[ascoredhat]

Hello!

At my office we have one server (with Windows Server 2000) and 6 workstations (with Windows 2000 Pro).

We are having problems adding one of the workstations to the network (it's hard drive crashed, so a new one had to be put in, thus it's starting from scratch).
Everything I've done to try to map the network drive to recognize that workstation through the workstation itself has been unsuccessful. I just can't find the server and other computers in it's network neighborhood. It does see the internet which comes through the server to the other computers. And some rep from Peachtree (our accounting program) somehow managed to get this workstation to find the Peachtree on the server. Our office thought all was well until we discovered we couldn't "add a printer" to it that is coming off another workstation as the wizard can't find any of the other computers or server.
Oddly, though, there is a printer attached to this workstation which all the other computers CAN access, even though when I look at the network neighborhood on other computers, the troubled workstation doesn't show up on the list. It is Ws3, and the network neighborhood on the other computers show "Server, Ws1, Ws2, Ws4, Ws5, Ws6".

Any advice on what I may be missing in going about adding the Ws3 to the network which, I am guessing, has to be done before I can get all the other computers to show up (including the one with the printer I want to add) on Mr. Ws3's add-a-printer list would be appreciated. To me it all doesn't make sense for it not to show up as part of the network and yet the other computers can see it's printer and it can see the accounting files in the server.

Thanks so much!!

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Is this computer in the same workgroup or domain as the other computers?

[Titan8990]

Is this computer in the same workgroup or domain as the other computers?

[ascoredhat]

Is this computer in the same workgroup or domain as the other computers?

Yes, it is. It's in a wired network, but in the list of computers in the network which shows up on the other computers, it's number is skipped. It is Ws3, and the other computers show in their network neighborhood "Server, Ws1, Ws2, Ws4, Ws5 and Ws6". Like it's been excommunicated from the family. Oh, the shame of it all!

Now I just need to figure out how to go about adding it back. Can that be done from this workstation somehow? Once it's listed again, then I'm sure all the other computers will show up in it's network neighborhood and thus I can find the elusive printer on Ws5 when I use the add-a-printer wizard.

I appreciate your helping me.

[Titan8990]

Maybe a typo in the workgroup name?

What happens if you open up a Windows Explorer browser and try to go to //Ws1 from Ws3? Can you ping Ws1 from Ws3?

[ascoredhat]

Maybe a typo in the workgroup name?

What happens if you open up a Windows Explorer browser and try to go to //Ws1 from Ws3? Can you ping Ws1 from Ws3?

Thank you for working with me on this.

I hate to accentuate my lack of computer knowledge, but would the My Computer thing be the Windows Explorer for Win2000? Or is that the Start>Run thing? And is there something I would type to allow the Ws1 I'm sitting at to ping the Ws3?

I'm not at the office at the moment, but now that you mention it, I do remember seeing something on the list in the network that was "different". As I said, we have one server and 6 workstations, and the network neighborhood on 5 of the workstations shows "Server, Ws1, Ws2, Ws4, Ws5, Ws6", but the list ALSO shows one more item that I foolishly ignored assuming it to be a separate folder unrelated to the network, but it had a name of <ourcompanyname>dm-4545345845, or something like that, and the domain name is <ourcompanyname>-dm. When I looked inside it I saw a couple folders, one of them that said "printers". Maybe this is the lost Ws3. But if it were, shouldn't the Ws3 computer still be able to see the network computers in it's network neighborhood, incorrect name or no? This would explain why the other computers can see Ws3's printer, but I still don't understand why Ws3 can't see the other computers if they can see him.

Is any of this starting to make sense (if so, that would probably be a first for me). lol

Thank you

[Titan8990]

Maybe this is the lost Ws3. But if it were, shouldn't the Ws3 computer still be able to see the network computers in it's network neighborhood, incorrect name or no? This would explain why the other computers can see Ws3's printer, but I still don't understand why Ws3 can't see the other computers if they can see him.

This is what would happen if the computers were not in the same workgroup which is what I am still leaning towards. Can you verify that Ws3 actually did get the name Ws3?

I'm not 100% if this is the way to check in Windows 2000 but right click on my computer and click properties. Somewhere in those series of tabs should list both your workgroup and your computer name.

Also, yes, Windows Explorer is the thing you graphically browse your HDDs from my computer.

Who initially set up this network?

[ascoredhat]

Maybe this is the lost Ws3. But if it were, shouldn't the Ws3 computer still be able to see the network computers in it's network neighborhood, incorrect name or no? This would explain why the other computers can see Ws3's printer, but I still don't understand why Ws3 can't see the other computers if they can see him.

This is what would happen if the computers were not in the same workgroup which is what I am still leaning towards. Can you verify that Ws3 actually did get the name Ws3?

I'm not 100% if this is the way to check in Windows 2000 but right click on my computer and click properties. Somewhere in those series of tabs should list both your workgroup and your computer name.

Also, yes, Windows Explorer is the thing you graphically browse your HDDs from my computer.

Who initially set up this network?

