[azglider]

Model: HP Media Center PC m7680n
Processor: Intel Core 2 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Memory: 3.50 GB
Drives: 2 250 GB Samsung SP2504C
1 DVD SuperMulti
1 DVD Rom
Network Adapters: 1394 Net Adapter (On MB)
Intel 82562 10/100 Network Adapter (on MB)
Intel PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter (PCI)
Wireless LAN PCI 802.11 b/g Adapter WN5301A (On MB)
OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition Version 2002 SP2

This PC is networked through a wired Linksys WRT350n router to two other PCs. Last week something happened that I cannot ping this PC (PC1) from either PC2 or PC3. Nor can I see any shares available on PC1 from the other PCs. PC1 does show up on the workgroup computer list, it is just not accessible from a share standpoint, or a network ping. I can access the other two PCs from PC1, and read and write files to either. In fact, I am still using a PC2 drive as a backup for data hosted on PC1.

I have looked at the shares and permissions. I have looked at the Computer Security and Local Computer under Computer Management. I have disabled the firewall (Zone Alarm Security Suite), and verified that Windows Firewall is disabled. The system is acting like the network is blocked in some way by the OS, but everything look like it is set up properly, and it was working fine last week.

The only thing that I can think of that might be related is a software uninstall last week. The Windows Add & Remove Programs could not find the uninstall information, so I used the vendors uninstall program to delete it. Since PC1 is accessed via the network only occasionally, I'm not sure when the network access was lost.

I have run virus checks, and various spyware scans, and although there were a few minor hits (cookies), all spyware found was deleted, and the problem is still there.

There is one suspicious thing that bothers me, and that is the fact that I cannot start the Windows Firewall/ICS Service. I found that problem when verifying that the Windows Firewall was disabled, and not causing the original problem.

Any troubleshooting suggestions are welcome. I've run out of options.

AzGlider

[azglider]

Problem solved. Solution involved "WIndows Management Instrumentation Service" not starting.

[chuckhole]

Copy the contents below to a text file and save it to a .CMD extension then run the batch file. It is for repairing a corrupt WMI on Windows XP SP2.

@echo off
sc config winmgmt start= disabled
net stop winmgmt /y
%systemdrive%
cd %windir%\system32\wbem
if exist repository.old rmdir /s/q repository.old
rename repository repository.old
for /f %%s in ('dir /b *.dll') do regsvr32 /s %%s
wmiprvse /regserver
winmgmt /regserver
net start winmgmt
net start SharedAccess
net start CcmExec