Win 10 Windoows File Explorer Does Not Display Network Computers

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I have been trying to find a fix for the problem I and, apparently, many others, are having. It started, as far as I know, when I read in Woody’s newsletter it was safe to install the Microsoft updates for September. So, I did and at the time I was running Windows 10 ver. 1909.

Since updating, I have not been able to see the computers on my network in Windows File Explorer when clicking the Network option in the Left pane. I always have been able before to see them. I do have a program that allows me to send files to all these computers, so I know permissions are set properly. I can also get to them using a shortcut like \\OWNER-PC and access all the folders and files on any computer in my network I make a path to.

So far these suggestions, in addition to making sure permissions are set properly are the following and how they are now set:

Please check that the following services are set to start automatically on every computer in your network.

• Function Discovery Provider Host – is set to Automatic Delayed.
• Function Discovery Resource Publication – is set to Automatic Delayed.
• SSDP Discovery – is set to Automatic.
• UPnP Device Host – is set to Automatic.

It was later pointed out that Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication should be set to Automatic Delayed. However, it has been tested using both Automatic and Automatic Delayed and it doesn’t make any difference at all.

Here is what I can do at present. I have a bat file that when run first STOPS Function Discovery Resource Publication. Then it STARTS Function Discovery Resource Publication.

On any other computer that has an incident of Windows File Explorer open at the time I run that bat file, the computer I run it on then shows up in that other computer’s open incident of Windows File Explorer. I can navigate to that other computer and open or do anything I want to do. Once I close that incident of Windows File Explorer and open another the other network computer is no longer accessible until I run that bat fil again on it. So, to try to be a little clearer, I open Windows File Explorer on, what I consider my main computer. The network option of Windows File Explorer in the Left pane only displays that computer itself. I then go to my other 4 computers and run that bat file. When I return to my main computer all the 5 computers on my network are displayed in that open incident of Windows File Explorer. If I close it and open another incident, it goes back to only displaying itself.

I guess I should mention that I run a program called MyFolders that I downloaded from this site. Even when Windows File Explorer does not display any other network computers, I can still send files to the ones that MyFolders has previously mapped. I cannot map a new folder because the other network computers are not displayed in Window File Explorer.

Hoping installing Windows Ver. 2004 would fix this problem, I installed it on all 5 computers. It did not fix it; it is still the same. So I am now running Windows 10 ver. 2004 an all my computers.

Any ideas why I can no longer see the computers on my network in Windows File Explorer and how I can fix this? I have searched the WEB and come up with nothing helpful or that hasn’t been tried.

By the way, this is the case on all 5 of my computers, so something seems to have made a change somewhere.

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There is an extensive discussion of this problem at Eileen’s Lounge – Can’t see Network Computers in Windows File Explorer.

Please read that thread to avoid the repetition of previous suggestions.

--Joe

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Thank you for pointing out the cross-posting, that @wshlewton had failed to mention (per da Rules). With such an extensive discussion already undergone, the lack of cross-posting reference could have wasted an enormous amount of time and effort here!

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So sorry about what you say is an infraction. It was not intentional especially since I am the one who started the thread referred to. Though it is an extensive discussion I still do not have a solution to my problem and was hoping by posting elsewhere some new ideas would come forward. Also, I did try to point out the previous suggestions in the thread at Eileen’s though I did not mentions Eileen’s. Maybe I should have done that. Again, sorry. Full disclosure, I also posted at Major Geeks. Seems some there are having the same problem and have no solution either.

Per da rules, “Post in the appropriate topic or forum – one forum only. If you’ve already posted a similar question on a different site, please link to it so we can avoid reinventing the wheel.” I never took the time to read that, so again, my apologies. I did, when coming back to Woody’s, read the rules but that sure did not sink in.

In my defense, I was at one time a member of a tech site and when I did link to another site with information I thought was relevant, they did not allow the post to be published. So, I typed an opening statement trying to explain what the link was and tried once again to post it. I was banned for life with no way to contact the administrator. I belong to a site now that I fear the same thing would happen to me so I hope you can understand my position.

