Windows 7: Homegroup Issue

After reformatting my laptops hard drive, it is unable to see the existing homegroup on my wireless network. Before the reformat, I was able to share files and printers using the existing homegroup on my main desktop computer. I have tried homegroup troubleshooter without success.

I had the same problem. Be sure Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) is enabled.

It is enabled on the laptop

The only other advice I can give is go back and check all your settings, like Home, Work and Public to match your other Homegroup computers. Don't know why Microsoft has not made networking easier, never had much luck with the Homegroup troubleshooter.
Maybe a expert will come along shortly to help, today is a bad day for help because of the holidays.

Understood, I have checked everything, even deleted homegroup and created a new one on main desktop, looking for solutions on google, still nothing. Thanks anyway.

Use workgroup, not homegroup, if you want dependable easy-to-understand networking of your home computers, and full access to all drives/folders on any machine from any other machine, which works for both WinXP and Windows 7 machines.

Make sure each machine (be they Windows 7 or WinXP) specifies (a) a unique "computer name", and (b) the same "workgroup name". You just need one "workgroup name" which you can invent yourself, but it needs to be specified the same on each machine.

For full unrestricted access to any drive on any machine from any machine, make sure each drive on each machine is (a) shared (at that top drive level), with (b) "full control" given to a user named "everybody" in permissions. You will need to ADD a user named "everybody" and then push the "permissions" button and check "full control".

With all machines on the same workgroup, and all drives on all machines "shared" and with "full control" granted to "everybody", every drive/folder/file on any machine will be (a) visible and (b) accessible from any other machine. You will never hear a peep from Windows, except perhaps the very first time you access another drive when possibly a userid/password "log in" may be asked for, in which case if you check the "remember" box you'll never hear from it again. I avoid even that problem by using the same username/password on all of my machines in my home network.

If you have (or want) "shared USB printers" (i.e. locally connected/hosted by one machine via USB cable to that machine, and defined as "shared"on that machine) and all of your computers are 64-bit or all are 32-bit, it's trivial to use the ADD NEW PRINTER dialog to "connect" to that network-available shared printer object from anyother machine. It only gets more complicated (but hardly difficult) if you have a mix of 32-bit and 64-bit host/clients, and then you have to get the proper driver available to each machine.

Renamed the laptop, deleted the homegroup and recreated a new on the desktop computer that is connected to the router. Restarted both computers and now the laptop can see the homegroup and all networks printers and folders.

WHAT was it that you recreated a new one of?? Homegroup? Or workgroup?

In your previous post you said that you'd already tried deleting the homegroup and recreating it on the desktop. And you said that did NOT work.

Now you say "recreated a new... on the desktop" and apparently left out the key word in that sentence, except that now it works. Doesn't seem like it could be a new "homegroup", since that's already failed for you.

Workgroup?

Or what?

Please clarify what you did, the specific steps you took on the desktop and whether you had to do anything at all on the laptop. Did the laptop have a duplicate "computer name" as your desktop and the rename of the laptop's "computer name" now presented two uniquely named machines on the network? Duplicate "computer name" is of course a no-no, so I would guess that was your problem all along... homegroup or workgroup. As I mentioned in my own earlier post, all machines on the network MUST have unique names.

Others reading this thread will benefit from your clarification. Please.

Sorry for the missing word. I deleted the existing homegroup on the desktop computer connected to the router. I renamed the laptop computer that connects via wireless. Then deleted and recreated a homegroup on the desktop computer. I restarted both computers and the laptop was then able to see the new homegroup. Previously when I tired recreating the homegroup and unsuccessfully connecting the laptop, I did not rename the laptop computer. At no time did either computer have duplicate names. Renaming the laptop computer seemed to play a big part.

Fascinating. Can't imagine why just renaming the laptop would do anything to solve the issue (especially since you didn't have a duplicate name problem in the first place), but I guess you can't argue with success.

I've not used "homegroup" with Windows 7, but rather have just stuck with "workgroup" since I have WinXP machines in the mix and did not see any need to try something new when it wasn't necessary or buying me any new functionality. All I wanted is what I already had... shared printers and drives, with "full access" to anything from anywhere, no matter whether WinXP or Windows 7 was booted on any given machine.

Anyway, glad you finally got your problem resolved.