Error with Computer Browser service

I already have Server and Workstation running ( Auto )
With the service down, i cant access computers on my network

hmm looks like you may need to do a repair install. basically reinstall Windows over top of itself and see if the problem goes away.

here's a tutorial:
Repair Install

sup3rsprt said:

hmm looks like you may need to do a repair install. basically reinstall Windows over top of itself and see if the problem goes away.

here's a tutorial:
Repair Install

I agree with SS. another thing you can try before the repair install is a system file check. this will verify and attempt to repair system files. its run by start>search>cmd>sfc /scannow

ken

zigzag3143 said:

sup3rsprt said:

hmm looks like you may need to do a repair install. basically reinstall Windows over top of itself and see if the problem goes away.

here's a tutorial:
Repair Install

I agree with SS. another thing you can try before the repair install is a system file check. this will verify and attempt to repair system files. its run by start>search>cmd>sfc /scannow

ken

Tried that and there were no problems detected.

If i do a repair install then that would revert some of my "tweaks" back to default values right ?

probably. noone said repair install would be fun

EarlZ said:

I already have Server and Workstation running ( Auto )
With the service down, i cant access computers on my network

Sure you can. The "computer browser" just populates the "net neighborhood" list. It's practically useless nowadays. Use UNC instead: \\TargetName\ShareName

Anyway, only one machine needs to run that service on a small (home) network, and it doesn't really matter which machine that is.

For what it's worth, the error is likely caused by registry corruption in HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Bowser. (I didn't mis-spell that just now; Microsoft did, long ago, and it stuck :))

If the machine has been subjected to "registry cleaning", that's usually enough to explain just about any symptom imaginable.

Sorry i wasnt able to check the thread for some time, i remember that service is needed coz i used to turn that of when i dont need any sharing done.. i access the other computer via //targetname and there are times that i forget to enable the computer browser service..

the repair for Win7 is a bit complicated and long xD

EarlZ said:

Sorry i wasnt able to check the thread for some time, i remember that service is needed coz i used to turn that of when i dont need any sharing done.. i access the other computer via //targetname and there are times that i forget to enable the computer browser service..

the repair for Win7 is a bit complicated and long xD

The "computer browser" (CB) service is most definitely not required for accessing other computers via UNC (\\targetname). If that's all you ever do, you can disable CB on every machine on the network and not worry about it.

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What CB does is to collect periodic "announcements" from machines whose Server service is active: "My name is XYZ and these are my shares...". Whenever a user clicks on Net Neighborhood (or whatever it's called nowadays), the machine finds and queries the winner of a local CB "election" to ask it for the list of workgroup/domain resources.

If you use UNC, that's all bypassed.

Even if you do sometimes require the browse list, only one box on a small network needs to run the CB service. It will automatically win the CB "election" (whenever it's running obviously).

So why cant i connect to the other computer using \\targetname now ? nothing has been changed on both sides..

EarlZ said:

So why cant i connect to the other computer using \\targetname now ? nothing has been changed on both sides..

Ah, the real issue surfaces :)

What's the error message when you attempt UNC?

Does UNC work if you use the target IP address in place of the target name? (\\192.168.0.5\whatever)

Can both machines ping each other by name? By IP?

Have you tested what happens when you temporarily deactivate all software firewalls on both machines?