Home Network: MSBROWSE, File Manager, Discovery

This is "my" solution for getting the Windows 10 and Windows 11 File Managers to proper display all computer names in my home network. I don't claim it's the perfect solution. It's probably no more than a tricky work around. Here is my home network setup.

Windows 10 Home, Discovery=enabled, Workgroup=HOME10, NetBIOS over TCP/IP=enabled
Windows 11 Home, Discovery=enabled, Workgroup=HOME11, NetBIOS over TCP/IP=enabled

Both computer names are displayed in the Network folder when I open the File Manager on either machine.
I turned on NetBIOS over TCP/IP in the adaptor properties so I could see "__MSBROWSE__<01> GROUP Registered".
It is displayed for each machine. When I click refresh in the File Managers the computer names are re-displayed. When before, the Windows 11 computer name would disappear. I would have to restart the FDRP service to get it to show up again.

Yes, I know this is a File Manager/Network folder issue. No dispute, but Microsoft has allowed this to linger around for so long that we users are impatience, and we begin grasping for anything to have the computer names displayed in the File Manager Network folder. Even though the home network connections are most likely working without having the computer names showing up in the Network folder. I guess it gives users a positive visual sense that the Network connections are actually working.

Why do each machine have a different Workgroup? Ideally they should be the same.

You're right. They shouldn't. And I reset my laptops to the same workgroup. I was reaching for the stars again to see if my Network folder on each laptop would display the names correctly. After more wasted time I fell on this as an answer. I did the unforgivable to most people on this board. I turned on SMB (client/server) on my Windows 11 laptop. I don't care though; these are my laptops. Disabled IPV6 on both. Put both laptops back in the same workgroup. Discovery is enabled on both. Result (and stable after multiple days and reboots): Windows 11 maintains the MSBROWSE list and Windows 10 remains as a client. The Network folder displays the computer names from both. If I enable IPV6 on either laptop it all falls apart.

I wouldn't recommend disabling IPV6 totally.
Please use this .reg file that sets your system to prioritize IPV4 over IPV6.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters]
"DisabledComponents"=dword:00000032


If you want to read up on this:

Is the hack different from doing the change from the properties if the result is the same?

lintek214 said:

Is the hack different from doing the change from the properties if the result is the same?

View attachment 86183

Click to expand...

It is not a hack, it is a configuration change.
It is totally different since your setting disables IPV6 altogether which could create issues with some metro apps.
(MS does not recommend disabling IPV6)
The setting I provided prefers IPV4 use but then if needed uses IPV6.
Please read the MS paper on this.

Nah. I'm good. My stuff works. I don't trust MS with configuring a lemonade stand. If Linux did better things on the desktop, I would have jumped a long time ago.

lintek214 said:

Nah. I'm good. My stuff works. I don't trust MS with configuring a lemonade stand. If Linux did better things on the desktop, I would have jumped a long time ago.

Click to expand...

Linux, unlike Unix, is not an OS, it is a kernel, Linux Distro-GNUs are .
But I am too geeky to know that because no one cares.
Both work for me either way.