Windows 7: Reestablishing a homegroup

Our hardware: A stationary and a laptop computer both running Windows 7, router, access point and a NAS. The laptop connects through the access point.

Our problem: After shortening the computer and NAS-names (from BRUGER-PC, MARIANNE-PC and VERBATIMNAS to HN-PC,MS-PC and NAS resp.) I have not been able to re-establish a homegroup. Both computers can access the Internet and can see each other in the Network group with the new names. I can easily establish a homegroup on the stationary, and this homegroup is immediatly noticed by the laptop. But when I try to join the homegroup (after deciding what to share and giving the password), I get, after some time, the message (translated from Danish) "A homegroup could not be configured on this computer", "An error occured in the homegroup". Subsequent error finding of network problems results in "A few changes were made", but to no avail. Removing the homegroup, restarting both machines and reestablishing the homegroups does not work. Also if I try to start the homegroup from the laptop instead of the stationary - same situation.

I have went through the suggestions on the Microsoft page "Why can't I join a homegroup", even removed the file idstore.sset, but nothing works. The time is the same on all three pieces of hardware.



Any suggestion would be most welcome!

With best regards
Holger Nielsen
Stovring, Denmark