Windows 7: Laptop Can't Join Homegroup

I have 3 computers in my home - 1 desktop and 2 laptops.



When I set up a Homegroup, the desktop and one of the laptops connect just fine.

They are able to share files, steam media, etc... But the other laptop can't join.

It can see the homegroup, but when I run the wizard to join it, it can't connect.

I have already tried all the troubleshooters on all three computers.

All three computers are running a version of Windows 7 x64.

Please help, getting rather frustrated!

Hello, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might check through this to see if it may be able to help.

Homegroup - Add Computer or Join

Hope this helps,
Shawn

"Second (or third) computer isn't able to see a "Join" option when trying to hook up with a PC that has established a homegroup and been provided the password tor other computers to 'Join" the homegroup."

This subject is older than dirt with solutions all over internet ranging from ridiculous to sublime -- e.g. Reinstall your OS to simply repeating the useless MS instructions (which aren't working). Well, here's another solution that, at least in my case, has worked. This after spending two days off-and-on trying to figure it out.

In my case, file sharing had been working fine for many, many months. But one day it wasn't working. My two computers could not see each other's shared files. I have no idea what knocked it off the trolley (Mayhaps an automatic Windows Update????). Anyway, after chasing it for days on all the various less-than useful internet forums, here's what worked for me.

It turned out to apparently be a firewall problem. I first knocked down the Firewall (Zone Alarm) on the PC where a Homegroup had been setup and a password created. Then went to the recalcitrant laptop, did a Restart (actually by accident) but then turned off the Firewall (again, Zone Alarm). Then when going thru the SOP Network & Sharing Center steps (where the "Join" option wasn't previously available) and lo and behold the "Join" option now appeared and gladly accepted the password generated by the first PC.

Both computers could then access each others shared files and folders. Yeah!

I then restarted the firewall on both computers and the file sharing is still up and running. Haven't had the nerve yet to reboot the computers. But at least it's working for now. No firewall setting were changed.

Hope this works for someone else. Was actually very simple, just took too long to stumble upon a solution.