# Solved: Can't ping network pc's, but everything else works



## weccc (Mar 28, 2012)

I have a Windows XP laptop that is connected to the internet and to mapped network drives on a desktop. That all works fine. But I can't ping the desktop (although I can access access the file shares) and I can't ping that laptop from the desktop (either by IP or computer name). It wouldn't be a problem since everything seems to work, except that there is one piece of accounting software that doesn't work right now. When looking into that issue, I found this network problem. Any idea what could be causing the problem?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Most likely a firewall on one or both computers.


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## weccc (Mar 28, 2012)

I already checked that. There are no firewalls on either computer. Also there are a half dozen or more other computers that can connect to the accounting software on the desktop just fine. But not this laptop.

I also tried resetting all the network settings, then re-installing the network drivers, turning off the wireless, disconnecting and reconnecting the mapped network drives, ipconfig /release and renew and checking various settings on the computer.

Everything was working fine on all the computers until the router went bad and then none of the computers worked. They replaced the router and every other computer started working except for the laptop.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

> There are no firewalls on either computer.


Does not "Windows XP laptop" mean that one of the computers is running Windows XP? Windows XP, even the original release, includes a firewall.


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## weccc (Mar 28, 2012)

Clarification: They are both XP computers, but the Windows firewall is turned off on both computers and there is no other software firewall installed on either PC, nor is there a hardware firewall anywhere in the network except at the main router.


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## weccc (Mar 28, 2012)

I fixed it! I tried about 20 different things, but for some reason I never thought to check the HOSTS file. There were entries in there for computers on the network and when the router got replaced, all the IP addresses changed so those entries were no longer valid.


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