Homegroup Problem: Network Discovery Issue

[mmisterio]

I have a desktop and a laptop. On the laptop when I select network discovery ON and I save changes. For some reason, the next time I look the setting is turned to OFF. It is preventing me from using homegroup. Anyone got a fix?

 

[endu]

I am having the same problem on my Desktop. I've set my network "location" to both Home and Work, which enables and disables Homegroups, but attempting to set Network Discovery to "on" does nothing. Other options in the advanced window can be changed, but every time I attempt to save the change to Network Discovery it is off as soon as I go back to look at it.

 

[limneos]

Have you by any chance changed the following option?

 

[endu]

I've tried it in both settings (it is currently set to the second option). I actually have got it working right now, here is what I did.

I went to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services. I found that SSDP Discovery service was set to "Disabled". I haven't had any reason to change services, so apparently it was set that way by default. After setting the service to "Automatic" and starting it, I was able to set Network Discovery to "on" successfully.

 

[limneos]

Glad to know you've worked this out endu.

Thanks for posting the solution here for others too.

 

[UKForce]

I have the same issue here, for some reason it keeps going back to Network Discovery - OFF, it will not stay on at all.

I have checked all the services that need to be on, they are on, I have event stopped the firewall, but that made no difference either?


I am in a Homegroup but just this computer refuses to keep network discovery on ?

Internet etc, etc is all fine, and my other 2 computers are fine, all talking to each other etc.

I am running build 7057.




Any ideas anyone?

 

[RRabbit427]

I have the same issue here, for some reason it keeps going back to Network Discovery - OFF, it will not stay on at all.
I have checked all the services that need to be on, they are on, I have event stopped the firewall, but that made no difference either?
I am in a Homegroup but just this computer refuses to keep network discovery on ?
Internet etc, etc is all fine, and my other 2 computers are fine, all talking to each other etc.
I am running build 7057.
Any ideas anyone?

Same Problem: Settings will not save changes... Network Discovery will not stay on... changes services to automatic... still nothing... I can even look at my network map and both computers show up but cannot configure this homegroup.... any help would be much appreciated...

 

[rozrack]

Turn on DNS Client, Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery, and UPnP Device Host services.

 

[darkassain]

Also if you want Homegroups you need to have IPv6 enabled...

 

[DarkMatter]

Turn on DNS Client, Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery, and UPnP Device Host services.

Thanks that actually worked for me on RC build #7100

 

[deepbevel]

This is unbeleivable, so now we have to go in and fool with services just to set up a home network? thanks Microsoft.

 

[deepbevel]

we've had nothing but problems ever since we upgraded all our systems to windows 7. At least with Vista we were finally able to get it working. It just refuses to keep the network sdiscovery setting, and offers no hint as to why when runnubg diagnostics. None of the solutions on this forum have helped.

 

[chev65]

This is unbeleivable, so now we have to go in and fool with services just to set up a home network? thanks Microsoft.

All of those services are turned on by default. If you upgraded from Vista and Vista had those services shut off for some reason, those setting may be transfered to Windows 7 and would need to be re-enabled.

 

[RichardJU]

All of those services are turned on by default.

Not necessarily. I did a totally clean install of Win 7-64 on a fairly new machine and UPnP Device Host services was not on.

The reason I'm looking at this thread is that my Win 7-64 is in a wired network with other Win 7 machines, but it only sees them intermittently. Every time I refresh the network page, it's a crapshoot what other computers will show up.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

 

[chev65]

Intermittently appearing Windows 7 machines would be confusing and frustrating I agree. If UPnP was disabled perhaps some of the other required networking services were also disabled for some reason.

Click Start and type Services.msc in the dialog box to open the services snap-in.
Then check if the following services are started:
--SSDP Discovery
--TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
--Computer Browser
If not, set the startup type to automatic and click start to start the services.

It also seems that the naming convention is very critical to be accurate. If even one part of a name isn't correct you will get interrmittent appearance of networked computers. It may also help to use the same user name on all machines with out using any strange charactors or symbols, single names works best.

The machine names need to be different on every machine, but it can help to use the same user name and password. And they definately need to be part of the same Workgroup.

 

[TaraSWinTeam]

This is unbeleivable, so now we have to go in and fool with services just to set up a home network? thanks Microsoft.

Here is the information for setting up a home network: Setting up a home network. If you are fooling with services let me know where this occurs.

Tara

 

[RichardJU]

Intermittently appearing Windows 7 machines would be confusing and frustrating I agree. If UPnP was disabled perhaps some of the other required networking services were also disabled for some reason.

Click Start and type Services.msc in the dialog box to open the services snap-in.
Then check if the following services are started:
--SSDP Discovery
--TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
--Computer Browser
If not, set the startup type to automatic and click start to start the services.

Thanks for your help. Those are all started with no change to the result.

It also seems that the naming convention is very critical to be accurate. If even one part of a name isn't correct you will get interrmittent appearance of networked computers. It may also help to use the same user name on all machines with out using any strange charactors or symbols, single names works best.

The machine names need to be different on every machine, but it can help to use the same user name and password. And they definately need to be part of the same Workgroup.

I'm not sure what you mean by "If even one part of a name isn't correct"

All of my computers have only one user each. Their user names are "Firstname Lastname" Each computer name is concatenated to "FirstnameLastname" They are all part of the same Workgroup. I have tried setting to Home and to Work. I am not using Homegroups which also don't work.

I have two computers at my desk: "Good" and "Bad." Bad is the one with a problem. It is a fresh install. I have turned off firewall and defender and have not even installed an Antivirus. I have turned off password protected sharing on all computers.

Good and Bad are plugged into the same gigabit router and are both operating at gigabit speed. I have updated the BIOS on Bad and updated the firmware on the router. That Router has a DHCP reservation for both Good and Bad. I have tried both Lan ports on Bad and disabled the other in BIOS. I have downloaded the manufacturer's latest LAN drivers for Win 7.

Good and Bad produce the same network map, but on Bad, the icons shown for other computers are not clickable, and those computers do not show up in the network list except sporadically.

And you were right about the frustration.

 

[chev65]

I can't say why workgroup isn't working but if both machines are using windows 7 you should try using the Homegroup.

After setting up Homegroup on both machines try doing this from the Bad machine. With the Libraries folder open Click the "share with" button then choose Homegroup read/write and see if the files are viewable from the other machine.

If both machines are using different Op systems you need to use either public or workgroup. It's difficult to say why it works perfectly for some and not for others.

Disabling IPv6 seems to work for some people who can't use Homegroups.

 

[RichardJU]

Try doing this from the Bad machine. Click the share with button then choose Homegroup read/write.

I'm not using Homegroups. I would need to set location to Home rather than Work. Is that what you were wondering?

Also did you get this question?

"I'm not sure what you mean by "If even one part of a name isn't correct""

Thanks again.

 

[chev65]

Microsoft warns against using dual names for a machine "single names are best" according to Msoft. Also any names using a symbol that isn't a letter can also cause problems. All machine names need to be different, but the user names can be the same apparently. And all machines need to be share the same workgroup name obviously enough.