# Windows XP Home "My Network Places" refusing to show network computers



## eddie fast shoes (Jan 19, 2007)

Running Windows XP Home Service Pack 2

It seems that what I'm trying to do should be simple. Yet I've literally been trying to do it for over a year. I stumbled upon this forum, so maybe you can make my dreams come true and actually give me a shared network *angels singing*.

Keep in mind, I once had a shared network and everything was fine. Then one day, it mysteriously stopped, and hasn't run since, even after hundreds (literally) of attempts to set it up again.

For the moment, all I want to do is have my computer (we'll call this computer, "Sony Laptop") appear in its own "My Network Places" window - not concerned with the other networked computer at the moment. I have tried "Set up a home or small office network" and "set up a wireless network for a home or small office" dozens of times, chosen every single combination possible, completed them, restarted, but "Sony Laptop" still never appears in "My Network Places." I cannot for the life of me understand it.

If that's all the info you need, please respond. If you want more observations, read below:

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FRY'S DESKTOP is connected to BELKIN ROUTER via *ethernet*
SONY LAPTOP is connected to BELKIN ROUTER via *wireless*

-- ethernet ----- FRY'S DESKTOP
/
BELKIN ROUTER
\
--wireless -------SONY LAPTOP

I can receive wireless internet with the SONY LAPTOP through the BELKIN ROUTER.

I can ping FRY'S DESKTOP from SONY LAPTOP
I cannot ping SONY LAPTOP from FRY'S DESKTOP

I tried pinging SONY LAPTOP through both the wireless IP address and a connected ethernet cable Local Area Connection IP address (connected through the BELKIN ROUTER). Neither worked.

***************************************************************

Some things I've encountered...

When I 'explore' the network:

>My Network Places >Entire Network >Microsoft Windows Network

I get a funny message: "Unable to Browse the Network - The Network is not present or not started - For more information, click *Help*"

Of course in classic Windows style, when I click "Help", the window hangs and never goes anywhere (kind of ironic - don't you think? It's called "Windows" and can't function within a 'window').

***************************************************************

I was told by some others that I should check the "Services" and more specifically, Workstation, Server, TCP/IP Netbios helper, Computer Browser. 

Now, of those four, two of them had not been started. Workstation and Computer Browser. I tried starting these (double click them and up will pop a window that allows you to 'start') but each of them came up with an error message. Here are those two error messages.

Computer Browser:
"Could not start the Computer Browser service on Local computer.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start."

Workstation:
"Could not start the Workstation Service on Local Computer
Error 126: The specified module could not be found."

If anybody knows anything about these errors and how to fix them, let mek now. 

So that's it. That's my experience so far. As you can see, I'm neck deep in it and nothing would make me happier than *finally* figuring it out (after 14 months). 

Chris


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You need to look at the dependency list for each service. In the case of Computer Browser, it's Workstation and Server.

Since Workstation is failing, that's probably the place to start.

Do you have *WKSSVC.DLL* in *C:\Windows\system32*? That's the workstation service, and it appears to be the missing module. I'd first try copying that from the installation disk, if it's missing, and then register it too by:

Start, Run, *regsvr32 wkssvc.dll*

If you can't find the DLL, you can run *sfc /scannow* to restore missing files.

A shortcut may be to download the file from DLL Dump and register it as described above.


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## eddie fast shoes (Jan 19, 2007)

John, I don't know who you are. I don't know what you do. But you are officially my own personal God!

It worked! I downloaded the .dll file, put it in there, reran the network wizard, and all of the folders showed up! Thank you so much!

Chris


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You're welcome. I guess I get to keep my MVP status for a little while longer. 

*You can mark your own threads solved using the thread tools at the upper right of the screen.©*


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