Networked Shares puzzle (all)

[JohnGray]

In a domain I am linking to the main C$ administrative share on a number of PCs, and looking at the results in the left-hand pane of Windows Explorer.

For example, one line of this reads:
c$ on 'JoeBloggs (pc27)' ( T: )

I have been assuming that the user identification field (here JoeBloggs) comes from the Control Panel -> System -> Computer name -> Computer description field.

However, this presently reads AmandaThePanda , because she is now the primary user of PC27 and the computer description field was changed to match this -- JoeBloggs was the previous user.

I can't find anywhere where the JoeBloggs data comes from. It is not found by a registry scan, and it isn't in any of the tabs in Active Directory Users and Computers -> Computers -> PC27

Could someone please put me out of my misery and tell me where I need to change so that the rightful owner, AmandaThePanda, appears in the Windows Explorer line?

Thanks!

John

[bigaldoc]

I think it comes from the share name on PC27 John but I'm no longer on a domain so I can't remember for sure.

Edited: Screenshot from my workgroup computer, but might it apply also to a domain?

[Leif]

How long after the change of user name are we talking about? It isn't just a matter of waiting for the name to 'filter through' is it?

[JoeP517]

John,
It definitely takes some time for the name change to make its way to all the appropriate places in the domain. Have you re-booted your PC since the name change?

Joe

[JohnGray]

Al: no, the sharename is C$ and unchangeable (and if you meant volume label, it is PC27_C !)

Leif & Joe: no, we're talking literally weeks, and the PCs get powered off every weekday except Wednesday (software maintenance/update evening). I've only just got annoyed by it!

There is "something" residual, which I can't find...

John

[Leif]

Presumably something as simple as F5 doesn't do anything...?

[JoeP517]

John,

Have you searched the local registry?

Joe

[JohnGray]

Leif: I would doubt it! Restarting Windows Explorer should be equivalent, I presume (which has happened ever-so-many times!).

Joe: Yes, one of the first things I did (and mentioned in my first post)...!

Does anyone have a view as to where the name information actually comes from? Is it (should it be) from the computer description field, as I suppose?

Thanks

John

[StuartR]

I don't know if this helps, but it is at least more data.

This PC that I am using has 3 different shares mapped to the same server. Three of them have the same value in that field, the other one is different (only a change in case, but definitely different) - so it must be share-specific.

StuartR

[JoeP517]

John,

Sorry, wasn't sure which registry you'd searched. I believe that the information is supposed to come from the computer description field. On my PC @work there is a list of network computer descriptions in HKEY_USERSS-1-5-21-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorer ComputerDescriptions.

Joe

[JohnGray]

Joe

Brilliant! You've cracked it!

I was searching (logically, I thought) in the registry of the machine whose computer description had been changed, not on MY own machine, which has all the entries for all the PCs I've linked to -- but which don't appear to have been updated from the values which were set when the computers were initially configured! So it's just a matter of changing the values (which are also found in HKCU, of course).

Wonder whether these values should be updated automatically?

Thanks to all who contributed to this investigation...

John

[JoeP517]

John,

Here are two KB articles with more information: Computer description appears before the computer name in the My Network Places Browse list (see the additional notes section) & The computer description appears before the computer name in Windows XP.

Joe