked briefly then requests credentials, but won't recognise them
On my wife's computer Step 7 - after typing services.msc I get error 1722. The message also refers to a previous computer which no longer exists.

I searched the registry for the name, and deleted all instances of it.
I repeated the services.msc operation, and once again the same error message appeared with the bogus server name.
I ran sfc /scannow. There were some corrupted files which I assumed were repaired.
However, Error 1722 reappears after services.msc is invoked.
I have yet to run DISM /online/cleanup-image/RestoreHealth.
I have uninstalled the third-party security program Eset from both computers. following this I can no longer see the router on my wife's computer.
However I can see it on my computer and all devices on the network show up.

I have reviewed the history of my wife's computer and it was supplied with Windows 10.
When I upgraded it to Windows 11, it may be that I changed the computer name, which could explain the phantom server name which keeps appearing in Error 1722.

My wife's computer remains unable to see my computer.

Could this be a BIOS issue?

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi HP8000Elite,
No, this is very unlikely to be a BIOS issue. If your wife’s PC has working Ethernet/Internet access, the BIOS has done its part. This looks much more like a Windows networking / credentials / MMC services console / firewall residue problem.
Also, Error 1722 = “The RPC server is unavailable.” If services.msc mentions an old computer name, it suggests the Services console may be trying to connect to a remote computer that no longer exists, rather than the local machine.

1. Do not delete more registry entries​

Please stop manually deleting registry references for now. Some old computer-name entries can be harmless, but removing the wrong ones can make networking or Windows services worse.
Before doing the next steps:

1. Create a restore point.
2. Back up anything important from your wife’s PC.
3. Then continue below.

---

2. Force Services to open the local computer​

On your wife’s PC:

1. Press Win + R.
2. Type this exactly:

services.msc /computer=localhost

1. Press Enter.

If that works, the Services console was probably remembering or targeting the old PC name.
Also try:
services.msc /computer=127.0.0.1
Expected result: Services should open for the local computer.

---

3. Clear the cached Services MMC console settings​

On your wife’s PC:

1. Close all Services / Computer Management windows.
2. Press Win + R.
3. Type:

%appdata%\Microsoft\MMC

1. Press Enter.
2. Look for a file named something like:

services
or:
services.msc

1. Rename it to:

services.old

1. Try opening Services again with:

services.msc
This does not delete Windows services. It only resets the saved console view/settings for your user profile.

---

4. Repair Windows properly on your wife’s PC​

Since sfc /scannow found corruption, run DISM next.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
When that completes, run:
sfc /scannow
Then restart the PC.
Expected result: DISM repairs the Windows component store, then SFC has a better chance of fixing remaining system files.

---

5. Check the key services using PowerShell instead of Services.msc​

Because services.msc is giving Error 1722, use PowerShell for now.
On your wife’s PC:

1. Right-click Start.
2. Choose Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
3. Run:

Get-Service RpcSs,DcomLaunch,RpcEptMapper,FDResPub,fdPHost,SSDPSRV,upnphost,LanmanWorkstation,LanmanServer
The most important ones are:

RpcSs
DcomLaunch
RpcEptMapper
FDResPub
fdPHost
LanmanWorkstation
LanmanServer

If RpcSs, DcomLaunch, or RpcEptMapper are not running, that would explain Error 1722.

---

6. Reset old network credentials on your wife’s PC​

The “worked briefly then requests credentials but won’t recognise them” part is probably a stored bad credential or the wrong username format.
On your wife’s PC:

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Run:

net use * /delete

1. Open Credential Manager:

control keymgr.dll

1. Remove saved Windows credentials for your PC name, your PC IP address, or the old phantom PC name.
2. Restart the wife’s PC.

Then try again using the IP address of your PC:
\\YOUR-PC-IP\Trailcam
Example:
\\192.168.1.20\Trailcam

---

7. Use the correct credential format​

If your PC uses a Microsoft account, do not use the PIN. Windows file sharing wants the actual account password.
Try one of these formats from your wife’s PC when prompted:
YourPCName\YourUserName
or:
MicrosoftAccount\[email][email protected][/email]
If your PC uses a local account, use:
YourPCName\LocalUserName
The password must be the password for the account on your PC, not hers.

---

8. Easiest fix: create a dedicated sharing account on your PC​

This avoids Microsoft account/PIN confusion.
On your PC:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Add a local user, for example:

trailcam

1. Give it a normal password.
2. Right-click your trailcam folder.
3. Go to Properties > Sharing > Advanced Sharing > Permissions.
4. Add the trailcam user with Read permission.
5. Also check Properties > Security and give the same user Read permission there.

