One computer running XP Pro using mapped drives on another computer running Windows 2000.
Network runs through a router used to connect to ATT Yahoo DSL Internet using wired ethernet.
Network has worked smoothly for several months.
Christmas day - the mapped drives became unreachable after an automatic update from M$
Uninstalled the update, but that didn't fix the problem at all nor did it change it in any noticeable way.
Can still ping the W2000 computer using its name and its IP address on the network
Can still use VNC to operate the W2000 computer from the XP Pro computer
Have rebooted both computers several times

Perplexing to say the least since I use the mapped drives heavily every day for backup and other purposes.

I'm stumped - and open to suggestions.

Thank you.

EJohnB
San Diego

M$ upgrades changed many settings for me as well. Recheck that "Reconnect on logon" is still selected on both computers. I lost mine on XP.

Thanks - still checked - and remapping does not help either - can't find the network path.

You may need to go and re-setup a network on both computers. Try one 1st, then refresh the other one, or simply reboot the newly created network.

I've had this problem before and recreating my network fixed it.

Tell me more about what you mean by "recreate".

I have the router in place (eventually put a switch in to solve a wiring appearance problem), and the computers "saw" each other - created the work group - set up the shares on the W2000 machine - and then mapped the drives - Shazam - working. Then - Merry Christmas - not working.

So - what do I need to do to un-create and the recreate the network?

Thanks,

EJohnB

What I mean is go into your Network Connections and create a network, but still using the same name/workgroup as before. Sometimes after doing such, I've found that it's necessary to reboot.

Also, are your computers still showing that there are shares on them? I mean looking at the folders from the Windows Explorer. There will be a hand under neath the folders, indicating that it's being shared.

#1 On the XP machine, I have disconnected the shares; until I did that, they were still showing as mapped but the connections continually failed. I have been attempting to remap the drives to no avail.

#2 On the W2000 machine, the drives have, for several years, been shared as "hidden shares", i.e. the root drive is shared as C$ so there is no hand under the drive in explorer on the W2000 machine - (I originally used the network to practice for NT 3.5 and 4.0 MCSE stuff a decade ago and that was the practice then). I have since UN-shared the drives, rebooted, and reshared, both as unhidden and hidden shares, and attempted to re-map them on the XP machine - always with the "can't find network path" outcome, but with VNC still working just fine.

I sure appreciate your advice - tell me more about NETWORK CONNECTIONS, if you have time.

Thanks,

EJohnB

I continue to have the same problem, and can't describe it any better than you did.
Same thing, XP and Windows2000. They can ping each other, no mapped drives, the shares are there but invisible.

By recreating stuff (including passwords, workgroup names, TCP/IP check etc), I managed to get W2K machine to actually see XP's shared directory and read and write a file on XP, but it's flaky. And the only way I could do it is through the UNC naming \\192.168.1.xxx\shareName. As before, in Zone Alarm each computer, in fact the entire range, is in the Trusted Zone, but I suspect you're ok here with whatever firewall you use, since you too can ping.

Sorry for no answers, I, like you, keep hoping for some clear steps how to recover from what last M$ updates broke.

Edit: I'm not familiar with VNC. Just used to map them before and it worked both ways.

Well you would normally connect using the following path

\\ComputerName\C$

If this is not working try

\\IP Address of Compter\C$

This could be a issue with the PC loosing the Names of the PC's

Maybe a reboot of the router will solve the issue as these normally work all of the DHCP and DNS services on small networks. But try the above first to see if it is a issue with DNS.