Adding Network video sources isn't working - Solved
#1
I have a new install of XBMC on a laptop. This will be the third computer on my network to run XBMC, it is a fresh install of Windows Ultimate. I have my network set and works great in windows My problem is i can't see any other folders on my network in XBMC where i add video sources.

Windows Network (SMB) is available but nothing is in it.

My network is up and working with file sharing

Things I have tried
Set XBMC as an administrator program
set my network as a Home group and just a straight up shared folders
set all my firewall protection to off and on with permissions

I believe its a setting in XBMC not allowing the permissions

Does anyone have insight to this? I have never come across this before and i have set up many instances of XBMC for my home and friends

Thanks in advance
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#2
Close XBMC, press Windows-R and in the Run dialog type:

Code:
\\<servername>

where you need to replace <servername> by the name of your server. Click OK and see if you get a window with a list of all the shares. If not you have a basic networking problem.

If you do get a list of shares that shows the networking is OK, so it's just XBMC not showing the local network properly. If so just add the share manually. In the "Add source" dialog click the Browse button then scroll down and click on "Add network location". Enter the server and share name (and username/password if you need them) and click OK and you'll see a source added to the list in the form "smb://servername/sharename/". Click this then OK.

The smb://servername/sharename/ is generally the most reliable way to enter sources for shared folders.
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#3
I am not 100% sure what the server name is but I have 3 computers all Windows 7 (including my troubled laptop) connected via a Homegroup. I tried what you said but put one of my computer names in and it worked lets say my computer name is JAY-PC I typed \\JAY-PC and a folder opened for this network source. I tried with my other computer and it worked as well.

I took this to your next step but i am not sure how to enter it properly. I kept the protocol Windows network (SMB) i put my server name is \\JAY-PC

but I am not sure if should put a shared folder and I don't think I need a username or password if i did would it be my windows username and password for the remote computer?

regardless i tried just putting in the server name to see where that got me. It added but when i try and access the network folder it just hangs, the name of the share that shows up is smb://JAY-PC

If you could give me a bit of insight that would be great
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#4
Windoes Homegroup = Total Failure

Read this thread to learn how to correctly share between Win7 machines.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=63123
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#5
You need the share name as well as the server name. When you type \\servername into the Run dialog and click OK what you get is a list of all the share names.

The source should show as smb://jay-pc/sharename/
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#6
Perfect This worked. I realized why, I had a problem before with the new network share hanging I added a \\ to my server name but you don't need to do that in XBMC I guess

Thanks for your help guys... I completely agree Windows Home Group does suck I just put it that way because i knew it worked before.

PS I know I double posted this but before I wrote this thread I thought I had deleted it, now I can't seem to delete my other post. I will continue to try and delete it but just forget about it
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Adding Network video sources isn't working - Solved0