Windows 7 Ultimate (major) networking problems

sunstrip · 24 Jan 2013

Let me try to explain the HUGE headache that I am having in a couple of paragraghs.

Running 4 puters..all with Windows 7 Ultimate...all joined to the same Homegroup..all have made sure that all of the puters have the same name "Workgroup" for the homegroup...Network Discovery turned on for all....File/Printer sharing turned on for all....password protect turned off for all..public sharing turned on for all....have the proper sharing set up on all the folders I want to share on all...same password set up on all when I joined the Homegroup on all.

I can see all the puters in the network when I click on Network on the desktop...but when I click on one...it says I don't have permissions the view on all...BUT...I see my network printer and it works on all puters...have tried leaving the Homegroup and re-joining on all.

Oh....and here's another little tid-bit to make this even more bizarre.....in the folders (any folder) side navigation pane...if I expand the Homegroup...all my shared folder show up and I can access them.....but as I said......when I go to the Network folder(on desktop) and try to click on the puters name itself (eg: Livingroom-PC...I don't have permissions ??????????

PS...It's not the firewall nor my AV...cause I've tried disabling both on all....and everything was working fine until a day or so ago.

As a note.....I re-did everything on all 4 puters......on all 4 puters I left the default homegroup(re-boot)...I then created a new homegroup on my main puter and named it MY NETWORK(re-boot)....I then joined that homegroup on the other 3 puters(re-boot)....I then set up the folders to share on all the puters...sharing with both "everyone & homegroup" also the same in the advanced settings(re-boot)...all network settings on all 4 puters are the same (file and print-ON,network discovery-ON,public shares-OFF.password protect-OFF...and still the same thing...I go to Network on the desktop...all 4 puters show up...but when I click on them...I get message that I don't have permissions, contact admin....BUT....as before...in the side nav pane...under homegroup...I'm able to see/ and use the shared folders on all 4 puters.....this is very frustrating...I never changed anything on any of the computers...but it quit working ...arggggggg !!!!!!!

I have tried everything to no avail !!!! I'm about to rip my hair out...can anyone help....thanks.

TheCyberMan · 24 Jan 2013

Hi and welcome to SF,

You are using same username and passwords on all computers for access?

Also have you set everyone permissions to full control this needs to be done?

sunstrip · 24 Jan 2013

Yes on all counts.

sunstrip · 25 Jan 2013

Well guys....I figured it out on my own using what I used to do in XP when I had problems networking and what I have learnt about advanced sharing in 7...I'm going to explain what I did here just in case anyone else ever has this problem:

Set up your network as described by MS on all computers, and yes...that's using the dreaded "homegroup" settings....now...this is VERY important...it may be a long way around the problems that I was having....BUT IT WORKED....go to "run" and type "control userpasswords2"(no quotes).....highlight the Guest acct.....click properties....now click the Group Membership tab....choose "Administrators" and then choose the "Other" again...this will allow you to bring down the dropdown list....choose Power User...apply.....OK....hit apply again...OK....you can still leave the guest acct. turned off.

OK...now we are done with that (this is the process that I used to have to go thru with XP sometimes)

Now on each computer...go to the folder/drive that you want to share...right click it and go to Properties...click the Sharing tab...then advanced sharing...click permissions....click add....click advanced....click find now....in the list that shows up...highlight the Power Users...click OK in the window that pops up....make sure that Power Users is highlighted...and set your permissions in the bottom box (for me it was full control)..click apply and OK until your done and out of the windows and finally close.

Whaaaaallllaaaa...my network is back on all puters !!!!!!

As I said...there may be someone out there that will think this is a long way around a simple problem...but as I said....IT WORKED.

Thanks for all the posts and suggestions guys...I appreciate your wanting to help !!!!!

TheCyberMan · 25 Jan 2013

I think you could have just gone into advanced sharing permissions and given the actual user account you are using for sharing and given that full permissions and that would have done the trick rather than giving it to power users first.

I am glad that you have solved the issue well done and you are very welcome, thanks for posting your solution to your problem it will help others.

chev65 · 25 Jan 2013

There are certainly much easier ways of doing this. The Homegroup is only dreaded if you don't understand how it works. It actually has some huge advantages which apparently few people are aware of.

In fact it's best to set up a Homegroup between the Win7 and 8 machines then share with XP by using the Public folders and you can share out entire Library's from Win 7 or 6 with the XP machine just by right clicking a Library and choosing Specific People then choose Everyone. This is by far the easiest and safest way to share between different Op systems.

You should also be setting up all shares from the C:Users folder rather than from the root of the C drive.

Either way I'm glad you figured out an alternate method of sharing. :)