OK, this is one of the most annoying things I need to deal with right now. I keep running into this problem until I wave the right dead chicken at it.
Ad hoc network, mostly windows 10 machines, some upgraded some like that from the store. Other machines are windows 7. Occasional issues with losing connection here and there with the other machines, but since I replaced the router and put a wireless extender into place we’ve been pretty solid.
But, replaced a machine, that so happens to host multiple printers, with a new Win10 machine. I didn’t set it up, the other guy here that seems to read a lot about IT but hasn’t actually done a lot did. (By read a lot but not do a lot I mean he actually reads the patch notes and release notes for Windows, but has only worked on the machines here and doesn’t practice good troubleshooting) After poking at the internet trying to make it boogaloo, I found that this is a semi common problem that there is no good solution for…
I did get that machine to where it could see others on the network. But I cannot get to it for love or money from any of our machines. It’s not an IP issue, I can see the damn thing in the network page but as soon as I click on it it’s this message.
I’ve checked the services and discovery and all that is running, and set to automatic startup now. I’ve rebooted multiple times, poked at network and sharing, and I’m losing my mine.
OK, that worked… at least for the first machine, and I guess since technically only two PCs need to see that machine it will work for the second as well.
Odd. Are you sure they don’t have local accounts that were set up in the distant past? I know that I had to do all of that when I set up a workgroup for a client many years ago.
Edit: The local accounts might be the same username and password as they use on the other machines, so it’s not obvious.
If I remember right, there’s two different ways to share folders on Windows 10. The choice you’re given first is some kind of new group or community sharing Microsoft came up with. The second takes a couple of different steps, but it’s the type of network sharing that’s been used for years. For what I do at work, I have to use this type for compatibility.
It reminds me of trying to get at the properties for a print driver. There’s what you’re shown when you look at Settings, and then there’s the more useful properties when you go into the Control Panel to check Devices and Printers.
Don’t talk to me about printers… it used to be so simple, now it takes me more steps to find the printer page than it used to for me to share a printer. Printing is what started this whole thing.
And as far as I can tell the only users set up on each machine are the local one, administrator (which is often the only user) and Everyone.
The other machines did all used to be in the same Workgroup thing when it was all windows 7 and & 8 here. I wonder if there is a carryover.
