Not showing PC name under Homegroup tab

I have set my desktop pc and my netbook under a homegroup. Both are running on Win7. My Main pc sees my netbook and displays its name under the homegroup tab on the left organize colum of the 'Computer' window. On my netbook its does not display the name of my desktop pc under the homegroup heading. I can see the name of my desktop pc from my netbook when i go via the network window and can acess the shared files/drives of the desktop PC this way. It sems odd i can see the netbook under the homegroup heading on my desktop but not the other way round on my netbook. My netbook has win starter. When i click on my homegroup window in my netbook it says "no other homegroup coputers are currently available". But as i mention above i can access the desktop folders from my netbook if i go via the network window on my netbook.

This seems strange, any ideas please why my dektop does not show up uner the homegroup heading on my netbook when they are clearly connected?

Hi

Welcome to Seven Forums :)
Found this on the net.

HomeGroup requirements:

- Windows 7 on all the machines on the network
- A HomeGroup started on one of the machines (with password, of course)
- User accounts with passwords for those machines that wish to be part of the HomeGroup most especially the machine where the HomeGroup was created
- HomeGroup password (obviously) used on each machine to join it

After that, it shouldn't be an issue. Don't use a password that matches any user account password also - made that mistake myself once and it drove me batty trying to resolve it.

Aside from that, it's almost (note I said almost) idiot-proof to get a HomeGroup started. If you're having issues, do this:

- delete the HomeGroup on the laptop first (leave the HomeGroup) and disconnect from the network with it (delete that HomeGroup before you disconnect from the router, it's important)
- on the desktop box delete the HomeGroup and reboot
- when the desktop reboots, recreate the HomeGroup with the password and again, it can't match any user account passwords, and your account on the desktop must have a password - all user accounts that wish to access the HomeGroup from any machine on the HomeGroup must
- connect the laptop to the router and log back in making sure the user account on the laptop has a password on its account - if not you're not going to get far
- join the HomeGroup with the password assigned to the HomeGroup

You should be good to go...

Hello whippingboy,

I would first like to point out that you don't need to use any type of User passwords in order for Homegroups to work. Secondly, sometimes it helps to set the required Homegroup services to Automatic instead of Manual start up, this should help your netbook to appear on the other machine.

Your netbook also needs join the Homegroup using the Homegroup password which you should have recieved when you set up the first machine.

You also need to make sure that some of your Homegroup folders are being sharing from the netbook in order for it to show up on the other machine.

First open a command prompt and type in services.msc then hit enter. Scroll down the list and locate the following services. Make sure that the service is started then right click on the service and choose properties, set the service to Automatic rather than Manual.

Right click the sevice, go to properties, make sure that all these services are started then Set to Automatic> DNS Client, Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery, Peer Networking Grouping,Peer Name Resolution Protocol, UPnP Device Host services, Homegroup listener, Homegroup provider.

Hi,

I have got the same problem, but was allready discussing it on the following thread:
https://www.sevenforums.com/network-sharing/107229-home-network-problem.html

I have tried everything mentioned above.
Still doens't work.

Situation is the following:
- 1 router
- 2 desktops
- 1 laptop
- all windows 7 pro

homegroup works perfectly fine for the 2 desktops, but not on the laptop
No AV or firewall of any kind installed.

through homegroup:
Desktops can see each other and can open files, but can't see the laptop
The laptop sees both desktops but can't see any of the files.

through network:
Desktops can see all computers and can open all folders and files
the laptop can see all computers but can't get access to the desktop computers ("Windows cannot access \\" error messag)

I hope someone can help me with this.

If you need more info just ask.

Thanks in advance.

I had same problem and solved it by renaming the laptop, the problem is when you install windows it asks your name and then windows names the computer what you entered plus "-pc" ie "johndoe-pc" so when you buy another computer you enter your name again and you get a duplicate computer name "johndoe-pc"
Make sure you rename the computer, dont just change the description.
This solved it for me
Good luck!