[Dave the Minion]

Hi all! I've been struggling with this issue for awhile with no real results. Googling for answers hasn't provided any info.

I've had no issues connecting all my Kodi and other PC machines, network share file locations, through Windows SMB in the past. Then suddenly when trying to add a new source in Kodi through SMB the list came up empty. I've joined, removed homegroups, I've un-shared and re-shared drives and folders, I've messed with network settings and user accounts and still nothing. Everything that had been added prior to this problem occurring still works just as it should. I just can't add anything new.

For a time it was just while trying to add a new videos source. I could still use SMB when adding a files source or searching for a specific folder to direct an add-on to. Now I can't even do the latter. Thus far I can find no explanation for this behavior. It just stopped working one day and hasn't corrected itself.

Searching through my log for hints all I can come up with is this

Code:

20:07:14 T:896  NOTICE: localGetNetworkResources: Can't open network enumeration for "Microsoft Windows Network" (provider "Microsoft Windows Network"). Error: 53
20:07:14 T:896  NOTICE: localGetNetworkResources: Can't open network enumeration for "Web Client Network" (provider "Web Client Network"). Error: 1222

Anyone having similar issues or possibly know what is going on?

Thanks!

[BatterPudding]

Sounds more like the Windows PC itself has networking problems. Close KODI. Can you now access those file shares through the normal Microsoft GUI? Will the videos play in VLC?

You need to make sure Windows networking is working fine before going into KODI.

[levi.baker88]

Instead of going to SMB in the list of sources you could try typing - SMB://"your_pc"/shared_folder (I think those are the correct slashes).

[Dave the Minion]

Thanks for the responses.

Sounds more like the Windows PC itself has networking problems. Close KODI. Can you now access those file shares through the normal Microsoft GUI? Will the videos play in VLC?

You need to make sure Windows networking is working fine before going into KODI.

Yes, I am fully able to access my shared folders and drives through Windows Explorer. I can play videos, copy, edit, delete. All that. I can access anything already shared in Kodi through SMB, play all the videos already scraped into the library, scrape new videos added to the already shared folders and drives.

I just can't access anything in the Kodi SMB list to add as a new source. If I add a new shared folder or drive to my network, with full Windows explorer access, I can not add it as a source in Kodi.

Instead of going to SMB in the list of sources you could try typing - SMB://"your_pc"/shared_folder (I think those are the correct slashes).

That only works IF I can type in a network location. If the add-on I'm using doesn't allow you to type in a network location then I'm still stuck. Plus overall I shouldn't have to work around something that has functioned fine for me, on multiple machines, RPi's and so on for a few years that suddenly just stopped working. It's frustrating trying to figure out what is going on.

[Dave the Minion]

To update, I've just spent the past couple hours unplugging all my network gear and re-establishing all my units on the home network. I can see all my shares and access them normally on any PC or device. Kodi SMB list still comes up empty.

[BatterPudding]

Certainly sounding like the network is solid if it is working fine for everything else.

Go and have a look in the XML files in %appdata%\Kodi\Userdata\

I wonder if the SMB password is stored in there wrong? OR it is connecting with a different username to what you expect?

These will be listed in the FAQ more correctly, but it looks like you want to check:

mediasources.xml, passwords.xml, sources.xml

[Dave the Minion]

I checked those files. mediasource.xml doesn't exist. In passwords.sml I found 2 passwords that were incorrect. Fixing them didn't resove the issue. Sources.xml had all the correct sources with no passwords listed.

I decided to rename the Kodi userdata folder and start "new". Started Kodi with everything default and tried to access SMB through file manager and still an empty list.

I've made Windows homegroups, left homegroups, made them again (all various things the wiki tells you to do/not do/do anyways) and still SMB is empty. It just doesn't make sense. There should be multiple machines to pull from, not even just the 2 main Kodi database machines. SMB is always empty, on all these machines and devices, and it happened without warning or making any changes to the system, network or otherwise. It's un-explainable to me at this point, short of there being some silly setting I've overlooked somehow. I can not add shared folders and drives to Kodi in any capacity outside of editing the above mentioned files which I have not tried. The machines are running Windows 7, 8.1, 10, RaspPi. They all had access simple and easy and now..... nothing. I even rolled back to a clean install of Kodi 15.9 and it didn't work. I just don't get it.

Thanks for the suggestions but I'm still stumped!

[BatterPudding]

Pretty sure that mediasources.xml is for audio so we can ignore that. Certainly interesting that the passwords were wrong. Were the usernames okay?

When you edited them, was KODI closed at the time?

Homegroups are misleading IMHO and that FAQ oddly confusing with how it wants to remove security features. I stick with plain old pure SMB.


So... this used to work fine... and then are some point it stopped working. When did you last see it working? And did you introduce any new computers (or OS) to the network in that time?


Are your Workgroups the same on all the computers?

This will sound silly, but there is logic to it due to the way SMB works. Turn everything off except just the Windows 7 PC. Leave it 30-60 minutes. Now try again. Turn on one of your media sources. Leave it 20 mins. Now try going into KODI and seeing if SMB can be accessed with just those two devices on the network..

Samba works by selecting one of the PCs on the network to hold a "master list" of the computers in the workgroup. In theory, everytime a new computer is powered on and joins a Samba network it forces an election. The election is usually won by the "newest" operating system. In this case it will be the Win10 box or the RaspPi (depends on smb.conf settings) holding that master list. Sometimes confusion can occur and you get two separate Masters holding two incorrect lists.


