Windows 7 - File sharing won't turn on

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I'm getting desparate here. I've been through several forum Q&A's and they all take me to the same place. "Go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings and make sure 'Turn on file and printer sharing' is checked". Mine will check but when I save and reenter it is not checked. In 'manage computer' the SERVER service will not start: 'Error 1068 - The dependancy service or group failed to start'. What would be my next step?

Do you want to share with another computer on your Network? Look at this tutorial as an example File Sharing - Between XP and W7 (and vice versa)

Yes, the first step in the article in your link "File sharing and printing" in Windows 7 to be turned ON is the step that won't work. It won't stay turned on, probably because I can't turn on the SERVER service. But I CAN see and get access to a Windows 7 computer on the network.

I used to be able to see and use the XP laptop until I had a crash on the Windows 7 desktop and had to "restore to last working configuration"

Thanks for responding... any other ideas?

I actually started looking around regarding this issue yesterday when I saw your post here Missing 'Server SMB 2.xxx Driver' Service?
Sadly I haven't been able to find much in the way of valueable information regarding the problem except the standard;
Launch an elevated command prompt and type
sfc /scannow
and of course the old reliable "pick a restore point prior to the issue first presenting"
either or both, very sound suggestions if you haven't tried them already. Does the event viewer provide any more details specific to the issue and the cascading dependencies server service ->smb2.xxx->smb1.xxx->srvnet?

I ran sfc /scannow, found no problems. Restored to a point about 5 days ago, no change except I lost internet connection. Performed an "UNDO" to the restore and still have no internet/LAN connection. Worse off than before. (I am now writing you on a different PC.) I found the EventViewer but don't know how to use it.

Device manager, expand network adapters, select problem adapter, right click uninstall, reboot. This issue with the adapter may actually be telling. Perhaps it might be linked to the other issue. Make sure you have the latest drivers for your adapter and use device manager to force a driver update.

I Did as you suggested, uninstall the network driver and rebooted. It auto re-installed at bootup to the same problem. When opening 'Network and sharing center' it says UNKNOWN where there is suppose to be the network map and "The dependency service or group failed to start". Before the restore, this part was working... I saw the map and the router.

I suspect that you may have a bad driver for your network card. But you can use the same system restore utility to undo a restore. So if you want to try you should be able to undo it.

As I mentioned before I did UNDO the restore but it didn't work. I'm not so sure it is my network because it was working fine until the SystemRestore. I think it stems from the fact I can't get the SERVER service started.

Did it ever work? Is your Windows 7 a legit copy???