Arbutus Ridge
Arbutus Ridge
works with you to find IT-driven ways of making your business run better. Our clients are small business owners who know that growth and value are held back if you depend on one or two key people being there all the time. Everything we do is about helping you improve the systems and processes on which you rely.
Testimonial
"The advice we received from Arbutus Ridge was invaluable and we are very pleased with their Jumpstart package.”
The owner of an Edinburgh glazing company
Want a copy of the case study? Email case-studies@arbutusridge.co.uk
The Doctor's In ?
Would you like to meet up for a chat over coffee about your business IT systems?
Perhaps you are struggling to get yours to work properly and could do with an IT advisor to help sort out some problems. Or are you thinking of upgrading your system, but would appreciate some advice on how to go about it and the pitfalls to avoid? We would be delighted to discuss these and other issues in an informal no-sales-pitch environment.
We are resident most Mondays between 5 and 6 pm at Starbucks - 30 George ST Edinburgh (Corner of Hanover ST). Look out for the Arbutus Ridge sign. Please call 0845 094 8487 if you would like to confirm an appointment, or to make a different, more convenient arrangement.
Looking forward to meeting you soon.
Why can’t I see any PC on my network?
The place to start looking is Windows although it is a possible hardware issue. A quick and easy test to confirm whether it is a hardware or a software issue is to see if you can access the internet. If you can, it is unlikely to be your hardware or the drivers.On the assumption the problem is software related, try reviewing your various Windows settings to see if anything looks unfamiliar. If that is okay, ask yourself if you have ever been able to see other computers on the network. You may need to reconfigure your Workgroup settings. Note: Windows Vista may change the default workgroup name. Double check by selecting Start, Run, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. Click the Computer Name tab and then the Change button. Then check the name in the Workgroup field.
Another common issue is duplicate IP address assignments. Windows should notify you about duplicate IP addresses being used, but it doesn’t hurt to double check. Re-booting your router and/or your PC will often solve this issue. It is also worth checking whether any static or manually assigned IP addresses haven't been set on a system to use same area the router uses to assign automatic IP addresses (i.e. check each PC individually by clicking Start, Run, then typing cmd /k ipconfig and pressing Enter.)
Other potential fixes include getting the latest Windows Updates on all of your systems. This is particularly true of XP machines. Check your cabling for connectivity and correctness and make sure your Wi-Fi settings. Never forget the infamous “is the PC you want to connect to actually turned on?)
Finally, make sure the printers or folders you are trying to access are shared and have the appropriate permissions for clients to read. You will need Administrator rights to do this. For folders, go to Windows Explorer, right-click the folder you want to share, and select Share. For printers, go to Start, Printers and Faxes (Printers In Vista), right-click the printer you want, and choose Sharing. Sharing in Vista is quite different from XP. Make sure network discovery and file and/or printer sharing are turned on in the Network and Sharing Center.
After going through this process, it is unlikely that the issue will happen again. If it does, start by trying a few simple re-boots before anything else.
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