Windows 7: Homegroup problems - Homegroup detected, can't join. @wit's end

I have a desktop that is connected to my Belkin router via wire. I have 3 laptops that are all connected to the router wirelessly.

• All computers have Windows 7 64bit and synched clocks.
• All are connected to a Home network.
• All 3 laptops detect that a Homegroup has been created on the wired desktop.
• I'm using the correct Homegroup password.
• All computers have discovery on.
• All computers have IPv4 and Ipv6 running.
• All services are running.
• Everything else I've read and tried regarding troubleshooting this issue haven't worked.

All computers can see each other on the Network, but can't connect to the Homegroup.



Please help. I'll provide any other info you need. Thanks!

Did you set the folders you are sharing to homegroup? Like say your pictures right click on it and set it to share with the homegroup.

Yes. I created the Homegroup, reset the password, and set the sharing permissions on all of the folders that I need to share. Then I logged in to one of the laptops and it said that "Windows detected a homegroup on your network...". I clicked join, entered the password and, as always, it came back with "windows cannot set up a HomeGroup on this computer. HomeGroup encountered an error." I run the troubleshooter and sometimes it comes back with no errors, sometimes it comes back with "The system time is different than you local standard time." I made sure all computers were getting the time from time.nist.gov.

may sound daft but have you tried unplugging your reuter for ten seconds and re starting ,then try joining the homegroup

Not sure if the information contained here is relevant, but I'll post it anyway.

Download Details - Microsoft Download Center - Windows 7 & HomeGroup: Downlevel Sharing

Just a thought in passing.


You could set up a new network connection using workgroup. Is there an absolute reason you need homegroup?

Workgroup doesnt require (but can use) a password.

Have you tried to leave the homegroup on all the systems first and then start the homegourp again on one of them and the rest join then??? Just a thought.

If you run into problems leaving the Homegroup you might look here:

Good luck

My desktop has a 1TB HD that holds all of our music, pictures, videos, important files etc and I want my wife to have Read/Write access to certain folders/files but I want my 2 daughters to only have Read for some folders and Read/Write for just their folders (on the desktop). I don't want to have to create an account on the desktop for everyone just so they can get the correct permissions to certain folders. HomeGroup does that well without having to create those accounts.

Since none of the laptops can join the HomeGroup, I don't have to make them "leave" a HomeGroup. I tried once to create a HG on one of the laptops and then try to join from the desktop, but it ended up the same as always.

Having tried everything suggested and rechecked it all, I decided it just wasn't worth it and went back to the old thumb drive. It would have been nice and much easier. I do appreciate every one who had a suggestion, thanks for trying to help.
Bob