I came here today to copy what I have posted above and had no idea there were these 2 other posts, please see below. I believe my post gives a good overview of what has transpired. I intend to copy it to have it available so it is handy, if and when I decide to pay MS to try to straighten this out. The problem is, I have gone that route more than a few times before and had little success. They are very, very hesitant to put me through to there second tier of support who might actually know something. Their first line support is rarely any help at all. Plus they keep dropping the phone calls and it gets very disturbing, to say the least.

Also, once again, I have not been notified of any replies here. I always check the box to be notified and had I been, I would have been here earlier.  By looking below now, I see the box is not checked, so I once more checked it. If there are more replies, I hope I get the notifications.

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WShlewton wrote:

Also, once again, I have not been notified of any replies here. I always check the box to be notified and had I been, I would have been here earlier.  By looking below now, I see the box is not checked, so I once more checked it. If there are more replies, I hope I get the notifications.

There was an issue with the sending of notification emails a few days ago. It ought to be fixed now, but you can check your subscriptions any time, by clicking on your username (which is hyperlinked to your profile) and using the left menu Subscriptions option.

1 user thanked author for this post.

WShlewton

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is not being able to see Network printer also a part of this problem

 

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PFC wrote:

is not being able to see Network printer also a part of this problem

 

It was but someone told me to uncheck the SNMP Status enabled option under the printer’s property, configure port tab.

To not make another post I am posting a screenshot to prove that I am checking the correct box, as far as I know.

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[JC Zorkoff]

I had a similar problem with network shares not showing in Windows explorer after doing a Feature Upgrade. My original post is here.

My problem was solved by un-installing and re-installing my 3rd party AV product (Kaspersky at one time and Bitdefender at another time).

I have never had a problem when using Windows Defender, so I have stopped spending money on any 3rd party AV.

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by JC Zorkoff. Reason: Added re-installing

1 user thanked author for this post.

WShlewton

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[JC Zorkoff]

JC Zorkoff wrote:

I had a similar problem with network shares not showing in Windows explorer after doing a Feature Upgrade. My original post is here.

My problem was solved by un-installing and re-installing my 3rd party AV product (Kaspersky at one time and Bitdefender at another time).

I have never had a problem when using Windows Defender, so I have stopped spending money on any 3rd party AV.

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by JC Zorkoff. Reason: Added re-installing

I have had Windows Defender installed and in use since Windows 7. Thanks for the suggestion though.

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WShlewton wrote:

So sorry about what you say is an infraction. It was not intentional

Please read this post to understand why this if frowned on.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

wavy, zeddy

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Paul T wrote:

WShlewton wrote:

So sorry about what you say is an infraction. It was not intentional

Please read this post to understand why this if frowned on.

cheers, Paul

Thanks for the link. Long thread for someone who made 1 mistake out of 1700 and has already apologized for that mistake. Rest assured it will NEVER happen again.

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SOLVED, I do believe. Someone at another site sent me a link that took me to this:
Latest MBAM Appears To Kill Local Network Sharing / Visibility
________________________________________
It seems an update to MBAM (sometime in the last week or two) has effectively disabled both Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing in Windows 10. That is, even with those features enabled they are non-functional.
I have two nearly identical PCs (both running Windows 10 Pro and both running Malwarebytes) on a home network that is shared with a NAS and various other devices. After years of trouble-free networking I discovered that when I open File Explorer on either machine I was suddenly unable to see any other devices on the network. After hours of failed troubleshooting I finally called Microsoft Tech Support and allowed them to connect to one of my PCs remotely. After a very frustrating hour they asked if I would disable my antivirus software so they could perform further testing. Within seconds of turning off Malwarebytes all my missing devices became visible in File Explorer! My other PCs, the NAS, the home theater – everything. And when I re-opened MBAM they all disappeared again.
Unfortunately, I can find no option in the Malwarebytes setup to account for this nor could I find any documentation here or elsewhere to explain what’s happening which begs the question: Is this a bug?