And so I can get a better picture of your network... where are the files stored? Can you give me a kind of mini-map of your network?

Are these Windows versions Home or Pro editions?

[BatterPudding]

Hang on - did you say you *havn't* tried correcting the passwords in passwords.xml yet? I suggest you close KODI and fix that password. Then reopen KODI. If KODI is connecting to the SMB shares with duff credentials then it won't see anything.

20:07:14 T:896 NOTICE: localGetNetworkResources: Can't open network enumeration for "Microsoft Windows Network" (provider "Microsoft Windows Network"). Error: 53

Error 53 is "Path Not Found"

[levi.baker88]

That only works IF I can type in a network location. If the add-on I'm using doesn't allow you to type in a network location then I'm still stuck. Plus overall I shouldn't have to work around something that has functioned fine for me, on multiple machines, RPi's and so on for a few years that suddenly just stopped working. It's frustrating trying to figure out what is going on.

What Add-on? No add-on is required to add a video source, nor is typing in the file path name a work around.

Honestly I think you need to start fresh with Kodi, try adding a source, if it fails then include a full debug log (wiki).

[Dave the Minion]

Hang on - did you say you *havn't* tried correcting the passwords in passwords.xml yet? I suggest you close KODI and fix that password. Then reopen KODI. If KODI is connecting to the SMB shares with duff credentials then it won't see anything.

20:07:14 T:896 NOTICE: localGetNetworkResources: Can't open network enumeration for "Microsoft Windows Network" (provider "Microsoft Windows Network"). Error: 53

Error 53 is "Path Not Found"

No I said I haven't tried adding a new source by editing the sources.xml file. I've not had any time to do much with it the past couple days so still an issue to resolve.

That only works IF I can type in a network location. If the add-on I'm using doesn't allow you to type in a network location then I'm still stuck. Plus overall I shouldn't have to work around something that has functioned fine for me, on multiple machines, RPi's and so on for a few years that suddenly just stopped working. It's frustrating trying to figure out what is going on.

What Add-on? No add-on is required to add a video source, nor is typing in the file path name a work around.

Honestly I think you need to start fresh with Kodi, try adding a source, if it fails then include a full debug log (wiki).

Using CinemaVision to link to SMB osurces for the CV root folder and SMB networked folder for various videos like movie trailers.

I have started fresh with Kodi and had the same results, eplty SMB lists. I'll experiment again but it's not just 1 installation on one machine. It's affecting every Kodi on every machine/device. They all come up with empty SMB lists when trying to access what used to be easy o share SMB network folders and drives.

[BatterPudding]

|When you say you have "reinstalled" did you wipe out your old %appdata%\KODI\ folders? OR are you still running with the same confused password.xml files?

[Dave the Minion]

|When you say you have "reinstalled" did you wipe out your old %appdata%\KODI\ folders? OR are you still running with the same confused password.xml files?

I've done full re-installs. No Kodi userdata carryover.

I've also corrected the password.xml on at lest my main machine.

[Dave the Minion]

This will sound silly, but there is logic to it due to the way SMB works. Turn everything off except just the Windows 7 PC. Leave it 30-60 minutes. Now try again. Turn on one of your media sources. Leave it 20 mins. Now try going into KODI and seeing if SMB can be accessed with just those two devices on the network.

I was able to do this. Well I turned off every machine and unplugged every Pi connected to my network, went out for dinner, came home and started up my main Win7 PC and waited awhile before turning on the Win10 machine and my SMB list showed the Win10 shares. Turned on the Win8.1 machine and SMB showed it's shares as well. So far off to a good start, or at least a way to "fix" it in the future. Thanks for all the support everyone!

Banana!!!

[BatterPudding]

Edit: Eh? Where did this post come from? I thought I had deleted it in error... duh! Just ignore this one now as it is re-written in the following post.... I'm going mad at the end of this day... I need beer.

HAha!! Banana indeeeeed!!

It looks like you have a punch-up going on in your house as to who is the "Master Browser". I guess at some point you get two separate SMB networks in your house due to this. One PC has one list of computers on the network, another PC holds a different list.

SMB works by one PC holding a master list of the computers on your SMB network. Anytime confusion occurs an election is forced to elect a new Master Browser. The winner usually being the highest numbered OS with PRO editions out ranking HOME editions. There is also a specific setting in smb.conf on the Pi devices to choose where they also pitch into this election.


Troubleshooting I would do:

Go to each Windows PC in turn and check exactly how the workgroup name is typed. Or retype it to be sure. Hell - why not whack everyone in a fresh workgroup called MINIONS and on every PC type it exactly the same - always in capitals.

On each Windows PC check which network they think they are in - Home, Work or Public. Again make these consistent by setting them all to Home. (You will need different instructions on how to do this for each OS)

Go onto the PI and read smb.conf and understand what it is set to. (If you don't have a clue then I can translate this)

Of your list of Windows PCs can you let me know which OS versions they are? We can then try and guess how the SMB network is working. I wonder if you have Wireless involved somewhere with that part of the network being isolated by the access point?

Or I wonder is the Pi is trying to nick master browser duties?


I'll go dig out my old notes. I think I have registry tricks to help force a specific machine to be the Master Browser. I'd pick the one that is powered up the most and sitting on a direct Ethernet connection.