Cannot see PC on home network

[MaxOvrdrv]

I seem to be in a jam...

I was remote desktop-ing to my PC downstairs this morning to download some "large files" for later "review".

All was well. All was downloading properly.

Went to an outing with my family.

Returned home and all is done! Great!

So i turned off the download client, and ended the remote session.

Finished my day.

Later tonight wanted to "review" my "files" over Serviio on my tv... oups... no serviio?

Ok no problem... remote back into my pc and turn the service on right? Oups... can't connect to the pc!

Ok so my pc got rebooted or turned off by some process... go downstairs... PC is on and everything looks normal?

Check a few things... turns out Win7 tried to update itself just about the time i left for the outing and failed.

So i install the failed updates and reboot. Go check on my other devices... Still nothing.

Now this PC is basically invisible to all the devices on my network. No serviio, no shared folders, no remote desktop, nothing.

Here's what I checked and tried:

1) Ensured all the PCs are on the same workgroup. Yup.

2) Ensured remote desktop is on. Yup.

3) Ensured all 3 firewalls (Win, ZA, Modem) are not blocking anything to that PC. Nope! All open!

4) Changed the workgroup on the PC to something else... rebooted... changed it back to proper workgroup... rebooted. Nothing.

5) Used Win Troubleshooter and followed steps... said nothing is wrong or needs more info. Nothing fixed.

6) Used wizard (Network ID button)... rebooted... still not fixed.

Anyone have any idea how to bring this PC back on my network? It's my main "server" for everything... media, files, etc..

 

[GokAy]

First try to connect by IP address of the server. Also check Network and Sharing Center for location, Home/Work/Public?

Then see if these services are started:
- Computer Browser
- DHCP Client
- DNS Client
- Network Connections
- Network Location Awareness
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
- Server
- TCP/IP Netbios helper
- Workstation

 

[MaxOvrdrv]

I noticed the network is set to Public... can't change it to home network... but not the same problem the known bug describes... mine just gives me an error that says: "Cannot change to home network"... but the link is active and available... could that be the problem?

 

[GokAy]

ZA may be interfering with the change, try changing in Safe Mode with Networking (no idea if network location works in Safe Mode though). Another one may be the PC has a static IP Well, what I have read mentions a lack of a DHCP server.

See if http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43629-network-location-set-home-work-public-network.html helps, registry method seems usable, make sure to create a manual System Restore point before the registry change

(Not sure if relevant) Also see http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71785-network-location-enable-disable-change.html

Still check the services I posted earlier and try disabling firewall for public network on the server PC.

 

[MaxOvrdrv]

Problem Solved!

Thank you GokAy for helping me! While i was following your paths of resolution, all of a sudden my other devices lost their wireless or rather, were booted off, and could not get get a new IP address... turns out my modem (which is also my gateway and external firewall) was playing free games on me / had gone AWAL! i rebooted the modem, and now all of my devices are now connecting with each other properly and they are back to normal! Yay! Stupid of me not to have thought of this or tried that first huh!?

In any case, I learned a lot while troubleshooting this so nothing has been lost! Thanks again!