windows 10 not showing computers in network in file browser

Well, for no apparent reason, after a couple of weeks of not appearing under 'Network', my NAS's have spontaneously reappeared as if nothing had happened...

Weird.

HowardWoodard said:

@flammobammo: Do you run that batch file on each of the PCs on your network?

Hi HowardWoodard, sorry I didn't notice this until now. No, I only ran it on the computer that I was trying to share from. Although please be aware that this fix worked great for a couple weeks after my post above, but then stopped again, and I became despondent about it and decided to wait a month for Microsoft to catch up before I came back on the forums again for help.

Badger300100 said:

Please could you tell me precisely what you have done to fix this,I have tried everything to no avail I'm not sure about the batch and the elevated privileges you mention ,I would really appreciate any advice.
my problem is identical if I start no1 pc up first, then start the 2nd pc the no1 pc shows all the available pcs on the network with the 2nd pc displaying none,and the same happens vice versa

Hi Badger300100,

If you create a text file, but change the .TXT to .BAT, then anything inside that .BAT file, when double-clicked, will be executed. The contents of my MasterBrowser.bat file is:
net stop browsernet start browser
Then in the Cortana search bar, type 'scheduler' and load the Windows 10 Task Scheduler app
From there, you can create a task to run your new batch file, with a whole bunch of different options.
HOWEVER, this only worked for 2, maybe 3 weeks for myself, until Windows had another update, or something changed on my PC behind my back, and then my master browser routine to keep updating itself suddenly stopped working. I know it worked fine for weeks because I was using network-based music playing through the house, and then was devastated when it repeatedly wouldn't work anymore, and I had to go back to low quality streaming radio I literally had not fiddled with any settings on my PC at all in this time, only security software (Comodo) and Windows updates, and potentially a VPN software update.

Finally I though okay I've wasted enough time, Microsoft broke this as far as I'm concerned (originally first issue with Creators update), and hopefully enough people smarter and more knowledgeable than myself will get this sorted and post a solution, and I'll come back in a month when it is available. After an intensive several hours of google searching, trial and error, I've found my latest fix:
- I removed my Master Browser scheduled task and deleted the batch file entirely
- In 'Network Connections' - 'Change Adapter Settings', I right-click my connection and go to Properties
- I had read somewhere on some forum ... that you need to make sure your 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks' is checked.

Now I've got absolutely no idea what 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks' checkbox actually does, and Windows seems to have no descriptor at all, other than "Allows other computers to access resources on your computer using a Microsoft network". This is so vague, but someone on some forum somewhere suggested it should be checked, and mine wasn't. I checked it, and hit Apply, and it didn't fix it. I went back into the settings, and it was still unchecked, so I checked it again. I went back into the settings, and it was unchecked again, and so I thought okay, something funny going on here, it's not saving my checkbox tick. So I checked it again, hit apply, unchecked it, hit apply, then rebooted, then went back again, checked it, apply, reboot, and finally it remained checked. At least from memory I thought it did. And since then, it's worked perfectly, I can access the network shares on my Windows 10 Creators PC with the June updates.

The weird thing is though, I go back now to look at that checkbox, and ..... drumroll .... it's unchecked. I still don't know what that checkbox ACTUALLY does, it's not checked, but mucking around with that checkbox fixed my issue.

On another PC in my network, I ended up having to reinstall Windows after about 30 attempts of installing the correct graphics card driver, and then having Windows automatically destroy the driver with an incorrect one, and not being able to see the screen any more. After reinstalling Windows it all worked fine. I suspect that this PC is due for a Windows reinstall, but I've got too much software running just the way I like. Next year I'll either avoid upgrading Windows entirely, reinstall Windows after a format, or at least not upgrade on the bleeding edge, but wait for the guinea pigs to jump off the edge first.

We've certainly seen similar problems.
Some lists are short as the examples are.
Some lists are long and have but one computer missing (seems like always the same one!).
I have been told numerous times that NetBIOS "is going away" by 2020?. I'm not sure what ALL that means.
Yet, Windows 10 continues to display a "NETWORK" list in Windows Explorer.
If you elect to show "Discovery Method" as a column in the Network list display, then you will see either NetBIOS or WSD.
Lately, I'm seeing lists of all Windows 10 Pro machines with 100% WSD as the Discovery Method and fewer problems so far it seems.
Yesterday I saw a list with more NetBIOS than WSD by far (about 10 computers in a peer-to-peer network) and there are these kinds of troubles in that network.

Something is clearly going on but I've not read anything to really explain it.
For example:
"If NetBIOS is going away then is that simply a protocol change in favor of WSD?"
"If NetBIOS is going away and WSD is taking its place (in some sense) then does that mean that the Network list of computers is ALSO going away? Or not?"

Some clarity would really help.

