“Duplicate name exists on the network” Windows error
Posted on September 21, 2009 at 5:32 am
Previously, I wrote an article about what would happen if you had two computers with the same IP address on the same network: an IP address conflict. But what happens when you have two computers with the same name on a network?
Well, in that case, you might end up seeing a message like the following:
Duplicate name exists on the network
At first, you might think the obvious answer is to just rename one of the computers, right? Well, you may also get this error even if no two computers have the same name on the network!
The reason why is because it could be caused by an old network adapter that is no longer present on the system. Here’s a coupe of ways you can try to solve this issue before renaming computers.
Method 1 – IPCONFIG
Firstly, a simple release and renew of the IP address might solve your problem. Go to Start, then Run and type in CMD. At the command prompt, go ahead and type in
IPCONFG /release
IPCONFIG /renew
If you still get the error, then move on to the following possible solutions.
Method 2 – Remove Hidden Network Adapters
Go to Start, Run, and type in DEVMGMT.MSC in the box. Now in Device Manager, click on View and choose Show Hidden Devices.
Now scroll down to Network Adapters and uninstall any that are showing with transparent icons. If nothing is grayed out, then your problem is also not with a old network adapter.
Method 3 – Rename computer
If neither of these two methods worked, than you will probably just have to rename the computer. This can occur for one of two reasons:
- You actually have two machines on the network with the same name
- One of the computers has the same name as the name of the workgroup
You can go to Start, run, type in CMD, and then type in nbtstat –n at the command prompt and it’ll show you a conflicting workstation if there is one.
Make sure to look at the one for network connection you are currently using, i.e. Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection.
You can rename a computer by right-clicking on the My Computer icon on the desktop, choosing Properties and then clicking on Computer Name tab.
Click the Change button and type in a new name for the computer. Restart your computer and the problem should be gone. If you’re still having issues, post a comment here and I’ll try to help! Enjoy!
» Filed Under Computer Tips
Related Posts
- How to fix an IP address conflict
- How to determine or find your MAC address
- Fix Windows Cannot Configure This Wireless Connection
- How to troubleshoot your Windows XP wireless network connection problems
- How to use the remote shutdown command in Windows
We had this problem at work last week. We tried all of these fixes, without success. We finally went into our DNS where both names were listed. We deleted one of them from there.
I tried it and it doesn’t work at all. I recently changed my Linksystem router settings. Could that have played a role in this problem?
Thank You so Much for all of your help!! I’ve tried everything out there on the internet, your suggestions were the easiest and they simply worked for that duplicate computer name error!! I tried all three of them and the simplest one worked…i renamed the computer by right clicking on my computer tab. The error is simply gone!
I’m getting the Duplicate Name Exists on the Network, but none of my computer have the same name? I’m not really sure what to do. Should i just change the name of the computer anyway?
i’ve tried the three methods u’ve posted but still not working… is there any solution? my option is to reformat the computer to be able to reconnect to our domain. pls help me so that i will no longer do the reformatting. thank you!!!
I have problem with my laptop, the network says “Duplicate name exists on the network” but your solutions did not fix it. Any other ideas?
I tried all three methods mentioned above, but I am still getting the duplicate name exists on the network error. What else can I do? Thanks.
Thank you, I looked through about 6 other articles on different websites, none of which were helpful before finding yours. This helped me fix my problem! Thank you!
but which one should I change? I have two network cards on the server. thanks
I need to figure out the solution for “Duplicate name exists on the network” Windows error message. How do I know which PC?
still the same error is coming when i change the computer name: A DUPLICATE NAME EXISTS ON THE NETWORK……
This happens with WINS and Server 2008 R2, Duplicate entries show up in WINS on the server, one for Workstation and one for Server. Even though there is only one computer by that name Windows XP shows up twice. Not Vista, not Windows 7 , just XP. Oh wait XP isn’t supported via Server 2008…come on Microsoft.