how to use paths to networked computers

History on my question: A couple of months ago, my workgroup name used for
many years (let's call it
ABC) stopped working. I could access my networked computers by using their
paths \\mylaptop\downloads but not their network name. I rebooted but it did
not help.

So I changed the workgroup name to ABC2 and it worked for 2 months up to
today at 4 PM, when workgroup names were last used to share some files.

Suddenly, again, I could use the paths but not the workgroup. I rebooted but
it did not help. I changed the workgroup on 4 of my computers to ABC3,
rebooted, and I see the networks again.
------------------------------------------
Today, in the middle of nothing special, it happened again and ABC3 doesn't
show up on my computer as a workgroup.

So I'm trying to learn how to use the path instead of the workgroup to
receive copied files. After I choose the files to copy, how do I paste if I
cannot navigate to the networked computer in Explorer? If I click "network"
on my Vista computer, it only sees the computer I am on. Similarly in XP.
Unfortunately my computer names are long and descriptive and a pain to enter
by hand.

I tried to create a folder with the path but it considered it an invalid
foldername since it contains symbols like \ or \\.

Am I missing something really easy?

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:40:43 -0500, "AB" <asb@nospam.invalid> wrote:

>History on my question: A couple of months ago, my workgroup name used for
>many years (let's call it
>ABC) stopped working. I could access my networked computers by using their
>paths \\mylaptop\downloads but not their network name. I rebooted but it did
>not help.
>
>So I changed the workgroup name to ABC2 and it worked for 2 months up to
>today at 4 PM, when workgroup names were last used to share some files.
>
>Suddenly, again, I could use the paths but not the workgroup. I rebooted but
>it did not help. I changed the workgroup on 4 of my computers to ABC3,
>rebooted, and I see the networks again.
>------------------------------------------
>Today, in the middle of nothing special, it happened again and ABC3 doesn't
>show up on my computer as a workgroup.
>
>So I'm trying to learn how to use the path instead of the workgroup to
>receive copied files. After I choose the files to copy, how do I paste if I
>cannot navigate to the networked computer in Explorer? If I click "network"
>on my Vista computer, it only sees the computer I am on. Similarly in XP.
>Unfortunately my computer names are long and descriptive and a pain to enter
>by hand.
>
>I tried to create a folder with the path but it considered it an invalid
>foldername since it contains symbols like \ or \\.
>
>Am I missing something really easy?

Type one of these in the Start > Run (XP or Vista) or
Start > Start Search (Vista) box:

\\computer
\\computer\share

You can also create a desktop shortcut to a computer or share by
typing one of those as the location of the item.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Thanks - dragging files to the the desktop shortcut icon worked perfectly.
Thank you so much.

An unrelated question - some people, including you, reply at the bottom of a
message (and one has to cursor down to find the reply) . Many years ago I
learned to reply on top so the reply is immediately found and that is where
the cursor shows up when I hit "reply" in OE. Which is considered the most
polite standard these days?

"Steve Winograd" <bc070521m@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:qe43l4tqkofo7mt257sq06m0j8m3vvb7v9@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:40:43 -0500, "AB" <asb@nospam.invalid> wrote:
>(clip)
>>Suddenly, again, I could use the paths but not the workgroup. I rebooted
>>but
>>it did not help. I changed the workgroup on 4 of my computers to ABC3,
>>rebooted, and I see the networks again.

(clip)>>So I'm trying to learn how to use the path instead of the workgroup
to
>>receive copied files. After I choose the files to copy, how do I paste if
>>I
>>cannot navigate to the networked computer in Explorer? If I click
>>"network"
>>on my Vista computer, it only sees the computer I am on. Similarly in XP.
(clip)
>
> You can also create a desktop shortcut to a computer or share by
> typing one of those as the location of the item.
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

In message <uQ5Wn2WZJHA.1532@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl> "AB"
<asb@nospam.invalid> was claimed to have wrote:

>An unrelated question - some people, including you, reply at the bottom of a
>message (and one has to cursor down to find the reply) . Many years ago I
>learned to reply on top so the reply is immediately found and that is where
>the cursor shows up when I hit "reply" in OE. Which is considered the most
>polite standard these days?

In email, it really depends, although in general replying on top is more
common.

On usenet outside of specific groups (microsoft.* being one such
example), inline posting is usually the best way to go.

For one to one communication it doesn't make a big difference, but when
you're talking about newgroups which are one-to-many, you have to
understand that you have readers who may be coming in mid-thread, so an
interspersed posting style allows the reader to know the context of your
text.

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:16:32 -0500, "AB" <asb@nospam.invalid> wrote:

>>>Suddenly, again, I could use the paths but not the workgroup. I rebooted
>>>but
>>>it did not help. I changed the workgroup on 4 of my computers to ABC3,
>>>rebooted, and I see the networks again.
>
>(clip)>>So I'm trying to learn how to use the path instead of the workgroup
>to
>>>receive copied files. After I choose the files to copy, how do I paste if
>>>I
>>>cannot navigate to the networked computer in Explorer? If I click
>>>"network"
>>>on my Vista computer, it only sees the computer I am on. Similarly in XP.
>(clip)
>>
>> You can also create a desktop shortcut to a computer or share by
>> typing one of those as the location of the item.
>
>Thanks - dragging files to the the desktop shortcut icon worked perfectly.
>Thank you so much.
>
>An unrelated question - some people, including you, reply at the bottom of a
>message (and one has to cursor down to find the reply) . Many years ago I
>learned to reply on top so the reply is immediately found and that is where
>the cursor shows up when I hit "reply" in OE. Which is considered the most
>polite standard these days?

You're welcome.

I think that both types of reply are OK. There are people who think
that only one is OK and who state their position with religious
fervor. I don't get involved in religious disputes. :-)
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com