Microsoft KB Archive/824386

= Computer description appears before the computer name in the My Network Places Browse list =

Article ID: 824386

Article Last Modified on 12/1/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional

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Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SYMPTOMS
When you look in My Network Places, there may appear a computer name that is in the following format in the Browse list:



CAUSE
This behavior may occur when your computer is part of a domain.



STATUS
This behavior is a design change in Windows XP and later.



MORE INFORMATION
On a computer that has Microsoft Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 installed, you may see only the computer name in the Browse list. If you change the view in the Browse list to Details, the behavior that is mentioned in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section of this article may occur.

When you view the Browse list in Details view, the computer description also appears in the Comments column. When you view a list of computers in the Browse list, the computers are sorted alphabetically in ascending order by computer name.

To change your computer description, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use the System Properties Dialog Box

 * 1) Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
 * 2) On the Computer Name tab, type your computer's description in the Computer description box.
 * 3) Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.

Method 2: Use the Windows Registry
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.  Quit all running programs. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK:

regedit

 Locate the following registry key:

 Click svrcomment, and then click Modify on the Edit menu.</li> In the Value data box, type your computer's description.</li> Locate the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters</li> Click NV Hostname, and then click Modify on the Edit menu.</li> In the Value Data box, type your computer's host name.</li> Exit Registry Editor.

Note You may also have to follow the steps outlined in Method 1 to reset the local computer accounts.</li></ol>

Method 3: Use the Command Line
<ol> Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.</li> At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

net config server /srvcomment:&quot; &quot;

Note &quot; &quot; is the description you want for your computer.</li></ol>

Important Microsoft does not recommend Method 3. If you run the net config server command together with the /autodisconnect, /srvcomment, or the /hidden switches, the current values for the automatically tuned parameters appear and are written to the registry. However, you lose the self-tuning functionality of the server service. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

314498 Server Service configuration and tuning

Additional Notes
<ul> Computer descriptions may not show up immediately in the Browse list. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

259523 How to add a comment field to a computer name

</li> On a computer that has either Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 installed, the computer's description is also stored in the following registry location:

</li></ul>

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