Then on your wife’s PC connect using:
YourPCName\trailcam
or:
Your-PC-IP\trailcam
This is usually more reliable than trying to use Microsoft account credentials across a small home LAN.

---

9. Reset Windows Firewall after removing ESET​

ESET may have left firewall/network filtering changes behind.
On your wife’s PC:

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Go to Firewall & network protection.
3. Click Restore firewalls to default.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Confirm the Ethernet network is still set to Private.
6. Re-enable Network discovery and File and printer sharing if Windows turned them off.

If ESET was not fully removed, use ESET’s official removal/uninstaller tool, but only after creating a restore point.

---

10. If router no longer appears on wife’s PC​

That is usually discovery-related, not actual connectivity.
Check whether she can still reach the router by IP:

1. On her PC, open Command Prompt.
2. Run:

ipconfig

1. Note the Default Gateway.
2. In a browser, go to that gateway address, for example:

[url unfurl="true"]http://192.168.1.1[/url]
If the router opens by IP but does not appear in Network, discovery is still the issue.

---

11. Last resort: Network Reset on wife’s PC​

Only do this if the above fails.
Warning: this removes and reinstalls network adapters and clears saved Wi-Fi/network settings.

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings.
2. Select Network reset.
3. Click Reset now.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Set Ethernet back to Private.
6. Turn Network discovery and File and printer sharing back on.

---

My view​

The most suspicious items are:

1. services.msc trying to contact the old computer name.
2. Bad/stale stored credentials.
3. ESET firewall/filter remnants.
4. Windows corruption found by SFC.

I would fix them in this order:

1. Run services.msc /computer=localhost.
2. Clear %appdata%\Microsoft\MMC.
3. Run DISM, then sfc.
4. Clear saved credentials with net use * /delete and Credential Manager.
5. Create a simple local sharing account on your PC.
6. Reset Windows Firewall after ESET removal.

If you can, please post the exact wording of the Error 1722 message, especially the old computer name it mentions.

 

[HP8000Elite]

Here is the exact wording you requested:

Windows was unable to open service control database on "old computer name"
Error 1722: The RPC server is unavailable.

I will continue to follow your recommendations later.

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi HP8000Elite,
That exact wording is very useful. It confirms that services.msc is not trying to open the local Services database. It is trying to connect to the old/removed computer name:

Windows was unable to open service control database on "old computer name"
Error 1722: The RPC server is unavailable.

So this particular error is almost certainly a saved MMC console target / shortcut issue, not a BIOS issue and not necessarily a broken Windows Services system.

What it means​

services.msc can be pointed at:
Local Computer
or at a remote computer name.
Somewhere, your wife’s Services console appears to have remembered the old PC name. Since that computer no longer exists, Windows tries to contact it, fails, and reports RPC Error 1722.

---

Do this first on your wife’s PC​

1. Open Services explicitly on the local computer​

Press Win + R and run:
services.msc /computer=localhost
If that opens correctly, the services themselves are probably fine.
Also try:
services.msc /computer=.
The dot means “this computer”.

---

2. Delete the saved MMC console file​

1. Close Services if it is open.
2. Press Win + R.
3. Run:

%appdata%\Microsoft\MMC

1. Delete or rename any file named:

services
or:
services.msc

1. Try again with:

services.msc
This only resets the saved console view. It does not delete Windows services.

---

3. Check for a bad shortcut​

If you normally open Services from a desktop/start-menu shortcut:

1. Right-click the shortcut.
2. Choose Properties.
3. Look at the Target field.
4. Make sure it does not contain the old computer name.

A correct target would normally be something like:
%windir%\system32\services.msc
or:
mmc.exe services.msc
It should not include:
/computer=old-computer-name

---

After Services opens locally​

Then check these services on your wife’s PC:

Function Discovery Provider Host
Function Discovery Resource Publication
SSDP Discovery
UPnP Device Host
Workstation
Server

The most important one for being visible on the network is:
Function Discovery Resource Publication
Set it to Automatic (Delayed Start) and start it if stopped.

---

Continue with DISM later​

Since SFC already found corruption, I would still run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Then:
sfc /scannow
Then restart.

---

Main point​

This new information strongly suggests the services.msc Error 1722 is a stale remote-computer reference, not a hardware/BIOS fault. Once Services opens locally, continue with the network-sharing checks and credential cleanup from the previous steps.

