UPDATED:  New information added 5/11/2025 @ 4:12 PM PDT

Over the past two weeks some of our clients are reporting that one of their computers can no longer bring up the program.  They have received an error that says either “File cannot be Opened”, or “Server cannot be reached”.  Clearly this is VERY frustrating !

This is not caused by anything within Auto Shop Writer ( MLS 12 ), and we cannot make any update to the program to resolve it.  This is strictly a Windows networking issue.

In November, 2024, Microsoft announced new networking protocols to increase security, and the development of software controlled networking.  I have talked to many IT techs who see the problems at many of their ( non-MasterLink ) clients who all depend on the built in networking found in Windows Pro.

In most cases we have found workarounds that resolve the problems ( at least for now ), but there has been no clear documentation or direction from Microsoft on how to setup the networking for basic interactive data sharing under the new methodology.

Shops are seeing this take place overnight.  One day everything works fine, the next it does not.  Because we have not yet encountered the issue here at our location, we really have no way to aggressively test it, and find a solution.  

We are actively engaged with other professionals to identify the root cause, and fixes, for this problem.  However, it is basically a networking issue that involves the Windows operating system.  If you encounter the problem, we’re happy to talk with your IT person to explain our system ( which is using basic Windows Peer to Peer networking ).  

One does not need to test this with ASW.  On the workstation that is not connecting, go into Windows Explorer ( the little manilla folder on the task bar at the bottom of your screen ), then in the left column, scroll down to Network.  Click on the arrow to the left that would show the visible computers.  Can you see the server ?  Can you click on it’s arrow to show the shared folders ?  If so, can you see, and click on, the MLS12s folder and see the Data ?  If not, then something in your system is blocking it.

This will all be related to “permissions”, set and controlled by Windows.  Not all machines will update at the same time, and thus it may be a problem on only one computer, and then another.

We will continue to research the problem, and provide further guidance as we get answers.  

 

Using AI, here is a list of suggestions you can share with your IT Professional.  This is 100% due to changes in the networking protocols in Windows and has arisen due to recent changes including in the current updates:  

If Windows 11 devices can no longer see shared folders on another computer after a recent Microsoft update, try these troubleshooting steps:

 

### **1. Restart the Devices**

– Restart both the computer sharing the folder and the one trying to access it.

 

### **2. Check Network Discovery and File Sharing**

– Open **Control Panel** > **Network and Sharing Center** > **Change advanced sharing settings**.

– Ensure **Network Discovery** and **File and Printer Sharing** are turned ON.

– If using a Private network, check the settings under the “Private” section.

 

### **3. Ensure SMB1 is Enabled (If Necessary)**

Some updates may disable **SMB 1.0**, which older systems or devices require.

– Open **Control Panel** > **Programs and Features** > **Turn Windows features on or off**.

– Scroll down and check **SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support**.

– Click **OK**, then restart your PC.

 

### **4. Verify Network Profile is Set to Private**

– Go to **Settings** > **Network & Internet**.

– Under **Wi-Fi** or **Ethernet**, check if your network is set to **Private** (not Public).

 

### **5. Re-enable Guest Access in Group Policy**

Some updates disable guest access to network shares:

– Press `Win + R`, type **gpedit.msc**, and press **Enter**.

– Navigate to **Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation**.

– Double-click **Enable insecure guest logons**, set it to **Enabled**, and click **OK**.

– Restart the computer.

 

### **6. Reset Network Settings**

– Open **Command Prompt (Admin)** and run the following:

  “`

  netsh int ip reset

  netsh winsock reset

  ipconfig /flushdns

  “`

– Restart the computer.

 

### **7. Check Windows Credentials**

– Open **Control Panel** > **Credential Manager**.

– Go to **Windows Credentials** and remove any incorrect saved credentials related to the shared computer.

– Reconnect to the shared folder and re-enter credentials if needed.

 

### **8. Check Windows Firewall and Antivirus**

– Temporarily disable the firewall:  

  Open **Windows Security** > **Firewall & network protection** > **Turn off firewall**.

– If the shared folders become accessible, add an exception for **File and Printer Sharing**.

 

### **9. Verify Sharing Permissions**

– Right-click the shared folder > **Properties** > **Sharing** tab.

– Click **Advanced Sharing** and ensure **Share this folder** is checked.

– Click **Permissions**, ensure the correct users have **Read/Write** access.

 

### **10. Try Accessing via IP Address**

– Press `Win + R`, type `\\[IP-Address]\SharedFolder`, and press **Enter**.

– Example: `\\192.168.1.10\SharedDocs`.

 

If the issue persists, it might be due to a Microsoft update bug. Checking **Windows Update history** and rolling back the latest update could help. 

You have probably been bombarded with sales reps wanting to convince you that AI ( Artificial Intelligence ) can greatly assist your business.  Here are some things you should know about AI, and how it relates to Auto Shop Writer.

1). AI is in it’s infancy no matter what you hear.  When you look at an AI engine, the first notice is that you should NOT trust the information to be accurate without further verification.  At it’s current stage, AI is generally guess work because it is based on patterns detected when scanning data, and the computer is trying to make sense of all the information it sees.  It will get better, but right now it is not generally ready for prime time.

2). Much of the information AI provides is quite generic.  It may have some very good answers, but generally the responses are pretty broad.

3). AI is not free.  To use the services, you will have to create an account and pay for “tokens”.  You are charged for the size of the question, and the size of the response.  A very specific question may be brief where a general question could be long, and costly.

How good is AI ?  Many large corporations now are using AI for their tech support.  When you go online, or call in, you are likely speaking to a “digital assistant”.  How good are the responses ?  When you have a very specific need, can you get the proper answer / solution ?  Probably not.  That is because the systems are still in the learning process, and don’t have enough data to give you good answers.  However, getting to a person who can resolve your problems may be quite frustrating, if not impossible.

With all of this in mind, we do have the ability to add AI capabilities to Auto Shop Writer ( and have done so for testing purposes ).  A while back we added the F3 key to let you ask a question of Microsoft CoPilot and it will then display the answers in your web browser.  It’s not a specific, single page, response, but it helps you find what you need, shows you other relevant articles on the subject, and is cost free.

Currently we are testing a more direct AI interface with some of the major providers ( Google, ChatGPT, OpenAI, and DeepSeek ).  In each case we can ask specific questions and get back responses that are readable, saveable, and printable.  Our interface works fine and we can do it with a function key from anywhere withing the program.  You can even copy the responses into your online notebook ( in the program ).  

Our results have not been surprising.  When it relates to the work you do, the information is generally not specific enough to be useful.  We can ask it how to perform an oil change on a 2022 Honda Civic Sport and it will give us very general instructions ( jack up the car, collect the tools, move a capture pan into place, remove the drain plug, remove the oil filter, wipe the surfaces clean, replace the oil plug, install a new filter, refill the oil ).  However, the critical information ( like where the components are found, which parts to use, any special notes on accessing those parts, etc ) are missing.  Thus, as we test the various services, we are seeking one that can give you excellent responses, and so far, we haven’t found them.

At this point, we will not be activating the AI specific capability.  You would end up investing money on an AI account, and feel it wasn’t worth it because the information is not accurate enough or specific to your needs.  We will continue to work in this area, and test the various AI resources ( there are many ).

The point of this is to let you know this is an area we can, and will, implement for you, but we want to be sure what we put in place is valuable to you.