[Solved] Cannot browse network shares with Win 8 Pro.

[x79]

The answer? These services must be Automatic/Manual (whichever is default):

• Computer Browser (Only one computer on the network needs to have this enabled but needs to be up and running for the other workstations to access it.)
• Function Discovery Provider Host
• Remote Procedure Call
• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
• Server (To share printers/files/folders with other workstations)
• WorkStation

You also must have "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" enabled for your network adapter.

If you have one box that stays on full time, then enable Computer Browser on that one and not the others. If you don't, then you probably should enable it on all boxes.

 

I used WTK to disable many services and remove many packages so I spent 5+ hours searching/testing to figure out why I could share folders but I could not access shares on other computers on my workgroup network. In my research, people stated that some other things were required like Network Discovery option in Advanced networking options, Network Location Awareness Service, SSDP service, UPNP Device Host service, DNS Client service running. I can currently share and access shares even though Network Discovery will not stay enabled and I have the following services disabled:

• Network Location Awareness
• DNS Client
• SSDP Discovery

Edited July 23, 2013 by x79