Windows 7: Sometimes cannot see Network Computers

My Notebook is running Windows 7 32Bit and my Main PC runs Windows 7 64Bit and they are linked by wired Ethernet through a Router/Gateway. The Main PC also has two printers attached and shared across the Network.

My issue is that when I go to access the Main PC from the Notebook, I sometimes cannot see anything under the Network Folder, sometimes I can see the Router only, sometimes I can see just the Notebook. When I can see both computers, everything works fine. When I cannot see both computers is anyone's guess.

When I cannot see both computers I can go into Network and Sharing and open the full network map and can see everything, but cannot see the same under the Network Folder. The two printers attached to the Main PC are never impacted upon by the Network computers not being visible under the Network Folder and are always available for printing from any program used on the Notebook back through the Network.

I have checked all the settings suggested by other Forum suggestions related to these sorts of issues and the settings are as they should be. I have tried rebooting both PCs and have changed Firewall settings on both PCs, updated Network Card software and drivers and nothing has changed the intermittent nature of my problem. An hour ago I had the problem and had given up after a day of trying different measures, and when I started to write this forum text, everything was working OK.

Can someone please HELP.

Hello GavinJ,

Which antivirus software are you using on those machines?

Hi Chev65,

Thanks for taking the time to look at my issue.

I do have Microsoft Security Essentials active as well as AVG Free, on both. I await with interest your thoughts on these anti-virus tools.

I do have a lot of trust in AVG Free and hope this is not the one you may say is a contributor to my problems.

Microsoft Security Essentials is active as sort of a trial and was made active only after I upgraded the Main PC and moved both machines to Windows7. Although Microsoft Security Essentials has been active for a couple of months, there is no history, so I might assume that AVG Free beats it to the punch all the time.

Could you Please upload a Screen-shot of Your Network Map in Networking and Sharing Centre.


Many Thanks,
Josb

You should never run two real-time AVs at the same time. I've used both and can assure you MSE is by a very far margin, the better of the two.

I have a suspicion that the times when I do lose view of the Network Folder components coincides with Microsoft updates of MSE, and as stated previously MSE shows no history of removed viruses and cookies as AVG beats it to the punch, and I have had many years of happy use of AVG Free.

I will accept the advice of not running two anti-virus tools and have now turned off MSE and will see if that in fact corrects my issues.

I would never trust AVG these days. I understand you haven't had a problem yet, but I seriously worry for anyone using AVG, McAfee, or any other incompetent AV.

I'm with pete on this one. Most likely this problem is being caused by AVG and not MSE. You will probably need to uninstall AVG completely in order to fix this problem.

These types of problems have come up many times before and AVG was guilty on many occasions.

Also, the reason AVG is catching stuff that MSE isn't is because MSE does not delete cookies. AVG deletes cookies to say "hey, I did something. Now you should look at my ad down at the bottom." It's kind of like going to the doctor with nothing wrong with you, and he suggest taking a multivitamin. He might or might not know that you actually need it, but he did something so that you feel you got your monies-worth.

Hi Chev65 and Petey7,

I have now been running almost 24 hours with only MSE and to this point it would seem that AVG was the issue as you guys suggested.

Will give everything another 24 hours before declaring the issue as resolved.

Thanks again for your advice, this is the first time in over 20 yrs of computer tinkering that I have gone to a Forum for advice, and the experience has been both good and refreshing.

Thanks very much.

GavinJ