Can't see XP Machine in Windows 7

I am absolutely frustrated by this problem. No matter what I try I can see my Windows 7 machine in XP but can not even SEE my xp machine in Windows 7. I have the network Computer names the same on both computers "Workgroup". I have ALL firewalls completely turned off. I have all network sharing settings in the sharing center set correctly. The windows 7 machine just is not finding the computer. I am using a wireless network. I have a shared folder on the XP machine. I have ran the Network setup wizard on the XP machine that did absolutely nothing for it. I am able to see my XP machine from other XP machines with no problems and access the shared folder. I have figured out that it WILL get access to my shared folder in Windows 7 IF I manually type the IP number of the XP machine in the network explorer. It's just like Windows 7 is not able to read the name of my XP machine. It's driving me crazy!!

Thanks for the help.... Unfortunately this did not help. I had also tried this in the past before formatting my XP machine and it did NOT work at that time either. I have been trying to research this from many peoples solutions on the net and my trial and error for the whole time I have used VISTA and Windows seven which NEITHER one will properly see my XP machine.

Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it!

Can you please show me an example of how to use the PING command in that PC Name format for the command prompt. I am a novice in Networking. Thanks!

In response to "Mercurial" ... I already have SP3 installed and the Link Layer Discovery Protocal installed.

Thanks guys :)

OK this may help in figuring out what is going on...

I tried to ping my PC name. It was not able to.

I then pinged the IP of the XP machine instead on the PC name... That worked fine.

Now this is interesting...
I THEN RE-tried to ping the PC name of the XP machine and after the first ping using the IP the PC name was pinged! So in other words the windows 7 machine did NOT recognized the XP's PC name until it was pinged by it's correct IP address.

Next I was curious so I went to network in explorer and Nothing had changed. It only showed the local windows 7 machine. So I decided to manually enter my pc name in the address bar example "//PC Name". Now... the PC name appeared in the network list. I clicked it and was able to see my shares on the XP machine. Now... I closed explorer, went back to network and BOOM... NO XP MACHINE!!! In otherwords it had no memory of that pc on the network. So I am seeing that is not able to find the XP machine manually.

Any IDEAS??

Jopplehead said:

OK this may help in figuring out what is going on...

I tried to ping my PC name. It was not able to.

I then pinged the IP of the XP machine instead on the PC name... That worked fine.

Now this is interesting...
I THEN RE-tried to ping the PC name of the XP machine and after the first ping using the IP the PC name was pinged! So in other words the windows 7 machine did NOT recognized the XP's PC name until it was pinged by it's correct IP address.

Next I was curious so I went to network in explorer and Nothing had changed. It only showed the local windows 7 machine. So I decided to manually enter my pc name in the address bar example "//PC Name". Now... the PC name appeared in the network list. I clicked it and was able to see my shares on the XP machine. Now... I closed explorer, went back to network and BOOM... NO XP MACHINE!!! In otherwords it had no memory of that pc on the network. So I am seeing that is not able to find the XP machine manually.

Any IDEAS??

Hi and first let me say welcome.

This is really easy (i like networking) your ip is provided by the isp outside the router and inside by the router since its giving you your inside ip (something like 192.168.1.105) so the router has to translate ip to machine name this is called DNS. once the router has ip=machine it know that when you ask for my pc you mean ip and replies. Every time you reboot the router it looses that unless you put the machines MAC ( description later) address into the routing table. try it. reboot the router and ping its name it wont work untill your ping its ip then it will.

Hope this helps a little there is much more to learn abt networking so keep asking questions I love them

Ken

Thanks much Ken but I respectfully don't think that is the problem. I mean... I CAN ping the PC name on an XP machine that is connect to my other XP machine... No porblems... However... Windows 7 machine will not unless the IP is pinged first. And also the PC does not show in explorer even after a ping in windows 7 machine unless I actually use the IP in the address bar first and then use pc name in the address bar. Then it shows up ONLY for the extent that that browser instance is open. Once I close that Explorer window and open a new one... The PC is GONE from network in explorer