Win7 <-> Win7 file sharing issue after client reboot

[mikeymikec]

Two Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit computers on the same network, the desktop has a printer shared that the laptop would like to access.

The oddness began after I managed to get the laptop to access the desktop via Start > Run > \\desktop, successfully connected up the printer via filesharing and tested it, but every time I restart the laptop it decides that it can't find the desktop any more.

However, if I do Start > Run \\192.168.0.6 (the IP address of the desktop) from the laptop, it connects successfully every time. I've set things up like that for now, but I can't say I've ever seen an issue like this before.

If I do a name lookup on either machine, it resolves the desktop's IP address correctly, regardless of restarting the laptop. If I do \\192.168.0.6, let that open a connection successfully, then do \\desktop, it works. If I just reboot and do \\desktop, it doesn't.

Ideally I would like it to work via computer names so that the desktop doesn't require a static IP.

 

[chev65]

These days we use something called User permissions and security settings to establish safe reliable network connections.

You can just right click the folders you want to share and choose the security and permissions settings, they tend to stay put after that. Or you can click on the "share" tabs and go from there. If you are using all Windows 7 machines in this network then setting up a Home group is the way to go.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee449416(WS.10).aspx

 

[mikeymikec]

I should have mentioned that if the laptop tries to access the desktop via name after reboot, it will say that it can't find it ('network path not found', I'm pretty sure). I'm not sure how this could be a permissions issue.