PC keeps going mising from my workgroup

[joddle]

I have a mixture of PCs on a workgroup - some running W7 and others with XP - some cant be upgraded to W7 so XP will staye on those for the moment.

 

I have one W7 PC where I keep losing one of the other PCs - i.e. it does not appear on the list of networked PCs although on all the other PCs (w7 and XP) it does appear. What is going on and how do I make the PC see the missing one?

[DSTM]

Hi. Are you by chance using a third party Firewall?

Try switching off the firewall, which ever one you have and see if this cures the problem.

It may not be configured correctly.

[joddle]

I've not installed anything apart from W7 and my antivirus which is exactly the same as for the rest of the W7 pcs on the same workgroup. What I have noticed however is that Windows Explorer (not Windows Internet Explorer) keeps stalling - so perhaps its something to do with that. If I exit explorer using the task manager and then let it reload, the missing PC often returns! Looks like I may have to do a full W7 reinstall as I don't know if I can reload or repair just the explorer part. Any views on that?

[DSTM]

Open Command Prompt and type in sfc /scannow and press Enter. Note there is a space between sfc and the forward slash.

Should repair any damaged Windows Files.

Edited April 14, 2014 by DSTM

[joddle]

Open Command Prompt and type in sfc /scannow and press Enter. Note there is a space between sfc and the forward slash.

Should repair any damaged Windows Files.

 

 

When I do that the screen just flashes for a microsecondd then back to normal - Is that how it is supposed to work? I has not fixed the problem as explorer still hangs sometimes.

[Plastic Nev]

Ah, You should open the command prompt in elevated for it to work, which means opening it as an administrator.

To do that, first click the start orb, or press the windows key, then type cmd into the search bar, the small black box icon and cmd.exe is at the top, right click on it and select "Run as administrator", then type in the sfc /scannow, and press the enter key. It should then tell you it is checking files, it will take some time depending if it finds anything wrong or not.

 

If it comes up with "Some files could not be repaired" run the sfc /scannow again, and if required again, sometimes it can take four or five runs if serious problems are encountered.

[joddle]

Ah, You should open the command prompt in elevated for it to work, which means opening it as an administrator.

To do that, first click the start orb, or press the windows key, then type cmd into the search bar, the small black box icon and cmd.exe is at the top, right click on it and select "Run as administrator", then type in the sfc /scannow, and press the enter key. It should then tell you it is checking files, it will take some time depending if it finds anything wrong or not.

 

If it comes up with "Some files could not be repaired" run the sfc /scannow again, and if required again, sometimes it can take four or five runs if serious problems are encountered.

 

OK - tried this BUT although I am the administrator it comes up with a message saying "you miust be an administrator running a consol session" but I dont know what that means!!!!

 

ALso when I tried to right click on the CMD icon - it just hangs

[joddle]

Further to last post - I tried running the command in safe mode and it ran - but found nothing. ALso tried therepair option but again nothing has changed. If I then go into W7 normally and select the CMD then right click on it the machine hangs.. Just like when I am using Explorer for some other things. None of the other machines exhibits this so I think I have to assume there may be a problem with the W7 install !!!! Maybe my original problem is only a sympton of another issue???

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Joddle, is it definitely cmd.exe that you see before right clicking on it?

 

If it definitely is, and complete with the .exe after it, and then hangs doing nothing it does indeed point to a problem with the Windows 7 OS itself.

If as you say the repair option also does nothing from safe mode, do you have the disks?

It may require a fresh total install from the disks, so back up anything of importance as a fresh install will of course reformat and wipe everything.

 

Before going that direction though, wait in case Ken has some other suggestions first.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

To access Elevated Command Prompt .... there is another option...

 

Start > All Programs > Accessories

You should see Command Prompt .....right click on this > Run as Administrator

 

At the prompt type ..... sfc /scannow ...ENTER ....[ space before / ]

 

You can run this a couple of times. Sometimes it picks things up on the second pass.

