Msg: Duplicate name exists... but I don't see a duplicate name or IP

[Howard J]

After I installed NetBEUI, and I think ever before I rebooted, my Windows XP
Home PC stated
"A duplicate name exists on the network." I then noticed that the
workgroup name was different than for the two other family PCs on the
network, so I renamed the XP Home pc's workgroup to be the same as the
others, and then rebooted.

When I try to browse the network on a non-XP computer, the computer says
that it can't find, um, well, I just tried again and this time it's saying
Unable to browse the network. A duplicate workgroup or computer name
exists on the network.

I searched on the first error message in a web search engine. Two ideas
seemed to
be out there, but I don't see how either applies.

One is that the computer's name has the same name as another PC on the
network. Presently only two PCs are even on, and they definitely have
different names.

The other idea is that somehow the troubled PC has the same IP address as
another of the systems in this home LAN. I'm not sure I know how to check
that. I pulled up the cable/DSL router's list of PCs / equipment on the
system. It lists only two devices--the two PCs that are on--and each one
has a different IP address.

As to the non-XP computer's error message, that a duplicate workgroup or
computer name exists, I'm confused about the "duplicate workgroup...name
exists scenario. I'm sure I've read that all of the PCs on a workgroup must
have the same workgroup name in order to communicate.

Thanks in advance!

[Howard J]

Additional info: The Win98 SE computer doesn't see the XP computer's shared
folders, but the XP computer see's the Win98 SE computer's shared folders.
(Before the XP computer was introduced, the Win98 SE computer did see a
different Win98 computer that was on the network.)

The Win 98 alternates between the error message (duplicate name exists) and
saying "Unable to browse the network. The network is not accessible. For
more information, look in the Help Index at the topic 'Network
Troubleshooter'.

The XP computer gives the error message (duplicate name exists) but as
noted, does see the Win 98 SE's shared folders.

Thanks!


> After I installed NetBEUI, and I think ever before I rebooted, my Windows
XP
> Home PC stated
> "A duplicate name exists on the network." I then noticed that the
> workgroup name was different than for the two other family PCs on the
> network, so I renamed the XP Home pc's workgroup to be the same as the
> others, and then rebooted.
>
> When I try to browse the network on a non-XP computer, the computer says
> that it can't find, um, well, I just tried again and this time it's saying
> Unable to browse the network. A duplicate workgroup or computer name
> exists on the network.
>
> I searched on the first error message in a web search engine. Two ideas
> seemed to
> be out there, but I don't see how either applies.
>
> One is that the computer's name has the same name as another PC on the
> network. Presently only two PCs are even on, and they definitely have
> different names.
>
> The other idea is that somehow the troubled PC has the same IP address as
> another of the systems in this home LAN. I'm not sure I know how to check
> that. I pulled up the cable/DSL router's list of PCs / equipment on the
> system. It lists only two devices--the two PCs that are on--and each one
> has a different IP address.
>
> As to the non-XP computer's error message, that a duplicate workgroup or
> computer name exists, I'm confused about the "duplicate workgroup...name
> exists scenario. I'm sure I've read that all of the PCs on a workgroup
must
> have the same workgroup name in order to communicate.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
>