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homegroup problem

S

Seasidepeter

Flightless Bird
I've created a homegroup on my main pc running 7 home premium. My
laptop, running 7 starter, joins the homegroup successfully, and can
access shared libraries on the main pc.

BUT: the main pc won't see the laptop. I get the message "no other
homegroup computers are available" when I click on Homegroup.

The laptop libraries are set to share; network discovery is on; the
password is obviously correct as the laptop joins and views shared
desktop folders ok; time is synchronised;and both pcs are set to Home
Network.

I'm stuck - can anybody help?
 
V

VanguardLH

Flightless Bird
Seasidepeter wrote:

> I've created a homegroup on my main pc running 7 home premium. My
> laptop, running 7 starter, joins the homegroup successfully, and can
> access shared libraries on the main pc.
>
> BUT: the main pc won't see the laptop. I get the message "no other
> homegroup computers are available" when I click on Homegroup.
>
> The laptop libraries are set to share; network discovery is on; the
> password is obviously correct as the laptop joins and views shared
> desktop folders ok; time is synchronised;and both pcs are set to Home
> Network.
>
> I'm stuck - can anybody help?


Here's my guess based on reading several articles. I don't have any
Starter hosts. Considering the little difference in price to the next
better edition (Home Premium), I wouldn't waste my money on a Starter
edition. I consider it bloatware typical of computer makers that want
to shove shiny stuff in your face but of little value.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help/home-sweet-homegroup-networking-the-easy-way
"With Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic, you can join a
homegroup, but you can't create one."

Joining a homegroup means you get to use the resources of those OTHER
hosts. You are not defining yourself for use by the other nodes in the
homegroup. Your Starter host is not a fully capable node in the
homegroup. It's not a defined node in the homegroup for other hosts to
see. You need to be *in* a homegroup, not just peeking into one.

Revert to workgroups if you want to share resources. Make sure all teh
shareable hosts are in the same-named workgroup. Each host must have a
unique hostname but they should all participate in a workgroup by the
same name so they can share their resources. Dump the use of homegroups
and go back to using workgroups.
 
S

Seasidepeter

Flightless Bird
On 30/08/2010 02:58, VanguardLH wrote:
> Seasidepeter wrote:
>
>> I've created a homegroup on my main pc running 7 home premium. My
>> laptop, running 7 starter, joins the homegroup successfully, and can
>> access shared libraries on the main pc.
>>
>> BUT: the main pc won't see the laptop. I get the message "no other
>> homegroup computers are available" when I click on Homegroup.
>>
>> The laptop libraries are set to share; network discovery is on; the
>> password is obviously correct as the laptop joins and views shared
>> desktop folders ok; time is synchronised;and both pcs are set to Home
>> Network.
>>
>> I'm stuck - can anybody help?

>
> Here's my guess based on reading several articles. I don't have any
> Starter hosts. Considering the little difference in price to the next
> better edition (Home Premium), I wouldn't waste my money on a Starter
> edition. I consider it bloatware typical of computer makers that want
> to shove shiny stuff in your face but of little value.
>
> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help/home-sweet-homegroup-networking-the-easy-way
> "With Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic, you can join a
> homegroup, but you can't create one."
>
> Joining a homegroup means you get to use the resources of those OTHER
> hosts. You are not defining yourself for use by the other nodes in the
> homegroup. Your Starter host is not a fully capable node in the
> homegroup. It's not a defined node in the homegroup for other hosts to
> see. You need to be *in* a homegroup, not just peeking into one.
>
> Revert to workgroups if you want to share resources. Make sure all teh
> shareable hosts are in the same-named workgroup. Each host must have a
> unique hostname but they should all participate in a workgroup by the
> same name so they can share their resources. Dump the use of homegroups
> and go back to using workgroups.


Damn, I should have realised that myself! Thanks for a very helpful
response - I'll do exactly as you suggest.
 
K

Ken Blake

Flightless Bird
On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:58:56 -0500, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

> Dump the use of homegroups
> and go back to using workgroups.




I strongly agree with that, not only for the reasons you state, but
also because only Windows 7 computers can join homegroups, The OP may
not need to have another computer join now, but he may in the future.
There are no advantages to homegroups over workgroups, only
disadvantages.


--
Ken Blake
 
L

LouB

Flightless Bird
Ken Blake wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:58:56 -0500, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>
>> Dump the use of homegroups
>> and go back to using workgroups.

>
>
>
> I strongly agree with that, not only for the reasons you state, but
> also because only Windows 7 computers can join homegroups, The OP may
> not need to have another computer join now, but he may in the future.
> There are no advantages to homegroups over workgroups, only
> disadvantages.
>
>

Thanks
 
K

Ken Blake

Flightless Bird
On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:46:06 -0400, LouB <Lou@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> Ken Blake wrote:
> > On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:58:56 -0500, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
> >
> >> Dump the use of homegroups
> >> and go back to using workgroups.

> >
> >
> >
> > I strongly agree with that, not only for the reasons you state, but
> > also because only Windows 7 computers can join homegroups, The OP may
> > not need to have another computer join now, but he may in the future.
> > There are no advantages to homegroups over workgroups, only
> > disadvantages.
> >
> >

> Thanks



You're welcome. Glad to help.


--
Ken Blake
 
D

Dave

Flightless Bird
"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:1s0o76tdvippk555k1bq3bil5i9aefe80a@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:46:06 -0400, LouB <Lou@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Ken Blake wrote:
>> > On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:58:56 -0500, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Dump the use of homegroups
>> >> and go back to using workgroups.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > I strongly agree with that, not only for the reasons you state, but
>> > also because only Windows 7 computers can join homegroups, The OP may
>> > not need to have another computer join now, but he may in the future.
>> > There are no advantages to homegroups over workgroups, only
>> > disadvantages.
>> >
>> >

>> Thanks

>
>
> You're welcome. Glad to help.
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake


Ken,
I took your advice too, went into my network settings, changed Homegroup to
Workgroup and it changed instantly. Is it really that simple or should I be
watching for something? :-?
Dave
 
K

Ken Blake

Flightless Bird
On Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:09:22 -0500, "Dave" <davidj92@wowway.com> wrote:

>
> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:1s0o76tdvippk555k1bq3bil5i9aefe80a@4ax.com...
> > On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:46:06 -0400, LouB <Lou@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> >
> >> Ken Blake wrote:
> >> > On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:58:56 -0500, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Dump the use of homegroups
> >> >> and go back to using workgroups.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > I strongly agree with that, not only for the reasons you state, but
> >> > also because only Windows 7 computers can join homegroups, The OP may
> >> > not need to have another computer join now, but he may in the future.
> >> > There are no advantages to homegroups over workgroups, only
> >> > disadvantages.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> Thanks

> >
> >
> > You're welcome. Glad to help.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake

>
> Ken,
> I took your advice too, went into my network settings, changed Homegroup to
> Workgroup and it changed instantly. Is it really that simple or should I be
> watching for something? :-?



No, it's simple.


--
Ken Blake
 
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