There is a counter-argument:
"You don't really need the Network list"
I say: "BS" because there has always been no better, simple, way to know if the network is "whole".
Sure, I can use NetScanner or some such tool but then I'm an IT guy. What about a more "normal user"?
BTW, the "you don't need the list" is colored by the notion that "not all computers are sharing files NOR SHOULD THEY BE". So why does one need to see them on a list?
It occurs to me that this is often true but isn't a complete picture.

Once more: some clarity would really help.
We are left with a vague allusion to the idea that the list is just going away. But the explanations aren't well articulated or justified. In the mean time, there are lots of users who rely on the list for various reasons that really should not be challenged as "old fashioned" should they?

I have taken to mapping by LAN computers so they appear in the Explorer file list. This safes typing \\COMPUTER1 etc on the Network Icon which is not a permanent fix.

WTF are Microsoft up to beats me......

Microsoft recommendation to stop using SMBv1, and start using WS-Discovery:
Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft
works for my Windows 10 Creators computers.
Set the Function Discovery PH and RP services to Automatic (Delayed Start) and Unmarked SMBv1 in Turn Windows Features. Restarted.
That is it. Explorer Network folder populates with computer shares to browse.
Printer Sharing is OK, also.
On Windows 7 machines, set the 2 FD services, Stopped the Computer Browser and Disabled it, Restarted.Works fine.
One computer was not showing-up in Explorer Network folder. Removed the Homegroup on it, as described here:
https://windowsreport.com/remove-homegroup-windows-10/
Stopping and Disabling the HomeGroup Listener & HomeGroup Provider services, the computer showed-up.

i have the same issue with my networked PCs not showing up in file explorer. From all the searching i've done with google it seems that the last update from MS disables samba version 1 which network neighborhood relied on. the only solution that worked for me was to re-enable it. now i can see all the machines on my LAN. now i know SMB version 1 has been deprecated because of security issues so i would love to hear a better solution

EDIT: just saw Danten's post. i'll have to try that

Danten said:

Microsoft recommendation to stop using SMBv1, and start using WS-Discovery:
Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft
works for my Windows 10 Creators computers.
Set the Function Discovery PH and RP services to Automatic (Delayed Start) and Unmarked SMBv1 in Turn Windows Features. Restarted.
That is it. Explorer Network folder populates with computer shares to browse.
Printer Sharing is OK, also.
On Windows 7 machines, set the 2 FD services, Stopped the Computer Browser and Disabled it, Restarted.Works fine.
One computer was not showing-up in Explorer Network folder. Removed the Homegroup on it, as described here:
https://windowsreport.com/remove-homegroup-windows-10/
Stopping and Disabling the HomeGroup Listener & HomeGroup Provider services, the computer showed-up.

oh well. this didnt work for me at all.

Danten said:

Microsoft recommendation to stop using SMBv1, and start using WS-Discovery:
Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft
works for my Windows 10 Creators computers.
Set the Function Discovery PH and RP services to Automatic (Delayed Start) and Unmarked SMBv1 in Turn Windows Features. Restarted.
That is it. Explorer Network folder populates with computer shares to browse.
Printer Sharing is OK, also.
On Windows 7 machines, set the 2 FD services, Stopped the Computer Browser and Disabled it, Restarted.Works fine.
One computer was not showing-up in Explorer Network folder. Removed the Homegroup on it, as described here:
https://windowsreport.com/remove-homegroup-windows-10/
Stopping and Disabling the HomeGroup Listener & HomeGroup Provider services, the computer showed-up.

The article shared by Danten titled "Stop Using SMB1" has some vital info. The section in that article titled "Explorer Network Browsing" contains the info that seems to be key to the problem that many of us are experiencing.
I think for me, I will just add the other computers to the Quick Access section so that I can always access them easily.
As another work around to what now appears to be a MS glitch in the Explorer, that seems reasonable for those with several PCs is this one I saw on the MS TechNet.

I have seven windows 10 computers on a home network and this has worked for me great. Follow these steps.

1. Shut down all computers on the network.

2. Bring up any one, just one, your choice. That one will be the Master Browser and will show all the computers.

3. Then bring all the other computers up online.

4. Go back to the first one that shows all the computers. Do a right mouse button on them one at a time and create a shortcut on your desktop.

5. Create a folder and copy all the shortcuts into that folder, name it what you like.

6. Copy that folder to each one of your network computers. Then click on the computer you want and map whichever drive you want. Any mapped drive will always be in File Explorer. Or just go to the folder and click on the computer you want access.

Hope this helps any other almost bald person who has been pulling out their hair.

P.S. If following this last suggestion, you can even change the icon for the folder containing the shortcuts by going to Properties > Customize > Change Icon & then choosing the icon of your choice. I chose the one that Windows also uses for the shortcuts to the networked computers.

Hope this helps someone else.