SOLVED Cannot join a Homegroup

[Richard58]

I have a desktop pc with ethernet connection to a AT&T wireless DSL router. And I have a laptop pc that connects wirelessly to the router. Both of them are running Windows 7 Home Premium. I am trying to create a working homegroup. I can get the desktop to create the homegroup, but I cannot get the laptop to display "join a homegroup". It will only allow me to create a homegroup. On both computers I have done the Homegroup troubleshooter, but it's useless.
Network Discovery is 'on' on both computers.
Both computers use McAfee, and I have tried shutting down the firewall on both pc's.
Both computers allow Windows to manage the connections.

The laptop was given to me recently and needed a new hard drive and recovery discs. These two have never been joined together, and I know the desktop unit has never been joined to a homegroup. And I have looked at the clock on both pc's, they read the same time, And they date the same

I'm not that hot on 'dancing' with these things, so any help is appreciated. And keeping it simple so a rookie understands is appreciated.

 

[TrainableMan]

Not an expert, I don't like Homegroups and don't use them but ...

Maybe THIS?

Also if you have stopped any of the services for Homegroups then you wouldn't be able.

 

[Richard58]

When I went into Administrative Tools and double clicked on Services, I checked and both pc's said 'started' where the link said they should.

When I put both pc's on Network and Sharing Center, both say "Home network" where it says to view your active networks. On the laptop when I click Set up a new connection or network, I click on it and a window opens up telling me it might take up to 90 seconds for unconfigured devices to appear. It shows no devices in the popup and I wait and wait, and nothing shows.

I'm beginning to dislike Homegroups, wasting time like this is ridiculous.

 

[TrainableMan]

Anything new can be frustrating. My issue with Homegroups is that you can't use it to connect to XP computers.

Perhaps this Microsoft PDF can help?

 

[Richard58]

Yes, new things can be frustrating, but Microsoft says it's easy to belong to Homegroups, they lie. I have seen so many sights like your second link, they say 'just click on join a homegroup', and I have run their troubleshooters too many times, and still no luck.

Is it the router I need to reset somehow?

Is it the McAfee I need to reset somehow?

Is the desktop I need to reset somehow?

Is it the laptop I need to reset somehow?

Is it because one is cable connected and the other is wireless?

Or I could just give up on Homegroups, not that big a deal. This is far more frustrating than it's worth. But Microsoft says it's easy. I wonder what Apple is like?

 

[TrainableMan]

Maybe others have some ideas, I haven't used them and I can't see what you see so I would only be guessing.

If you are familiar with the old Workgroups you can still use that; homegroups was just supposed to be easier.

 

[pmshah]

Joining the homegroup is rally a hit or miss thing. I have had mixed results. So I have finally decided to get myself a gigabit router that also supports usb connected storage. I find it is easier to transfer files through this intermediate disk then fighting with the "easy to setup home group".

 

[Richard58]

I have gone to 'start, computer,' and right clicked the C drive, and set the C drive for Sharing with permissions to Everyone.

I've gone to Network and Sharing, and then 'change adapter settings' and then right clicked and went 'properties'. I see a check mark by the IPv6 on both pc's. I unchecked it and tried, and ran Homegroup troubleshooter, and it said my IPv6 must be enabled, so I went back in and placed a check mark to enable it on both pc's. I did see one popup window telling me my IPv6 has no internet access. I have been unable to find that window again, but there is a check mark by the IPv6 on both pc's.

 

[pmshah]

Network sharing is a real pain !. In XP you simply dragged what you wanted to share to the shared folder. Even P2P connections using crossover cable was child's play. These are simply simply close to impossible to achieve in Win 7. As I mentioned earlier i have simply resorted to a network attached drive to share what I wish to.

 

[TrainableMan]

Windows 7 has a much higher level of security because it is designed to allow for multiple users' data on a single machine, as well as programs and the OS, .... and (for most homes) all that on a single hard drive. Because of this need to protect one user's files from another's, and to protect the programs & the OS from malware and users themselves, sharing the entire drive is discouraged and relatively complicated. You are meant to be able to share YOUR data, not other user's data on the computer and not to compromise the programs or the OS folders. For the most part this means you should only be sharing YOUR libraries (Documents, Pictures, Music, & Videos).

If you want XP then you need to install XP because W7 is not the same and it will take some learning pains the first few months.

 

[pmshah]

If my recollection is not faulty, Win 7 does have a feature for creating an external media to be used for allowing other computers on the net to join and access homegroup. Might be worth googling !

 

[Richard58]

Found myself watching football, thought I'd delete McAfee off both pc's and try that, and try to join the homegroup. No firewall, no anti virus on either pc. But still no success. I saw another post that said they have never had a failure in trying to join pc's on a home network, that it's easy, it's all in your settings. Of course, they gave no help on what the settings are. Still can't get the words "Join a Network" to appear on either pc. I've tried "creating the network" on both pc's and use the other to "join", but no go on that too. If I can't "join", then I can't share.

