Networking Win XP with Win 7. Workgroup NAME??

[Guest]

At both my Vista laptop and my Win XP computer, I can access files on my Win
7 computer. From the XP computer, I can print
to a printer that is hard-cabled to my Win 7 computer. I have not yet
figured out how to print from the Vista laptop to the Win 7 printer, nor
from the Win 7 computer to the printer tht is hard-cabled to the Win XP
computer, but it is not crucial, yet.

Accessing files and printer on the other two computers from the Win 7
computer has not been setup properly. On the Win XP computer, I go to
Control panel/Network setup wizard/. . . /"name your network". There is a
blank field for "workgroup name" and an instruction that the same name must
be used for all computers on the network. I partly set up the network about
8 months ago, and cannot remember the workgroup name. How do I recover that
name? Just to be able to use the network to the extent that I already do, I
obviously did partly setup the network.

BTW, PC World had an article several months ago on how to network Win 7, XP,
and Vista. I followed every step possible, but the instructions must be
imperfect. Canon also has a document allegedly telling how to network
printers, and I can print on the Win 7's printer from my Win XP computer,
but not the other way around. The Canon document is also imperfect.

There may be several more stumbles in my path forward, but before I can go
any further, I must know what "workgroup name" to put into the appropriate
field on my Win XP control panel wizard. Please tell me how to navigate to
the specific answer.

 

[Carroll Robbins]

There may be several more stumbles in my path forward, but before I can go
any further, I must know what "workgroup name" to put into the appropriate
field on my Win XP control panel wizard. Please tell me how to navigate to
the specific answer.

In WinXP Windows Explorer right click on My Computer, select Properties,
then the Computer Name tab. The Workgroup name is displayed.

 

[Chuck]

At both my Vista laptop and my Win XP computer, I can access files on my Win
7 computer. From the XP computer, I can print
to a printer that is hard-cabled to my Win 7 computer. I have not yet
figured out how to print from the Vista laptop to the Win 7 printer, nor
from the Win 7 computer to the printer tht is hard-cabled to the Win XP
computer, but it is not crucial, yet.

Accessing files and printer on the other two computers from the Win 7
computer has not been setup properly. On the Win XP computer, I go to
Control panel/Network setup wizard/. . . /"name your network". There is a
blank field for "workgroup name" and an instruction that the same name must
be used for all computers on the network. I partly set up the network about
8 months ago, and cannot remember the workgroup name. How do I recover that
name? Just to be able to use the network to the extent that I already do, I
obviously did partly setup the network.

BTW, PC World had an article several months ago on how to network Win 7, XP,
and Vista. I followed every step possible, but the instructions must be
imperfect. Canon also has a document allegedly telling how to network
printers, and I can print on the Win 7's printer from my Win XP computer,
but not the other way around. The Canon document is also imperfect.

There may be several more stumbles in my path forward, but before I can go
any further, I must know what "workgroup name" to put into the appropriate
field on my Win XP control panel wizard. Please tell me how to navigate to
the specific answer.

While you described your immediate problem, You did not describe
anything about your network.

So what we know or surmise --
Windows 7 Computer with printer
Windows XP (possibly with a printer)
Do you use--
A router? Cable or DSL Modem?
Or are the two computers connected together with perhaps a crossover cable?

In any event from the ideal standpoint
The user names and passwords on both machines, as well as the work group
name on the machines should match.
On the Win 7 computer, the network type is usually set to private, not
public or home network.

Actually my system is far from the ideal in that I do have different
work groups within the same residential LAN. There are LAN devices,
such as an ethernet interfaced HD, HP Home Server, and an ethernet or
wireless Epson printer/scanner. The LAN uses a cable modem and dual band
router, along with a couple of ethernet switches, and remote wireless
routers.