Cannot access files on other computer in network

We have a small home network with 4 pc's (all Windows machines) on the network. One of the machines is an "All in One" machine. For some reason that I don't understand, it suddenly could not access any other computers on the network. I finally realized that it was showing up as a "Media Device" rather than a computer on the network.

After making some changes to the setting of this pc, it is now showing up as both a computer and a Media Device. I'm afraid I still don't understand what a "Media Device" is, or why it is showing up as a Media Device, or if that has anything to do with the current problem at hand. This pc is a Win 8.1 machine, 64 bit.

That machine can now see my Win 7 computer on the network, but it doesn't seem to be able to access files that are shared on the network. When I try to access shared files on this Win 7 machine, from the Win 8.1 machine, the green line across the top (sorry, I don't know what that green line is called) moves SLOWLY, and then ultimately says, "Windows cannot access (name of the computer). Check the spelling of the name, otherwise there might be a problem with your network. Click diagnose." When I click Diagnose, it tells me that "Troubleshooting cannot identify the problem."

Coming from the other direction, on my Win7 laptop, I can access the Win 8.1 machine and its shared files quite rapidly.

The Win8.1 machine is a FAST machine, while the Win7 laptop is about 2 years older and slower, although not a bad laptop.

I also have another Win8.1 that is reasonably old (maybe 3 years) but quite beefy and rammed up. I can access its shared files with no problem with this Win7 machine, but the other Win8.1 machine (AIO) has the same problem with the other Win8.1 machine as it does my Win7 laptop.

Any thoughts as to what I can do to correct this problem? This 8.1 AIO used to be able to easily access both machines. I have NO idea what was changed (nothing that I know of) except the usual Microsoft updates that get shoved down at Windows users, but all machines have been updated to the current MS updates.

At this point, I'm completely baffled and not sure what to look at. Thank you for ANY help you can give me.

Brenda

Just this week I had a similar problem when I had to reset my dual-band router and set it up again. I gave the wireless networks the same name and passwords as before but when my 2 computers automatically reconnected, both of them identified them as "Public" networks and, additionally, the firewall on one of the PCs restricted the "new" network, which made that computer unable to see shared resources on the network.

I was able to change the network designations on both machines back to "Private" and in the firewall settings I changed the restricted network back to "Trusted." That fixed things.

So those are 2 things to check -- your firewall and how Windows is classifying the network you are connected to. Go to Control Panel> Network and Sharing to see if the network on the problem machine is being labelled public or private.

All running the same Windows 7? And, we're talking hard-wire, correct? Reason for asking: my personal experience with wireless and two different Windows [W7 & WXP] was much less than spectacular.

RolandJS said:

All running the same Windows 7? And, we're talking hard-wire, correct? Reason for asking: my personal experience with wireless and two different Windows [W7 & WXP] was much less than spectacular.

Click to expand...

Laptop is running Win7, but the other 2 computers are Win8.1. All are WiFi. The laptop, running Win7 can access all files on the one Win8.1 machine, and it can access the Win7 laptop. The other Win8.1 is an AIO, also WiFi, but cannot access any files on the Win7 nor the other Win8.1.

There is something that has apparently been changed on the one Win8.1 machine, as it used to be able to access files on the Win7 and the other Win8.1 machine... but I have not made any changes to it. Whatever happened, has apparently happened in one of the recent Windows automatic updates. That is my best guess at this point.

I do agree, when I had Win7 and WinXP, the results of file sharing were less than spectacular.

All machines are WiFi. I do have 2 other computers that are both Win8.1 that are hard wired. I'm is not even looking at them in this issue. Actually, the AIO has movies that we have recorded, and I'm trying to get them back to the other Win8.1 that is connected (hard wired) to the television. There was no problem until something changed within the last week. Now the AIO (Win8.1 that is WiFi) doesn't seem to want to play with the other Win8.1 nor the Win7.

As a temporary fix, I've put all the movies and shows that are recorded, on an external, and sneakered them over to the other Win8.1 machine, but I would really like to get this one Win8.1 back to being able to access the network like it used to. It connects to the internet, so that's not the issue, but it doesn't seem to be able to be able to access the other computers on the network, although it can see them.

Pat900 said:

Just this week I had a similar problem when I had to reset my dual-band router and set it up again. I gave the wireless networks the same name and passwords as before but when my 2 computers automatically reconnected, both of them identified them as "Public" networks and, additionally, the firewall on one of the PCs restricted the "new" network, which made that computer unable to see shared resources on the network.

I was able to change the network designations on both machines back to "Private" and in the firewall settings I changed the restricted network back to "Trusted." That fixed things.

So those are 2 things to check -- your firewall and how Windows is classifying the network you are connected to. Go to Control Panel> Network and Sharing to see if the network on the problem machine is being labelled public or private.

Click to expand...

Thank you. I think I did all of that yesterday, and think the problem machine shows it as private, but I will check again. Some things, on this problem machine seem to not save changes. I think I have changed something and saved it, but when I go back and double check, because it's not still not working, the change I thought I made, hasn't saved, so it's back to where it originally was. Will double check today. Thank you.