Computer Browser

[Black Viper]

Discussion of the Computer Browser Service located in Windows Vista SP1.

Computer Browser
Service Information: http://www.blackviper.com/WinVista/Services/Computer_Browser.htm

[Sir Joe]

BV, in the OP you say that it is not necessary if I am not connected to a network. Correct me if I am wrong, but network is not internet, right? For internet it is not necessary, right?

[IH8U]

For the internet it is not necessary. Internet will work fine with it disabled.

[Black Viper]

For the internet it is not necessary. Internet will work fine with it disabled.

Correct... "network" in this context is a local network of more then one computer... like 2 or more in your home.

[Sir Joe]

Thanks to both!
Am I wrong if I say that this service seems to do the same thing of the Function Discovery Resource Pubblication?

ANd, let me see if I've understood well: if one day I would connect my notebook to another one with a lan cable, I would need these services? And for interchange of files with bluetooth too?

[Alexandres]

Ok, time for an opinion:
     If there was a poster child for worthless processes that should be the first thing you shut off...its Browser.dll.  I'm sure in the Utopian-Society of Microsoft it serves a purpose and since we are all running LAN's in our homes and sharing files, services, and have domain controllers and server client relationships....anyway.  Shut it off.  One of the other 5 programs that Vista has that does the same thing can do it if you want.  Browser.dll likes to fight with you before it starts working (Browser does a service a "Client" shouldn't be doing (but that's another story and peer/border outsource debate).  If you have an XP machine on your "state-of-the-art-file-sharing-server-block-network-thingy" be the first to hit delete.  Chalk this one up as another XP-Vista inop issue.  In any case,  if you ignore me, and lots of people do, make sure you set one computer up as "Master Browser" on your network or your PC's will get pissy and argue then go to "war" to become master.  I'm not making this up, that's what the program says when it happens!  Kind of cool!  And if you don't have enough things to go through in your event viewer, this is a good service to install as well.  You'll get a nice "fight" and "war" message on ALL computers on the network ever so often.  Do the world a favor, shut the damn thing off.  You'll save log file room, a little bit of network space, a little bit of hard drive space, and maybe learn a little patience since it might (oops) take .01 seconds longer to open that network link or pretty little network topology display.  Food for thought!   Peace out for now.

[couttsj]

Ok, time for an opinion:
     If there was a poster child for worthless processes that should be the first thing you shut off...its Browser.dll.  I'm sure in the Utopian-Society of Microsoft it serves a purpose and since we are all running LAN's in our homes and sharing files, services, and have domain controllers and server client relationships....anyway.  Shut it off.  One of the other 5 programs that Vista has that does the same thing can do it if you want.  Browser.dll likes to fight with you before it starts working (Browser does a service a "Client" shouldn't be doing (but that's another story and peer/border outsource debate).  If you have an XP machine on your "state-of-the-art-file-sharing-server-block-network-thingy" be the first to hit delete.  Chalk this one up as another XP-Vista inop issue.  In any case,  if you ignore me, and lots of people do, make sure you set one computer up as "Master Browser" on your network or your PC's will get pissy and argue then go to "war" to become master.  I'm not making this up, that's what the program says when it happens!  Kind of cool!  And if you don't have enough things to go through in your event viewer, this is a good service to install as well.  You'll get a nice "fight" and "war" message on ALL computers on the network ever so often.  Do the world a favor, shut the damn thing off.  You'll save log file room, a little bit of network space, a little bit of hard drive space, and maybe learn a little patience since it might (oops) take .01 seconds longer to open that network link or pretty little network topology display.  Food for thought!   Peace out for now.

For anyone operating a network without a domain server, the Network Browser is an essential service. It allows you to find and connect with the various machines on your network by name using NetBios. Without it, it would be very difficult to share files. But that situation already exists in a mixed network. Yes, occasionally more than one machine would claim to be the master browser, but that is much better than having no master browser at all. That is the case if you have all XP/SP2 or better machines on your network. Microsoft in it's wisdom dropped that ability with SP2, and introduced Link Layer Topology Discovery Mapper in Vista. Now the only ones you can find on the network are other Vista computers and XP/SP2 computers that have had a patch applied. If you have older systems, tough luck.

J.A. Coutts