Solved Can't see PCs on home network after new mobo install

Upgraded from a X670 to a X870 mobo (that's the only change in my system). I have the network assigned as 'Private, network discovery on, file sharing on, password protected sharing off'. I have a printer attached to my PC and the printer software installed on both PCs. When I start the printer software on the other PC, it can see the printer on my PC.

When I select 'Network' from the File Explorer on the other PC, I get 'Media Devices' for both PCs displayed, nothing else.

When I select 'Network' from File Explorer on my PC, I get the icon for the other PC and both 'Media Devices' displayed. However, when I select the icon for the other PC I get the 'Enter Windows Credentials' box displayed even though I have password protected sharing set to off on both PCs.

There have been no changes to the router they are connected to nor has Norton 360 been altered on either PC. Before the mobo install I could connect both PCs. I have checked the BIOS on the new install but I don't see anything that would prevent me from connecting to any other PC on my network. I have no trouble accessing web sites or sending email from either PC. It's just I can't connect to file share.

Anyone have any ideas?

You might look at my post 17 in this thread to see if anything in it will help you. It's my notes about networking issues. Buying a new Windows 11 computer

All services are auto and running. Tried sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation from your post 17. I get:

Set-Content : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'depend='.
At line:1 char:1
+ sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-Content], ParameterBindingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetContentCommand

rzn6jw said:

when I select the icon for the other PC I get the 'Enter Windows Credentials' box displayed even though I have password protected sharing set to off on both PCs.

Click to expand...

24h2 has tighter sharing security and doesn't particuarly like password protection being turned off. You used the wrong portion of my notes.
CREDENTIALS STOP ASKING FOR -Do on all computers on network


FOR Windows PRO-Open Group Policy as admin

Left pane- Computer Configuration,

Right Pane-Windows Settings, Security Settings,Local Policies, Security Options

Right Pane Double click on Microsoft Network Client: Digitally sign communications (always)

Set to "Disabled" Click on OK"

Double click on Microsoft Network Client: Digitally sign communications (if server agrees) Set to "Disabled"Click on OK"


In the left pane under Local Computer Policy, click Computer Configuration

Right Pane-Administrative Templates

Right Pane -Network

Right Pane-Lanman Workstation.
Select Enable insecure guest logons, select Enabled, then select OK.

That should take care of it.

However, If it still asks for a credential, create a credential
HOW TO CREATE A WINDOWS CREDENTIAL

Create a Windows credential for an account & password on both client and server computers you are sharing files between.

Search for and open Credential Manager

Click Start, type Credential Manager and select your user from the list.

Click Windows credential on the right.

Click Add a Windows credential.

In the Internet or network address box, type the name of the computer on the network that you want to access. (example: JoeBlowPC)

In the User name and Password boxes, type the user name and password that you use for that other computerr. click OK.

OK, let me get this straight. I did the first part of your instructions (GPEdit) on both PCs but when I try to access the other PC from mine, I still get the credential prompt.

So, on my PC do I create a credential for the other PC (that PC IP address, user name, user password) and
on the other PC, create a credential with MY IP address, user name, user password?

BTW, both PCs use pins, not passwords.

Yes, that's right. Know that you can use the PC name OR the ip address. I prefer using PC name unless I have assigned static ip addresses to all the other machines.

rzn6jw said:

both PCs use pins, not passwords.

Click to expand...

Then I believe you will need to change Settings>accounts>signin options to enable both Pin and password signin. @Bree, is that correct?

rzn6jw said:

BTW, both PCs use pins, not passwords.

Click to expand...

Your accounts have a password too, you have to have one before you can set up a PIN....

glasskuter said:

Then I believe you will need to change Settings>accounts>signin options to enable both Pin and password signin. @Bree, is that correct?

Click to expand...

All accounts have passwords, even when a PIN is your primary login method. When connecting to another PC on the network the required windows credentials are the name and password of an account on that PC. It's easy to change the password if you use a local account, but if you set up the PC with your MS account then knowing what that password is (or changing it) can be a problem.

