Windows 10: 1703 - Master Browser/SMB Broke Again?

Hi folks.

I see quite a few posts around regarding issues with Homegroups and Network Sharing. It appears to me that SMB is broken again in Creators Update 1703.

I have 3 of 4 tems on 1703, the other is on 1607. What I see is that if any of the 1703 tems is the first one booted up it becomes Master Browser, then things get cock-eyed. Like Net View doesn't work on other tems that are NOT the Master Browser. If the 1607 tem is booted first, becomes the Master Browser, then everything works fine, across all 4 tems.

My first indication was really odd things happening with Homegroup sharing.

I did find a solution for this. I have a Netgear Nighthawk router which has a USB port. I plugged in a thumbdrive and shutdown all tems. I booted up one tem and checked - sure enough the router is now the Master Browser. I booted up all tems and now everything works perfectly.

Fortunately the Netgear uses the Windows default WORKGROUP. Easy fix for me, but very disappointing that it's broke AGAIN. I wasted several hours trying the usual fixes.

Hope this helps others. Good luck finding a way to keep 1703 from becoming the Master Browser!

:)

 

Windows 10 Network Computers missing on some computers (9 networked together)

This is because the Master Browser of the SMB network works properly. So the first machine you turn on becomes Master Browser, but all the other machines can't seem to find network shares.

Turning off SMB 2/3 worked for me, BTW, but I don't want to lose the features of SMB 3.

See more here:

Cannot connect to CIFS / SMB / Samba Network Shares & Shared Folders in Windows 10 after update 1511/10586

That link goes to a vibrant discussion and troubleshooting of the new troubles that Windows 10 10586 has brought into SMB shares.

 

windows 10 not showing computers on network

The problem on my network is that machines cannot retrieve a list of servers from the master browser (error 8021 for the computer browser service). This only happens when the master browser is a machine running the 64 bit version of 1703. When the master
browser is a machine running the 32 bit version of 1703, the list of servers is correctly received. Another symptom of he problem is that running "net view" on the non-master browser machines gives a "service not running error" when the list of servers is
not retrieved.

The master browser 64 bit machine can always see all the other machines on the network (and "net view" works, too) while all the non-master browser machines can usually not even see themselves in a network view (although all the machines can ping each other
by their ip addresses or their NetBios names).

The problem looks to be with only the 64 bit version of 1703, at least on the Pro and Home versions running on my network.

 

Have you looked at the registry edit for the MaintainServerList & IsDomainMaster.

Make 1 pc the Preferred Master Browser
MaintainServerList = Yes
IsDomainMaster = True

On the other pcs
MaintainServerList = Auto
IsDomainMaster = False

Specifying Browser Computers

 

I have tinkered with these setting in the past and found the results, let's say, unpredictable at best. Even so this wouldn't solve the issue.

I had installed CU/1703 on my test tem and my travel laptop. I was quite happy with 1703, encouraged by many new changes, and did not experience any significant issues. Then I installed 1703 on my primary tem - this is when I ran into big trouble.

This tem is always the first one booted up in the morning and usually the last one shutdown. The 4th 1607 tem, my wife's, comes and goes and maybe isn't used at all. My usage of Homegroup is to provide the other tems with access to master file stores and to replicate these stores to the travel laptop.

Changing the settings for Master Browser election wouldn't change the situation where the first booted, primary tem, becomes the Master Browser.

I advise not be messing with those settings - your milage will vary.

 

Sys - your thumb drive suggestion also works on my NETGEAR R6300v2. Hopefully M$ will fix this soon... I beat my brains out for a week before I found this thread... *Wink