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#1
Win7 machine becomes invisible to XP laptop after sharing via network
This is just plain weird...! Here is what is happening. I have three PCs all on the same MS Home network, not password protected. Connected via Netgear router
Windows 7 x64 machine 'A' - Ethernet
Windows 7 x64 machine 'B' - Wireless only
Winxows XP SP3 laptop - Ethernet
Win7 'A' has a range of shared folders the other two can access at will throughout the day.
I can spend all day randomly accessing Win7 'A's shared folders from the XP laptop and everything is working fine. BUT If Win7 'B' accesses the shared folders on Win7 'A' then trying to access afterwards from XP laptop fails with a "//Win7APC is unavailable, contact network admin etc. etc." fault pop-up.
Doesn't matter what I do, the laptop just won't connect after Win7 'B' has been accessing 'A's files.
Looking the other way (once this fault occurs) Win7 'A' can see and access the Shared folder on the XP laptop and write and modify anything within fine..
Only solution I have found is to reboot Win7 'A' then all is well, the laptop can access again as normal.
So Win7 'B' accessing the Win7 'A' files seems to be causing the loss of access to the laptop. I should add that the accesses are not simultaneous. I have tried this with the laptop idle while 'B' accesses 'A' and then once 'B' is finished and not connected I try to access once more from the laptop - it produces the same fault. Only the rebooting of 'A' will cure it.
Any ideas why a simple folder access from another machine on the network should stop the Laptop from accessing the network? I am all out of ideas!
Cheers
J