<s>
Browser	B-General_Concept
service	I-General_Concept
or	O
Computer	B-General_Concept
Browser	I-General_Concept
Service	I-General_Concept
is	O
a	O
feature	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
to	O
let	O
users	O
easily	O
browse	O
and	O
locate	O
shared	B-General_Concept
resources	I-General_Concept
in	O
neighboring	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
done	O
by	O
aggregating	O
the	O
information	O
in	O
a	O
single	O
computer	O
"	O
Browse	B-Protocol
Master	I-Protocol
"	O
(	O
or	O
"	O
Master	O
Browser	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
other	O
computers	O
contact	O
this	O
computer	O
for	O
information	O
and	O
display	O
in	O
the	O
Network	B-Protocol
Neighborhood	I-Protocol
window	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Browser	B-General_Concept
service	I-General_Concept
runs	O
on	O
MailSlot	B-Operating_System
/	O
Server	B-Operating_System
Message	I-Operating_System
Block	I-Operating_System
and	O
thus	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
with	O
all	O
supported	O
transport	B-Architecture
protocol	I-Architecture
such	O
as	O
NBF	B-Protocol
(	O
"	O
NetBEUI	B-Protocol
"	O
)	O
,	O
NBX	O
(	O
IPX/SPX	O
)	O
and	O
NBT	O
(	O
TCP/IP	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Browser	B-General_Concept
service	I-General_Concept
relies	O
heavily	O
on	O
broadcast	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
available	O
across	O
network	O
segments	O
separated	O
by	O
routers	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Browsing	O
across	O
different	O
IP	O
subnets	O
need	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
Domain	B-General_Concept
Master	I-General_Concept
Browser	I-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
is	O
always	O
the	O
Primary	B-General_Concept
Domain	I-General_Concept
Controller	I-General_Concept
(	O
PDC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Therefore	O
,	O
browsing	O
across	O
IP	O
subnets	O
is	O
not	O
possible	O
in	O
a	O
pure	O
workgroup	B-Device
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Windows	O
XP	O
,	O
Computer	B-General_Concept
Browser	I-General_Concept
Service	I-General_Concept
provides	O
backwards	O
compatibility	O
for	O
versions	O
that	O
do	O
n't	O
use	O
Active	B-Protocol
Directory	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
My	B-Protocol
Network	I-Protocol
Places	I-Protocol
,	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Explorer	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
the	O
net	O
view	O
command	O
,	O
Computer	O
Browser	O
is	O
still	O
needed	O
in	O
XP	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
NT	O
uses	O
the	O
Computer	B-General_Concept
Browser	I-General_Concept
service	I-General_Concept
to	O
collect	O
and	O
display	O
all	O
computers	O
and	O
other	O
resources	O
on	O
the	O
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
opening	O
Network	B-Protocol
Neighborhood	I-Protocol
displays	O
the	O
list	O
of	O
computers	O
,	O
shared	B-General_Concept
folders	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
printers	O
;	O
the	O
Computer	B-General_Concept
Browser	I-General_Concept
service	I-General_Concept
manages	O
this	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Browser	O
is	O
responsible	O
for	O
two	O
closely	O
related	O
services	O
:	O
building	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
available	O
network	B-General_Concept
resources	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
sharing	O
this	O
list	O
with	O
other	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Windows	O
NT	O
computers	O
run	O
the	O
Computer	B-General_Concept
Browser	I-General_Concept
service	I-General_Concept
,	O
but	O
not	O
all	O
of	O
them	O
are	O
responsible	O
for	O
building	O
the	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Domain	B-General_Concept
master	I-General_Concept
browser	I-General_Concept
:	O
In	O
NT	O
domains	O
,	O
the	O
primary	B-General_Concept
domain	I-General_Concept
controllers	I-General_Concept
(	O
PDCs	O
)	O
handle	O
this	O
role	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
networks	O
that	O
have	O
only	O
one	O
subnet	O
,	O
the	O
PDC	O
handles	O
both	O
the	O
domain	B-General_Concept
master	I-General_Concept
browser	I-General_Concept
and	O
the	O
master	O
browser	O
roles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	O
browsers	O
:	O
Computers	O
maintaining	O
this	O
role	O
build	O
the	O
browse	O
list	O
for	O
servers	O
on	O
their	O
own	O
subnet	O
and	O
forward	O
the	O
list	O
to	O
the	O
domain	B-General_Concept
master	I-General_Concept
browser	I-General_Concept
and	O
the	O
backup	O
browsers	O
on	O
its	O
own	O
subnet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
when	O
you	O
open	O
Network	B-Protocol
Neighborhood	I-Protocol
,	O
your	O
computer	O
contacts	O
the	O
backup	O
browser	O
and	O
requests	O
the	O
list	O
of	O
all	O
available	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
