Server and Network Drive disappeared from Network Windows10 (Long)

2pods · 11 Nov 2020

HI All

I have 3 computers running via a wired network, which has been faultless from W7 to recently a few weeks before W10 2004 19041.972, Experience Pack 120.2212.31.0.

Also on the network are 2 Netgear servers (BigNAS and WeeNAS. Predictable eh ?), a WD "My Book World" network drive, and a WD "My Cloud" server in the living room for photos.

I normally have various shares from these mounted as network drives, but not all the same shares, on all the computers if you see what I mean ? e.g. Lenovo S20 normally has network drives called Music (from larger Netgear NAS), Stuff (My World Book Public folder), and Back Up (smaller Netgear NAS), Scan audio I9 has the same shares from the same places plus a folder pointing to the "My Cloud. Downstairs' Lenovo AIO has "Stuff", "Music", and two shares from the "My Cloud" for my wife and myself.

All was fine and dandy until the network drives weren't reconnecting on both the Lenovo machines, even though the disappearing drives were from different sources i.e. everything has disappeared from Lenovo S20 except the sources from BigNAS, whereas the Lenovo AIO has the BigNas stuff and the WeeNAS stuff (which is no longer found on the first Lenovo)

Looking at Network in File Explorer I used to see all the servers in the "Computer" field, but no longer. It's the same with the "Storage" field, one machine sees some but not others, the other machine has different servers missing. However, all of the server entries for "Media Players" are there. All servers also show up under "Network Locations" which lets me into the media folders but that's all. They don't even show up in the drop down when trying to create a network drive.

So far, touch wood, the Scan desktop has retained all of it's network drive connections.
I know I haven't explained this very well, but I've done my best. I also tried the registry hack to no avail, so restored it back the way it was. I haven't added any software recently, so I'm starting to think I'll have to reinstall unless anybody has any ideas ?

Sorry for the length of the post

Clintlgm · 12 Nov 2020

I'm experienceing the same issue. My network is only WorkGroup not Domain. However the issue seems to have appeared with the WU to 2004. My Situation currently is all 4 of my network computers in Window Explorer only see themselves. Non of the other computers. This is the same on all.
The work around I'm using is to create a Folder on your desktop. I named mine Network, Then create short cuts to my other computer in the folder ie" //Office" I guess IP would work also. So this is how I access my other computers until MS fixes this issue. in your case I guess you would use for individual folder on a computer would be \\Office\C: ? Not Ideal but until MS fixes this it works for me.

thomaseg1 · 12 Nov 2020

Check to see if net discovery is on all your computers. An update may have reset them.
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings
and turn on sharing (on all computers)

Samuria · 12 Nov 2020

After a major update all the computers are new and so is the network. It takes time for NetBIOS to find everything. Be sure NetBIOS is running on all pcs that resolve of names but in the mean time using IP should work ok. What protocol do the nas use as it may be disabled due to security risk

2pods · 13 Nov 2020

Thanks to everyone for their help.

I don't know how, but the WeeNas has showed up again, and allowed me to map a network drive to it. It was also showing up in both the "Computer" and "Storage" fields of FX. No luck with Worldbook, even when I tried to force a network drive map.

After rebooting again that network drive, along with the usual suspects were still there, although its icon in the "Computer" and "storage" fields had vanished again. Just for the hell of it, I retrieved the World Book drive from the cabinet it's in (plenty of cool airspace in there), and unplugged and replugged the cat5 cable, tried to map the drive and there it was. Except it's icons weren't showing in the Network fields either !

Still at least I can access them at the moment. I'm not great with networking, but understand what an ip address is, etc, basic stuff, but this is weird

Clintlgm · 14 Nov 2020

Yes it seems MS dosen't want us to network our devices. Many issues since 2014 when Windows 10 came along. At some point they stopped using SMB 1 and since then every upgrade we have to struggle with keeping our networks running. Services seem to not stay working on 27/7 machines and has to be restarted often. These upgrades and updates starting with 2004 are causing the issue of our Shared drives not showing up in Windows Explorer however our drives are still actual connected, as your finding out. I think I shared my work around earlier. until MS fixes the issue. I installed 661 update and still not fixed.

2pods · 15 Nov 2020

Still there at the moment, so all is good. Unfortunately I couldn't use your excellent work around, as I couldn't see anything to make a shortcut too, but have pasted it into my computer "tips file"

Clintlgm · 18 Nov 2020

2pods said:

Still there at the moment, so all is good. Unfortunately I couldn't use your excellent work around, as I couldn't see anything to make a shortcut too, but have pasted it into my computer "tips file"

I share computers ie to create a short cut (\\frontdesk), (\\office). I assume the same would work with individual drives as (\\office\C ) First create a folder on your desktop then open that folder and right click and create a short cut.
Click on any of these short cuts and you open that computer or drive. To link other programs to these short cuts when needed browse to the the short cut and that program will connect to that shared drive or computer. Sorry I'm not much on tutorials

2pods · 18 Nov 2020

Thanks. Clear enough to me

Clintlgm · 19 Nov 2020

2pods said:

Thanks. Clear enough to me

Glad I could be helpful