 

[HP8000Elite]

Currently running DISM - it has taken 30minutes to progress from 63.4% to 64.1%

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi HP8000Elite,
That can be normal for DISM. It often appears to “stick” for a long time, especially around the 60–70% range, while it is checking or repairing the Windows component store.

What to do now​

1. Leave it running.
2. Do not close the Command Prompt/Terminal window.
3. Do not restart the PC unless it has been stuck for several hours.
4. Keep the PC powered on and, if it is a laptop, plugged into mains power.
5. Watch for disk activity or CPU activity if possible.

A DISM repair can sometimes sit at one percentage for a long time and then suddenly jump forward.

How long is too long?​

I would let it run for at least:
2 to 3 hours
If it has made no movement at all after that, then we can consider it stuck.
Since yours moved from:
63.4% to 64.1%
that means it is still alive, just very slow.

If it eventually completes successfully​

After DISM finishes, run:
sfc /scannow
Then restart the computer.

If DISM fails​

If it ends with an error code, please post the exact message, especially anything like:

0x800f081f
0x800f0954
The source files could not be found

Those errors need a different repair approach.

Important​

Do not run registry cleaners or delete more registry entries while DISM is running. Let Windows finish its own repair first.

 

[HP8000Elite]

Wilco

 

[ChatGPT]

Understood, HP8000Elite.
Let DISM continue. Since it is still moving, even slowly, that is a good sign.
When it finishes:

1. Note whether it says the operation completed successfully.
2. Run:

sfc /scannow

1. Restart the PC.
2. Then try:

services.msc /computer=localhost
If DISM fails or gives an error code, post the exact message/code and we’ll take the next step from there.

 

[HP8000Elite]

DISM completed successfully.
Started sfc /scannow. Received message which implied a restart was required. The restart option indicated updates required. I continued the restart .
The computer is now updating.it has been running for some time now.

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi HP8000Elite,
That is a good result: DISM completed successfully. The restart/update behaviour after starting sfc /scannow is not unusual, especially if Windows had pending component repairs or updates waiting to be applied.

What to do now​

1. Let the update finish.
2. Do not power off the PC unless it is clearly stuck for several hours.
3. If it is a laptop, keep it connected to mains power.
4. If the screen shows a percentage, note whether the percentage is still changing.
5. If there is disk activity, leave it alone.

Windows updates can sit at one percentage for quite a while, then suddenly move on.

After the update completes​

Once the PC is fully restarted and back at the desktop:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run:

sfc /scannow

1. Wait for the final result.

You are looking for one of these messages:
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
or:
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
Either of those would be good.

Then test Services again​

After sfc /scannow completes and you restart if requested, try:
services.msc /computer=localhost
If that opens correctly, then try plain:
services.msc
If plain services.msc still tries to connect to the old computer name, we will clear the saved MMC console file next.

If the update appears stuck​

If it has made no visible progress at all for around 3 hours, post exactly what the screen says, including any percentage shown.
For now, because DISM completed and Windows has moved into updates, I would leave it running. This is still consistent with Windows repairing itself rather than a new fault.

 

[HP8000Elite]

OK The revolving dots have stopped revolving. Updates are underway Please keep computer on.
The Computer On light is till lit but the activity light is not showing and the keyboard is off

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi HP8000Elite,
For now, leave it alone.
The message:
Updates are underway. Please keep computer on.
means Windows is still in the update/repair phase. The keyboard light going off and the activity light being quiet can happen during parts of the update, especially if Windows is waiting on a background service, firmware handoff, or a staged reboot.

What to do now​

1. Do not press the power button yet.
2. Leave the PC powered on.
3. If it is a laptop, keep it connected to mains power.
4. Wait at least 2 hours from the point where the dots stopped.
5. If the screen message changes or a percentage appears, let it continue.

If it remains exactly the same​

If it has shown the same message with no disk activity, no percentage change, and no reboot for around 3 hours, then it may be stuck.
At that point:

1. Hold the power button down for about 10 seconds until it turns off.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Turn it back on.
4. Let Windows try to continue or roll back the update.
5. Do not interrupt it again unless it gets stuck for several more hours.

After it eventually reaches the desktop​

Once Windows is back up:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run:

sfc /scannow

1. Restart if requested.
2. Then test:

services.msc /computer=localhost
For now, because the PC still shows the Windows update message and the power light is on, the safest option is to wait.