Windows 7 - Homegroup - Can't Join

Hello all! I have 2 brand new PCs with Win 7 installed, Ultimate on Desktop and Home on Laptop. Desktop is hooked into router, laptop is wireless.

I have created Homegroup on Desktop and tried to join from my laptop but it fails. I have checked the password, reset it 4 times just to be sure. I have made sure the correct home group settings are set on both. I have made sure the 4 services people have mentioned are running correctly. I can share a fold on my desktop and i can get to it from my laptop so i know the connectivity is there... I have also deleted the Homegroup a few times and tried redoing it.

What else should i look at?

thanks!

This is what I did to test my homegroup: on my desktop, I created the homegroup. As soon as it was created, I went to my laptop and went to the homegroup page, and was informed that my other computer had created a homegroup, so I clicked on the join button, went through a few screens, typed the password, and everything was shared.

Is that what you did?

I already had a workgroup established, so I haven't tested if it would work with my computers on different workgroups.

Yes that is what I did... now that it doesn't work I have been following all the trouble shooting posts but I still cant get it to work.

However I didnt do anything with Workgroups... would i had to have set that up? How can I tell if there is a workgroup setup?

Windows will, by default name your Workgroup; WORKGROUP unless otherwise specified during installation. Chances are, if you don't know if you've set it up, it's WORKGROUP.
You can check the Workgroup name by clicking start > right click Computer > Properties.



You can also change the Workgroup name by (in the same window) clicking advanced system settings > Computer Name tab > Change.

Also make sure that the time is perfectly synchronised on both machines.

Got it... they are both defaulted to WORKGROUP i will double check the time

The clocks are in sync... what next should i check?