Solved Windows Explorer Problem

[ken0069]

First let me say that this is my first post here and if this is in the wrong section then please move it to the correct one.

Please note that I don't have the computer in question in front of me here in my shop at this time. It will be delivered to my shop Friday evening after they close up and they expect me to have it back to them on Monday morning at the start of business.

Background: I got a call from this local garage last week wanting to know if I could network two systems they had connected to a Cisco router? Since I do this here at home and have done similar setups at other locations in the past, I took on the job. What they want to do is access one computer from the other to transfer Quickbooks backup files from one system to the other so they have a complete system backed up.

One system, which is new is Windows 8.1 and I made a shared folder on the C drive to use for backups with zero problems.

The other system has Windows 7 Home Premium and has been in use now for about 4 years and I tried to access Windows Explorer on that Windows 7 box to create a shared folder there also but was unable to access the file system to do so? When I click on the Windows Explorer icon all I get is “Libraries” without any of the “normal” stuff, ie, Computer, Local Disk C: or directory tree, no way to access the network, desktop, etc. All that shows up is “Libraries” then Documents, Videos, Music, Pictures and NOTHING else? And, no apparent way to get to anything else?

So, I need to get some suggestions on what to do to try to restore those missing directories/files in Windows Explorer so I can connect these two systems, and, I need to do it without trashing the system and having to reload it.

Any help is appreciated and I'll keep you posted this weekend on how this works out.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[mitchell65]

Hi Ken and welcome to the Forum.
If you can't see all the computer contents then click "Organise" then choose layout and check all the options that are shown in that window.
But really I would recommend that you tell this customer that you are not sure how to do this. Better eat a bit of humble pie than mess up the two PC's. Could get yourself in a whole lot of trouble and quite possibly be a financial loss!!!!

 

[ken0069]

Thanks for the rapid reply.

That suggestion is something I can try tomorrow while it's still in use in their office so I will do that in the morning. It's the first time I've ever seen Windows Explorer look like that and I had checked everything I knew to restore it. Hopefully your suggestion will work. Another question is, how did it get changed in the first place since that's not the "default" view? The answer to that is probably due to the fact that there has been 3 different secretaries on that system in the past 4 years!

RE: Networking? Well, I've been doing simple file sharing networks for people off and on now for the better part of 16 years starting with Windows 98 using netbui and that part has always been pretty easy for me. It's those little individual settings in 6 different Microsoft operating systems over the years that they choose to move around with each new system that will bite you in the shorts! That and time for me to work on that system has been limited due to them having to have it for the business.

Ennywho, hopefully this will get me where I need to be with that computer.

Thanks again,

Ken

 

[mitchell65]

Please report back after you have tried my suggestion!

 

[ken0069]

Yup, that fixed it. There was one item that wasn't checked. Checked that one and the file system showed up.

Thanks for your help.

Ken