Unable to ping one computer on the network

There are 4 computers in this small office. All using Windows XP. In a workgroup. N domain controller or GPO's here.

All are using McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection - except the problem computer.

Computer A can ping and get reply from all computers, except the problem computer, which we'll called Computer Z. Same with computer B, and C. They all work fine and can talk to each other all day. But nobody can ping computer Z. Computer Z can ping everyone and do network shares to A, B, and C. Nobody can do a network share to Z though.

Computer Z - the problem child. No AV/Firewall software all. I've gutted the computer and removed it all. Windows Firewall - off or on. ICMP is enabled. Port 465 is open. Reset winsock. Flushed the DNS. Gave it a static IP, then back to DHCP. Removed the network card from the device mgr and let windows reinstall it.

For the life of me, nothing in the world can get through to talk to this stubborn computer. I've gone though every troubleshooting step I can think of. What am I missing? There is no secret software installed on this computer. No virus or malware. It's as bare as a fresh install of XP - but nothing can communicate to that computer. Can anyone please help...

Thanks

 

Am not sure but one of the threads I was reading (click on these blue words for that link) says to start all over and rebuild the workgroup

below is a microsoft search page on setting up xp workgroups (my apologies if you have already read through these )

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/search?query=set up an xp workgroup

https://www.microsoft.com/resources...n-us/windows_network_changename.mspx?mfr=true

============

from here

=============

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=97682.0

computer hope has lots of good tutorials, hope these help. , I do not run a workgroup so have no personal experience with this issue.

===========

 

do you mean ping by IP address or ping by Netbios name?
seem as though this is a classical WINS problem

 

I am not sure, give me the link and/or quote the section you are referring to and I will read it and see if I can interpret the instructions.

 

If there isn't a WINS server, in practise, it'll take some time for the network to exchange Netbios names, let's say 10 to 20 minutes.

Your best bet is at this https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc959209.aspx