 

[pmshah]

Internet protocol might be the culprit !

I just remembered something I had come across sometime back.

Home Group WILL NOT WORK if you limit your nic to IPV4. IPV6 is an absolute requirement.

 

[Richard58]

Hi pmshah, that is my understanding also. I check on this eternet pc, clicking Local Area Connection, then see the status of the IPv4 connectivity says 'internet'. And the IPv6 connectivity says 'no internet access'. When I do that with my wireless laptop, under the wirless connection status, it says the same thing. When I click on 'properties' on both of the status windows, they both show 'This connection uses the following items:' - and on both of them there is a check mark by TCP/IPv4 & TCP/IPv6. So I think that would mean my IPv6 is active. But I could be wrong.

 

[pmshah]

I googles some more on IPV6. I did come across a couple of references which said that IPV6 is a must. In my PCs too the IPV6 is supposedly active ( DHCP) but no offer of joining the home group. Neither do the IPV6 addresses show up in status.

Then I came across some more references on how to manually set the addresses. I tried a couple but those id not work. Threw up an error {Invalid address") Finally found a range that was acceptable to Win 7.

FD1A:39DC:409F:21DA::1
FD1A:39DC:409F:21DA::2
FD1A:39DC:409F:21DA::3
and so on.
The double colon before the last digit means "as many "0"s as required". Now I am going to experiment with this and see if I can find success !

Added on 13/11/2012.

This is how I finally got the d**n thing working.

Under "Change advanced sharing settings" there is a "Homegroup connection" option available for both sections "Home or Work" and "Public" . I simply changed from "Allow windows ...." to "Use user accounts...." . And like magic all the shared resources appeared on every pc - XP style.

Did NOT need to join any home group !

 

[Richard58]

Tried that, no go still for me. Any other ideas? Apparently, both of my pc's don't have the capability of printing the words "Join a Homegroup", except in stupid instructions that do nothing but waste time.

 

[Richard58]

I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT IT

After more dancing around, trying to make sure my IPv6 was activated, I went to one web site that told me make changes to my registry. I tried that and it did not work. So I started checking other things, such as both PC's saying "workgroup".

On my laptop, I clicked on 'start' > control panel > system. I saw where it shows the 'computer name, domain and workgroup settings' -- and to the right was "Change settings". So I clicked on that. The "System Properties" window came up and I saw at the top it says "Windows uses the following information to identify your computer on the network". For Computer description the space was blank. So I made an entry on it, hit "apply" and 'OK'.

Then I went back to the control panel, clicked on Homegroup, and there were the words I thought I'd never see - Join a Homegroup. With a few adjustments, I'm able to use both pc's as they are linked together.

 

[TrainableMan]

Glad you got it and thanks for sharing your solution.

 

[pmshah]

I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT IT

After more dancing around, trying to make sure my IPv6 was activated, I went to one web site that told me make changes to my registry. I tried that and it did not work. So I started checking other things, such as both PC's saying "workgroup".

On my laptop, I clicked on 'start' > control panel > system. I saw where it shows the 'computer name, domain and workgroup settings' -- and to the right was "Change settings". So I clicked on that. The "System Properties" window came up and I saw at the top it says "Windows uses the following information to identify your computer on the network". For Computer description the space was blank. So I made an entry on it, hit "apply" and 'OK'.

Then I went back to the control panel, clicked on Homegroup, and there were the words I thought I'd never see - Join a Homegroup. With a few adjustments, I'm able to use both pc's as they are linked together.

I would have figured that any one trying yo create a p2p network - ala XP - would have at least fulfilled those requirements.. However everything still doesn't work that easily, I too was getting similar messages and it would also prompt me to activate the ipv6 protocol In spite of doing this my second PC was unable to join the Homegroup created on the 1st pc.

As I had mentioned earlier I changed the settings in the manner I described. In the last item, "Homegroup Connections " under advanced Homegroup sharing settings I switched from "Allow windows to manage ...." to "Use user accounts..." That did the trick.

There was nothing visible in the Homegroup on the second PC and only the local resources in the 1st, However when I opened the Netwok folder on either PC all the both PCs showed up under "Computer", I could then explore shared resources of either one.

BTW I have been using dual Total Commander for more than 10 years now. Soon as I clicked on the network icon everything was visible and accesible. Just like in Win XP.

 

[Richard58]

I would have figured that any one trying yo create a p2p network - ala XP - would have at least fulfilled those requirements..

You mean you ASSUMED that anyone trying to create it ..... Thats why I pointed out in the beginning that I was a rookie, in case it was something simple. But as other people also are not experts, I posted my solution to help others. Good luck, thanks.