Laptop can't find desktop computer -- Both Windows 7

[machoalto]

I have a home network set up on my desktop running Windows 7. Homegroup is NOT activated. My laptop has INTERNET access from the wireless card to the router attached to the desktop, but I can't get the laptop to "recognize" the desktop computer. When I type in \\computer name, it tells me that it can't locate that computer. So I can't print from my laptop, because the printer is attached to the desktop. I've tried everything I can think of -- renaming networks, etc. -- nothing has worked. The weird thing is that the laptop could find the printer last week, and I don't remember changing anything. Advice???

 

[chev65]

First check these settings on both machines. Make sure they both look like this. Make sure that both machines are using the same workgroup name. Both machines need to use a different machine name or they won't show up. I'm not sure if you are using workgroup or public file sharing so I showed both windows.

 

[machoalto]

Thanks for the advice. Tried it, didn't work. Here are some of the messages I get:

When I go to Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Network and Sharing Center, and click on the "Network" icon in between my laptop icon and the internet icon, I get a popup which shows both the laptop icon with the right name, and the desktop icon with the right name. When I double-click on the desktop computer icon, I get the message "Windows cannot access \\COMPUTERNAME" The error code says "The network path was not found."

Another thing I've tried is right-clicking on the desktop computer icon and trying to Connect with Remote Desktop Connection. When I do this, it searches for a few seconds to find the connection and then I get the message "Remote Desktop cannot find the computer \\COMPUTERNAME. This might mean that \\COMPUTERNAME does not belong to the specified network. Verify the computer name and domain that you are trying to connect to."

Is it possible that I have two different networks operating here? That was always really easy to see when in Vista or XP, but not in 7. How would I find out?

Thanks for advice!!

 

[chev65]

You might be using workgroup on one and public file sharing on another. Make sure you are using one or the other on both machines. This could also be a wireless networking problem. Sometimes just rebooting or refreshing will make the other machine appear.

Can the wireless machine see the other if it's plugged in with an eithernet cable?

Since you are running two Windows 7 machines you can also try using the Homegroup network which works pretty well for me. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43972-homegroup-add-computer-join.html?filter

To change sharing settings in Homegroup. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/44464-homegroup-change-file-folder-sharing-settings.html?filter

 

[usmchuffman]

Found a fix for me

I dont know if anyone will have the same problem in the future. I've had this same problem for the last 10 straight and couldnt fix it. I already have two laptops connected and working perfectly fine on the network.

Right after i found this thread i turned wireless isolation on my router off and everything appeared on my network for my new laptop and can now do everything i could do on my other two.

i dont know if this is relavent bc my fix was with my router and not windows but who knows.

 

[aem]

Can the laptop ping the desktop and have you tried connecting via ip address?

Can you do ipconfig for both laptop and desktop and show us?

Search for tutorial on how to connect from one machine to another.

 

[seavixen32]

You may find this Microsoft article useful: How to set up a wireless network (WLAN) in your home

This article discusses setting up a homegroup from start to finish: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help/homegroup-from-start-to-finish