Problem:
The contents of some machines’ disk drives sometimes cease to be visible. Attempts to browse these machines’ contents result in this error: “The specified network name is no longer available.” This failure is universal in that it is not just one machine that can’t see the ‘hidden’ machine, it is all machines I’ve tried.
An example command that generates this error:
dir \\vmrh-xp64\c$
The same sort of problem exists when trying to browse using file explorer.
“\\vmrh-xp64\c$ is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.
The specified network name is no longer available.”
Environment:
The environment is a standard corporate development environment. In particular, I have a Win2k3 development machine that is running VMWare which hosts multiple guest virtual machines. All VM’s are set up so that their virtual networks are bridged to the real physical network and all of the VM’s are part of the company domain. These VM’s can access the internet and they can browse to their host so I’m pretty sure that the networks themselves are functional.
However, when the host tries to return the favor, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. The actions that have fixed this include
Repair/renew the VM’s network connection
Leave and then rejoin the domain.
Ensure the VM’s firewall is off.
Over the past couple of days, these actions are no longer sufficient to regain network visibility.
I do not think that it is a DNS related issue because a ping command works just fine and an attempt to browse using the failing VM’s IP does fails in the same manner as using the machine’s name.
Example: “ping vmrh-xp64” – works.
Example: “dir \\10.10.13.12\c$” – failes.
While all of the non-browsable errors have occurred only on VM’s, not all of the VM’s are failing. Only the x64 VM’s are giving me trouble and not even all of them. The Win2k and 32 bit XP VM’s, once they work, never fail again.
Other programmers using VM’s based on the same one that I have based my own 64 bit XP VM are not having this problem so I suspect that the issue is localized to my own environment rather than being an XP64 issue.
So, any ideas?
