A Windows Internet Names Service (WINS) is a component on a Microsoft network used to resolve name queries. A WINS proxy is a server machine that resolves names of computers to the location on the network, similar to pinging an IP address. WINS has mainly been replaced by TCP/IP networks, but it's still a viable option for older, small networks that have only a few computers connected. You can enable a WINS server using the registry editor.
Step 1
Click the Windows Start button and select "Run." In the text box displayed, enter "regedit" and press the "Ok" button.
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Step 2
Navigate to the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Netbt\Parameters" directory. This holds the WINS proxy settings.
Step 3
Right-click the "EnableProxy" key and select "Modify." In the popup box, enter "1" and click the "Ok" button.
Step 4
Close the Windows registry and reboot the machine. Changes made to the registry don't take effect until you reboot the Windows machine.