Confussing network issue

[Marbles_00]

All my computers are on a network called WORKGROUP. All have identifiable IP addresses. My HTPC can see all the other computers via My Network Places (its running WinXP SP2). The other computers are running either WinXP SP2 or Win2K. When I go to any one of the other computers, they cannot see the HTPC. I can do a computer search on any of them, and they will then find it, and connect to it so I can transfer files, view video etc. I can VNC to it no problems, yet just viewing the network on any of the other computers...I can't see the HTPC. I know I have some setting f'd up but where/what is it?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[ironcross]

Have you looked at your File Sharing on the HTPC?

[Marbles_00]

Yep, currently it is setup to share a bunch of directories, and I can watch DVD video off it on all the other computes. Just that I'm using Ant, and XAnt, and I had to type in the network share as doing a browse would not find the HTPC. I type in the share and it works fine. All other things, once I do a find computer and find the htpc no problems, I'm mapping the drives so I can then view them as a drive via windows explorer. Though I have noticed a big red over these mapped drives, even though I can use them.

As said, the htpc is fully accessible, just can't see it unless I do a search computer. Really weird.

[samgreco]

I'm not at an XP system now, so this is from memory, which has been know to be faulty

Go to the network connections area and right click your lan connection. Then go to TCP/IP properties > WINS tab and check netbios over TCP/IP. OK,, OK, OK, etc.

Should do it. If I remembered correctly.

[Marbles_00]

I found the setting your talking about Sam but so far it didn't make a difference. It was set to Default (using a DHCP server), which I moved to Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, since I use Static IP's...but no difference so far.

[samgreco]

Funny, I just had that same issue this morning with my wife's laptop and that fixed it.

Did you reboot or disable then enable the lan connection after changing the setting?

[rembetis]

Are there any switches in the network, or a second router acting as a switch, or are they all hardwired to the same router.

I've had situations where I need to power down my router, switch, and the offending computer and then power them back up (in that same order) until the network shares showed up properly again.

[Marbles_00]

Thanks guys, that seemed to do it. I did your change Sam, and Rem...I should have shutdown and restarted the machine anyways...but to play safe, I restarted the switch too, and now it is there. Funny, I had no problems before when I had a temp drive installed. This only happened after I got the new system drive and re-installed everything.

Thanks for your help guys. I knew it was something silly.