Home Network - lost access to drives etc

I have a home built pc, an Asus EeeBox and a Toshiba Netbook. Until recently all happily accessing internet and a couple of devices which also reside on my network. (a SDR receiver connected via a LAN/USB server and a Kinetic SBS1 aircraft Mode-S receiver). In addition, both the Netbook and EeeBox could access the DVD drive in my pc - this simply by having it enabled to share. All pc's running WinXP Home SP3

However, due to recent compatibility issues following IE8 leaving remnants on my pc, I was unable to access my Council's members protected website. So formatted C: and reinstalled programs etc.

All now ok EXCEPT despite setting the DVD to share it cannot be seen by the EeeBox or Netbook. I can transfer files both ways to/from the pc and EeeBox. The Netbook cannot 'see' either the pc or the EeeBox. All are set to the same Workgroup. I have run the Network Wizard on each computer.

I have tried disabling windows firewall as elimination, but that didn't help.

So please, what am I missing out?

Thanks!

Is "Simple File Sharing" enabled via Control Panel>Folder Options>View on each machine?

Edited by Deadbeat (Fri 28-Aug-09 18:38:36)

Strange (?) I cannot see that option in Control Panel>Folder Options>View - but do have "Automatically search for network folders and printer" ticked. I ma using WinXP Home, is that a Pro option?

Thanks!

You'll never see it on XP Home, only on XP Pro - Home uses SFS as its (only) default.

Workgroup set correctly?

Same user(s) and password(s) as previously?

Yes - all workgroups set the same MSHOME and I don't have any passwords set.

What is definitely strange is that last night in desperation I used System Restore to take the Netbook and EeeBox back to before I had worked on the home built (I was getting deperate!) The Netbook came up with a warning that the workgroup would change to WORKBOOK - now I cannot remember that being the case. The EeeBox restoring to MSHOME as before. The Netbook is only 6 weeks old and when I bought it I used the DVD drive in my homebuilt to install software, similarly the EeeBox (I don't own a USB DVD/CD drive). So currently, all can access: the internet, networked hardware devices (other than the shared DVD drive) the homebuilt can also access the EeeBox shared files and vice versa, the Netbook cannot access or see shared files on the other two.

I'm tempted to run the Toshiba recovery disc for the Netbook, but need a USB DVD drive to do so!

Had the homebuilt pc (the one just formatted/reinstalled) been the common factor I would concentrate there, but the other two are not conversing either.

Later I will dig out an old Toshiba laptop which used to sit on the network 6-months ago and see what that can 'see'...

Thanks!

Cheers!

Sorry about the false info I gave above. I was in a hurry and only scanned your post.
Rather than reinstate the machine, you coud try using the Network Services Shell.