Cannot get computer to join proper home network

[Mark NY]

I recently had to re-install Win 7 Home Premium on my desktop computer. In the setup, it apparently chose to join "Network," which is not the name of the network it was on prior to the reinstall. My laptop is on that other network, which for this discussion I'll call "Something 4". I know I can change the name of the desktop computer's network to match that, but I believe that really has no effect on what network it is actually on. All of this matters because in the current configuration the laptop cannot attach to a virtual hard drive on the desktop computer. Both computers are on the same workgroup and home group. Any help will be very much appreciated.

 

[Sub Styler]

You are correct, the network name on the local machine is irrelevant.

Where/what the network is connecting to is important. Is you system connected to the same access point as previously? If you have switched from wireless to wired or are using a mixture of network types, you will need to ensure the router is including both the wireless and wired networks on the home network.

Once you can ping the host from the client you can map a network drive. I usually turn off simple filesharing for this purpose.

 

[Mark NY]

I have made no changes in configuration. Both computers are connected via Ethernet to an Actiontec MI424WR router. As for mapping a drive, that's not quite what am doing...or rather, was doing, until the re-install. I had the laptop attaching to a virtual hard drive on an USB external drive that is connected to the desktop. Once attached, I mapped it to the laptop. If you are wondering why in the world I would do this, it's because, as you know, this version of WIN 7 does not allow backups across a network. By creating the VHD and then mapping to it, I effectively fool Windows 7 into thinking it's a local drive.

 

[Mark NY]

Oh...and each computer can ping the other.

 

[Sub Styler]

Turn off simple filesharing and share the drive through the old fashioned "network Shares option" if they are both in the same workgroup the share should be accessible.

 

[Mark NY]

I would appreciate it if you could give me some precise directions on how to do that.