Odd SD Card Problem Windows 10 --> Rqspberry Pi

I'm having a strange problem trying to set up a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a print server. Raspian has been installed on an SD card. To that, I'm trying to add an ssh and wpa_supplicant.conf files using Windows 10 for headless operation.

I've written the files to the SD card and ejected the card and even rebooted to computer to verify the files are indeed on the card. When I put them in the Pi Zero, it doesn't show up on my network. Checking the SD card on the PC, the added files are gone. I've gone though the process several times with the same confusing results.

So what am I missing?

Tried it on the other computer and the problem disappeared.

Now trying to sort out when the default password doesn't work.

Mystery #2 solved. Somehow, a Raspi on the network has started showing up with two different IP addresses – so what I thought was the new pi isn't. I figured this out after making a second SD card, which also didn't recognize the "default password" as it's not the address I thought it was. Feeling stupid about this.

Mystery #1 still remains. Files added with one computer "don't stick" while doing the exact same procedure on the second works as expected. This caused much frustration and wasted time, and weirdly, when I got the card correctly written is when the second IP address showed up for the other pi.

Turns out, the files don't stay when written with either computer. Any ideas?

Nevermind. Wrong WiFi credentials type.

i would have tried it first on a pi with video to make sure it worked first, then transferred the SD card to the zero. that way you can make corrections from a keyboard without a lot of trouble

Good advice, but it was not convenient to do so.

In the wpa_supplicant.conf file, instead of

pairwise=CCMP, it had to set for TKIM for our network.

A combination misunderstanding and coincidental events conspired against me.... and a bit of being lazy and dumb