Thanks for walking through this with me, Titan. It'll probably be easier later in the day when I stop into the office to try what you've said.

As I recall, on the other computers when the network neighborhood is opened, it has one domain name and hitting the "+" brings down the list of the server with 5 correctly named workstations (Ws1, Ws2 etc), and then the weird one with the strange string of numbers, also. If that is indeed the Ws3 computer but somehow renamed with that weird number, doesn't it being listed with the others under the same workgroup make it part of same "family"? But I guess that wouldn't explain why - even with it's goofy name - it can't see it's "brothers" and the server on the network neighborhood. Though if it can access the files on the server, doesn't that mean it DOES see the server, even though I can't bring it up on the list? Ouch! My brain is starting to hurt.

As for your final question, the person who originally set up our network is long gone. At that time I know the Ws3 was on the list, but somewhere along the line when we had the hard drive crash and the office tried to fix the problem on their own (one of those cases where the boss said "Oh, my son knows a lot about computers, he can fix it", and he said he did and left, and since that computer wasn't being used at the time (inbetween employees), everyone just assumed it WAS fixed... until now... and there you have it. The small office "no actual computer administrator" dilemma. My guess is the boss's son renamed that computer (for whatever reason who knows - probably because he doesn't know as much about computers as he said and he lives back east and was just visiting, so no point bringing him back into it again, I figure) while "trying" to add it back into the network.

Anyhow, please know that I am grateful to your advice and will get a better "feel" for what may be happening later when I take your above advice and see what happens, and will let you know what the computer says back.

Thank you.

[Titan8990]

I look forward to hearing the results. Good luck.

[ascoredhat]

Thanks again for all the help. I had a chance to get to the office late yesterday and here is the latest:

I had the chance to look a little further and it does appear this workstation is indeed part of the same domain as the others, albeit under a different name than it had before. But since the other computers seem to recognize it under its new name and can access its printer, as well as showing it within the same domain with the new name in their network neighborhood, I'm puzzled why the troubled workstation can't do the same in reverse.

In clicking on mycomputer>properties>network identification on the troubled computer, it shows:
Full Computer Name: mycompany-n6g1d0x.mycompany.com
Domain: mycompany.com
(note: The name I gave in my original post was just guessing from memory)

On one of the working workstations, doing the same thing shows:
Full Computer Name: ws6.mycompany.com
Domain: mycompany.com

When looking at the network neighbor listing of the domain on the 5 working workstations, it lists the domain as "mycompany-dm", and under it will list all the workstations that are a part of it:
Server, Ws1, Ws2, Ws4, Ws5, Ws6, mycompany-n6g1d0x

When looking at the printer properties on the working workstation under the printer it is accessing from the troubled workstation, it shows:
HP LaserJet P2015 Series PCL 5e on mycompany-n6g1d0x

Yet, when I try to add a printer that is off ws5 to the troubled workstation with the Add a Printer wizard>network printer>browse for printer, it does see the "mycompany-dm" domain, but I can't get anything to open in it to find the printer manually, or if I just try to type in the printer's name to find, it says "Could not connect to printer. You either entered a printer name that was incorrect or the specified printer is no longer connected to the server". Well, I know it IS connected to the server since all the other computers are using it just fine. And the name I'm giving it is exactly what name shows for where the other computers use it.

And since I'm on a roll, I don't know if this means anything or not, but I found something on the troubled computer that showed:
Primary DNS suffix of this computer: mycompany.com
Netbios computer name: mycompany-n6g1d0x

Hopefully this might shed some kind of light to perhaps find a clue as to what I'm missing. Does it mean anything that under the network i.d. the full name is longer than it shows in the domain scroll down? I wouldn't think so since the other computers can still access its printer with the shortened version of that name. But what do I know? Nothing. That's why I'm here. lol

Thanks!

[Titan8990]

I'm not sure why the network GUI is not working on Ws3. This can easily be bypassed with absolute paths. Why not rename mycompany-n6g1d0x ws3?

If you are looking to add a network printer to Ws3 that is on Ws5 the syntax would be like this:

\\Ws5\<PRINTERNAME>

So if the printer's name is HP LaserJet P2015 Series PCL 5e:

\\Ws5\HP LaserJet P2015 Series PCL 5e

Also, how did it go whenever you did: \\Ws5 alone in Windows Explorer? Often you can navigate to the printer this way and add it to the printer list with a right click.

If it did not work the first time it is likely because I told you to use the wrong slashes. Sorry, it should begin with \\ and not //.

[ascoredhat]

Titan... you are a genius.

Turns out the Ws3 is indeed part of the same domain and network but just under that weird name. The whole reason I wasn't getting the printer from Ws5 to add was because I was not using the proper terminology, as you mentioned in your last post. When I was in the Add-a-printer thingie, and it asked me for the printer or computer name, I just put them in as "Ws5" or "EPSON LQ-570e", etc.
Once I put in the \\Ws5\EPSON LQ-570e as you suggested, it was a done deal.

Thank you very much for all your help. You are indeed a gentleman and a scholar.

[Titan8990]

Thank you for your kind words. Good to hear everything is working .