[joddle]

Thanks for all that - I have now tried running the command twice - once in safe mode and then one more time from normal mode. It allowed me to do that just once then the next time it locked again - and even after re-booting it stalls as soon as I right click on the command. Nothng too impotant on the machine so a clean install is probably the way I will go when I can find a bit of time.

[DSTM]

It is possible you may have a corrupt Administrator Account.

I would open a new Administrator account.

[joddle]

It is possible you may have a corrupt Administrator Account.

I would open a new Administrator account.

 

Thanks for the suggestion - I have now tried that but the problem is exactly the same on the new administrtor account - as soon as I right click over the cmd.exe icon it hangs and then I have to close expolorer to be able to continue using the PC. Looks like a rebuld is going to be the only way forward!

[DSTM]

Hi Lets try another route without the clicking on the cmd.exe icon.

In the search box type command prompt. Drop down box shows you 2 command prompts.

Click on the top option which is elevated command prompt.

Administrator Command prompt black box will open and type in sfc /scannow and hit enter.

Are you seeing this.

[joddle]

Hi and thanks - Now I have run the command sucessfully twice -but no errors reported and the problem comes back almost straight away. It's a bit hit and miss whether or not I can do the right click on the command icon - most of the time it just hangs but occasionally it works and I can run as administator. It was exactly the same when I created andused another administrator account. Something deep and mysterious going on somthwhere!

[joddle]

Hi Lets try another route without the clicking on the cmd.exe icon.

In the search box type command prompt. Drop down box shows you 2 command prompts.

Click on the top option which is elevated command prompt.

Administrator Command prompt black box will open and type in sfc /scannow and hit enter.

Are you seeing this.

 

Tried that now - I do get two options but the first is the normal one for which I normally can't right clisk on , the other is "command prompt" all in lower case goes to a black screen but refuses to accept the command - it gives this report "SFC is not recognised as an internal or external command"

[DSTM]

I can only think of 3 reasons why this is happening.

You typed sfc /scannow incorrectly

Your Files are screwed.

You haven't Administrator Permissions.

Just because you are using your Admin account doesn't mean you actually have Admin permissions in Windows7

[Plastic Nev]

Hi joddle, further to DSTM's advice and a discussion with him, to be sure of having absolute full administrator control is to go into the so called hidden administrator account.

 

To do so is normally not recommended as it can be a risk by exposing the system to a malware attack should you be unlucky, so once done in there revert it back to hidden.

 

Here is how to get into the hidden account.

 

First use as previously mentioned the right click to select run as administrator on the cmd.exe.

 

When that window opens, type or better still copy and paste this into the box :-

 

net user administrator /active:yes

 

Then hit the enter key.

 

You should then see it say "The command completed successfully"

 

Once you have done that, either log out, or fully shut down and reboot, you then should see the log in screen with your account and the administrator account.

 

Click the administrator account to open it, then once opened go through the sfc /scannow routine again and see if it will then run.

 

When you need to hide the hidden account again, go back to the elevated command prompt and type or copy and paste :-

 

net user administrator /active:no

 

and hit the enter key.

 

Again you should see "The command completed successfully"

 

If still problems after running the sfc /scannow from the full admin account, it does look like a full re-install of the OS is going to have to be done.

 

For more information about the hidden account and gaining access, have a look at this link :-

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/

 

Nev.

[joddle]

I think I may have confused the people who are trying hard to help me.

So to set the record straight - I hope !

 

1) this all started because I could not see all my workgroup connected PCs from just this one PC

 

2) I read the advice about running sfc /scanow but needed administrator rights

 

3) I then tried the right click on the cmd.exe icon and found I had another issue - the problem with the right click on the cmd.exe icon is intermittent - sometimes I can do it but mostly I cant.

 

4) When I can do it I am able to run the sfc /scannnow command fine - but it never produces any errors. I have also tried this in safe mode but the behaviour is excatly the same

 

5) More often than not simply right clicking on the icon causes explorer to hang - I then have to shut it down explorer to continue.

 

6) So all in all I have managed to run the command about 5 times and nothing produced on any occasion to indicate a problem.

 

I trust that makes things a bit clearer - and sorry for all the work this is causing.