There are two ways round this. The first is to switch temporarily to a local account so you can set the password....

Bree said:

...The problem is that as you set up your PC initially with your MS account you were never given a chance to see or set the local password, so you have no idea what it is.

You can only set this password if you are using a local account. One way to do so is to temporarily switch from using a Microsoft account to using a local account. The process will ask you to set a password for the local account. You can then switch back from a local account to your Microsoft account. It will retain the password you set for the local account, and this will now be the password you need to use when connecting to this PC from any other PC.

Click to expand...

How to save login credentials for a network PC. - post #16

The second way is to create a new local account on the PC you want to connect to, set a password for it, then use that account/password as the credentials to connect to the PC.

Thanks to both of you for the information. As far as the passwords go, those are the ones used to sign into your Microsoft account on Microsoft.com, correct?

Also, the icon for the 'other' PC appears when I select Network on my PC. That is the one asking for credentials. However, when I select Network on the other PC, the only things that appear are the 'Media' icons, not the icon for my PC. So something isn't making communication here.

I put my ID and password in Windows Credentials on the other PC and rebooted. When the other PC's icon appeared on my PC's Network area I selected it, got the credential sign on prompt, entered the ID and password I assigned for me on the other PC and hit enter. Got a message back saying the ID or password was incorrect.

So what next?

rzn6jw said:

the only things that appear are the 'Media' icons, not the icon for my PC.

Click to expand...

I am assuming that that computer has already been set up to share and has been seen on the network prior..
Try this.
Add "LanmanWorkstation" as an additional startup dependency for the "Function Discovery Resource Publication" (FDResPub) service, which seems to do the trick. To do this, you open a command prompt as administrator. Copy and paste this command into it. Then restart the system. (this is the same command that you said failed for you before, but I verified it is the correct command.)

sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation
Open services . Make sure the following services are set to automatic start and running.

Got this running the command:

Set-Content : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'depend='.
At line:1 char:1
+ sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-Content], ParameterBindingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetContentCommand

What's funny is that I can go up to my smart TV and see both PCs and even play my music from either PC on my TV so I know the connection to each PC is working. Why I can't do that on either PC is really frustrating.

I tried NetBScanner on both PCs. Running on mine, it shows the other PC only. Running on the other PC it shows my PC only.

This is really weird....I have an alternate ID I created as a backup and rescue in case something happened to my main ID. Haven't used it as any kind of sign on in years. As a last ditch effort, I tried it in the credential prompt and actually got in to the other PC. Don't know why the alternate was OK to use and not the regular ID. Checked Windows Credentials on the other PC and the rescue ID wasn't even listed so now I have no idea what happened.

rzn6jw said:

Set-Content : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'depend='.
At line:1 char:1
+ sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation

Click to expand...

You're running the command in PowerShell. glasskuter said to run the command in a command prompt (cmd). Or, you can type "sc.exe" instead of just "sc"

The only other alternative I can offer is instead of trying to access the other computer using the network map, see if you can access it by computername or ip address. In file explorer address bar type \\computername or \\ip address If you can you can create a shortbut to it.
If you can access it this way, it proves that all the necessary settings for file sharing are good.

rzn6jw said:

This is really weird....I have an alternate ID I created as a backup and rescue in case something happened to my main ID. Haven't used it as any kind of sign on in years. As a last ditch effort, I tried it in the credential prompt and actually got in to the other PC. Don't know why the alternate was OK to use and not the regular ID.

Click to expand...

I'm guessing that the alternate ID was a local account and that you were sure you had the correct name and password.

rzn6jw said:

Checked Windows Credentials on the other PC and the rescue ID wasn't even listed so now I have no idea what happened.

Click to expand...

There's no reason to expect it (or anything else) to be in the Windows Credentials on the other PC.

Windows Credentials that are listed on this PC are the names/passwords it will use when connecting to other PCs.

Well, at least I can access the other PC for now. What a lot of rigamarole. Also, got the sc config fdrespub depend= RpcSs/http/fdphost/LanmanWorkstation command to work by changing sc to sc.exe. Thanks pseymour.