Laptop Doesn't Appear on Network

dustnik · Jun 3, 2023

Why doesn't my laptop appear as a device on my network? There is only one other laptop showing. However, my WMP library is listed as a media device. I've tried the usual suggestions: making sure the network is set to private and enabling network discovery and file and printer sharing, but nothing seems to work. What more do I have to do?

glasskuter · Jun 3, 2023

This has been a common problem here on the forum. See @hsehestedt post #2 in this thread for things to check.. Make sure password protected sharing is OFF.
If you cannot get it to show in your network tree, you should be able to access it my ip address or computer name thru file explorer.

Not able to access or see a media server PC over the local network

This is a new install but the issue is networking based -- so I posted it here. I have an old desktop running Win10 using Emby Media Server -- and I want to replace that with a Win11 Pro install doing the same. So I grabbed an SSD and installed a trial Enterprise version of Win11. I did that...

www.elevenforum.com

MisterEd · Jun 3, 2023

I gave up a long time ago trying to look for my computers in network. Instead I have created shortcuts to them. Note the shortcut for computer Waldo is \\Waldo.

I have a folder on my desktop called My Network. I keep the network computer shortcuts in it.

dustnik · Jun 5, 2023

So no one knows how to fix this??? I feel like it's just a matter of having a setting wrong. After all the computer shows up as a media device, just not as a computer.

MisterEd · Jun 5, 2023

dustnik said:
So no one knows how to fix this??? I feel like it's just a matter of having a setting wrong. After all the computer shows up as a media device, just not as a computer.

I have seen people come up with a lot of so called fixes but I have yet to find something that is a permanent fix.

Someone came out with a batch file called FDResPub.bat:

Code:

net stop FDResPub
net start FDResPub

I have found that if I run it on each computer after they are booted it makes the computer show up in the network. It might work better if I would take the time to automate that process.

I suggest you take the time to make shortcuts like I did. That way you can stop worrying about this and get on with life.

Dru2 · Jun 5, 2023

The key to having all your PCs show in a network is to ensure each PC's network settings are set the same to include enabling File and Printer sharing, Remote Desktop, and ensuring the Network ID (Work Group) is the same. None of those are necessarily required to "see" the PC's, but it helps eliminate access/issues.

Here you can see both my Windows 11 Desktops, and my Windows 10 laptops (Yoga, Zenbook), plus my WD NAS...

I can click into anyone of those PC's but unless there are "shared folders / files" it will be blank. The only to see the full contents of said PC is to Remote Desktop into them.

MisterEd · Jun 5, 2023

Dru2 said:
The key to having all your PCs show in a network is to ensure each PC's network settings are set the same to include enabling File and Printer sharing, Remote Desktop, and ensuring the Network ID (Work Group) is the same. None of those are necessarily required to "see" the PC's, but it helps eliminate access/issues.

Here you can see both my Windows 11 Desktops, and my Windows 10 laptops (Yoga, Zenbook), plus my WD NAS...

View attachment 61684

I can click into anyone of those PC's but unless there are "shared folders / files" it will be blank. The only to see the full contents of said PC is to Remote Desktop into them.

I am glad that Windows networking is working for you but that is not true for many of us. I have followed many links and followed many tutorials without success. FYI, problems with networking on home networks is well known. Some people have had success while others have not. I have spent many hours trying to fix this without success. I have accepted that fact and created the computer links as workable compromise.