Know the working of " Microsoft Network Neighborhood & My Computer Places" !

On a network based on Microsoft networking, there MUST be for each workgroup one system acting as the book-keeper, this system is called the "Browse-Master".When you have a network of Windows95/98/ME/2000/XP systems and you switch on these systems,one of first things done by the network-software is to check on the network for the presence ofa Browse-Master:If no Browse-Master is found, then a Browse-Master is elected.

- Only a system with "File-and-Printer Sharing" installed can be elected to become a Browse-Master
- On a network with a mixture of Windows95/98.ME and Windows NT/2000/XP systems, the "strongest system" wins the election and becomes the Browse-Master.

strength of Windows Versions :
- Windows 3.x ------------- > "weakest system"
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows ME
- Windows NT4 Workstation
- Windows 2000 Workstation (internal name : NT 5.0)
- Windows XP (internal name : NT 5.1 ) -----> "Strongest system"

- On a network with a Windows NT or 2000 server, the server becomes the Browse-Master,
( a server is always "stronger" than a workstation ) - each system sends the list of available shared resources to the Browse-Master.

If you use the "Network Neighborhood" / "My Network Places" to view the list of available resources on the network, then your system sends a request to the Browse-Master, which sendsback the list of the available resources back for display.