My Network Places Issue Here’s the problem. In My Network Places, I cannot see the server that has the PDC Emulator role., All other servers and client computers show up.. There are 2 DCs on the network. If I change the PDC role to the other DC it disappears from My Network Places This doesn’t happen right away. All computers and servers have NetBIOS over TCP/IP enabled. File and Print sharing is enabled on all computers and there are shares on all computers. The Browser Service is disabled on all servers and computers, except the PDC. The PDC is configured as the Master Browser by setting the registry entry in HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters 1^stDomainMaster to True and MaintainMasterList to Yes. Other computers are configured False and No respectively. There are WINS servers on both DCs. Netdiag and DCdiag show no errors. Browstat status confirms the master browser as the PDC. I am able to access the shares on the server with the PDC role through the UNC path. If I use search.I can find the PDC server and it points to the domain folder in My Network Places. but it is not visible. The server is not hidden as confirmed by the “net config server” command and the local security policy has ”Access this computer from the network” with the default users for a DC. In fact both DCs are configured exactly the same in this regard. I found I workaround for this issue. but I am curious as to why this is happening. FYI, I used search to find the missing DC. Created A folder called Network Servers on the Desktop and dragged the PDC server from search to the new folder. I tried to drag to My Network Places but this is not allowed. So why is it that the PDC disappears from My Network Places and reappears when you transfer the role to another DC. This one has got me stumped. Thanks John

I forgot to mention that both Domain Controllers are runnig Windows Server 2003. Thanks John

The computer browser service is needed for this "browse list" to be created. Microsoft is moving away from this, in any case as you will see that this service is disabled by default in 2008. If you depend on "My Network Places" any reason why you are disabling the computer browser service on all systems?Visit: anITKB.com, an IT Knowledge Base.

The computer browser service is needed for this "browse list" to be created. Microsoft is moving away from this, in any case as you will see that this service is disabled by default in 2008. If you depend on "My Network Places" any reason why you are disabling the computer browser service on all systems? Visit: anITKB.com, an IT Knowledge Base. The browser srevice is enabled on only the PDC. I did this to limit browser elections and conflicts. All of the other systems are seen in My Network Places except the PDC which has the browser service enabled. Allof the domain controllers are running Windows Server 2003. John

Hi John, Thanks for posting here. Are both domain controllers multihomed ? Try setting the DisableLoopbackCheck registry entry to 1 on PDC host and see how is going : 1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. 2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa 3. Right-click DisableLoopbackCheck, and then click Modify. 4. Type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK. Was there any error or warring recorded in event log ? Thanks. Tiger Li Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi John, Thanks for posting here. Are both domain controllers multihomed ? Try setting the DisableLoopbackCheck registry entry to 1 on PDC host and see how is going : 1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. 2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa 3. Right-click DisableLoopbackCheck, and then click Modify. 4. Type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK. Was there any error or warring recorded in event log ? Thanks. Tiger Li Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. In answer to your questions, neither of the servers are multi-homed. Also, I do noy have the registry key "DisableLoopbackCheck" listed under Lsa key. There are no errors recorded in event log. For a brief period bothe servers are listed in My Network Places. The one that is the PDC disappears and the other one reappears. If I reverse the PDC emulator role, the new PDC disappears and the old one reappears. Thanks John

So does anybody have an answer to my question? Thanks John