I quit Malawarebytes on my computers and they once again became visible in Windows File Explorer

2 users thanked author for this post.

webweweave, PKCano

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Do you have the latest Malwarebytes version? It is 4.2.2.95. In this thread, Latest MBAM Appears To Kill Local Network Sharing / Visibility, in the Malwarebytes support forum it is confirmed by several people that 4.2.2.95 which was just released a couple days ago does fix the issue.

You may need to manually check for updates in the Malwarebytes settings rather than wait for an autoupdate.

--Joe

1 user thanked author for this post.

WShlewton

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joep517 wrote:

Do you have the latest Malwarebytes version? It is 4.2.2.95. In this thread, Latest MBAM Appears To Kill Local Network Sharing / Visibility, in the Malwarebytes support forum it is confirmed by several people that 4.2.2.95 which was just released a couple days ago does fix the issue.

You may need to manually check for updates in the Malwarebytes settings rather than wait for an autoupdate.

I do not have that version but I will soon after posting this. Thank you very much.

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Kirsty wrote:

WShlewton wrote:

Also, once again, I have not been notified of any replies here. I always check the box to be notified and had I been, I would have been here earlier.  By looking below now, I see the box is not checked, so I once more checked it. If there are more replies, I hope I get the notifications.

There was an issue with the sending of notification emails a few days ago. It ought to be fixed now, but you can check your subscriptions any time, by clicking on your username (which is hyperlinked to your profile) and using the left menu Subscriptions option.

For some reason I did not see this post. The strange thing is it shows it was posted today Oct. 29 at 1:36 PM yet it indexed itself before a post dated Oct. 26th at 3:56 PM. Not sure what is going on but had I not received an email notification I would certainly have missed this entirely.

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WShlewton wrote:

The strange thing is it shows it was posted today Oct. 29 at 1:36 PM yet it indexed itself before a post dated Oct. 26th at 3:56 PM.

That is because the post was threaded, as a reply, not a quoted new post
It’s far too easy to miss replies to posts when they are done as quoted new posts, as many look under the post for a reply, without going to the bottom of the topic.

To reply to a post, click Reply in the top line of a post – you can then select a portion to Quote, after you have selected Reply.

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[WShlewton]

To reply to a post, click Reply in the top line of a post – you can then select a portion to Quote, after you have selected Reply.

 

I’m sure I didn’t do this right but I am confused. If it doesn’t come out right it isn’t for lack of trying believe me.

 

I posted this. It does not look right. It does not mention whose words I quoted and it did not put it at the end of the thread. I did start by clicking the reply in the top line of your post.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by WShlewton.

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WShlewton wrote:

I posted this. It does not look right.

You highlighted copied text, and used BlockQuote in the text editor, to get that result. To quote (after pressing Reply) so it shows a link to the source, highlight the text you want to quote, then press Quote under the reply in which you have highlighted the text.

2 users thanked author for this post.

WShlewton, Cybertooth

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Kirsty wrote:

You highlighted copied text, and used BlockQuote in the text editor, to get that result. To quote (after pressing Reply) so it shows a link to the source, highlight the text you want to quote, then press Quote under the reply in which you have highlighted the text.

Just testing to see if I got it right this time. Thanks for the instructions.

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joep517 wrote:

Do you have the latest Malwarebytes version? It is 4.2.2.95. In this thread, Latest MBAM Appears To Kill Local Network Sharing / Visibility, in the Malwarebytes support forum it is confirmed by several people that 4.2.2.95 which was just released a couple days ago does fix the issue.

You may need to manually check for updates in the Malwarebytes settings rather than wait for an autoupdate.

Joe I have no idea what is going on but I got two email notifications alerting me that you had posted. I replied to one of them, which you probably see above. then I open the other email notification and it too was from you. In the email it said, “See my post above. It was meant to be a reply to you but I messed that up. You may need to manually check for updates in the Malwarebytes settings rather than wait for an autoupdate.”

For some reason that post does not appear for me to see here. Just wanted to let you know I was not ignoring you or anyone else I may have inadvertently missed.

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[Alex5723]

I gave up on hunting Microsoft’s bugs with displaying Network devices on Windows 10 after the 1809 update.
I assign fix IP address and add the device to Quick Access.

I use Kaspersky A/V not Malwarebytes.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Alex5723.

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