Homegroup problem

[Salamander]

Here's the situation. I have two laptops and one desktop that were all successfully working in a Windows 7 Homegroup as of about two weeks ago (hadn't checked since then). Last night I installed Windows 8 on my desktop (with Start8, at least for now - and a custom install without saving any settings or files). I then uninstalled the WIndows 7 Homegroup from the two laptops. Then I installed a Homegroup in the WIndows 8 desktop, followed by joining that Homegroup from the two laptops. Both laptops are Dells, same wireless cards with all the same settings. I can access both laptop shared files from the desktop with no problem. From one laptop I can access the files in the other laptop and in the desktop with no problem. From the second laptop I cannot access any files from either the other laptop nor the desktop.

I uninstalled the Homegroup, and set up a new one using the laptop with the issues. Same result. I uninstalled the laptop wireless driver and re-installed it. Same result.

The two laptops are wireless, while the desktop is wired.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Salamander]

Update - I've tried installing different wireless drivers in the affected laptop, to no avail. I tried connecting it via Ethernet, that also didn't work. There appears to be some network and/or file sharing setting that is messed up.

I get the same result when I try to access shared files via the network rather than the Homegroup - except in that case I get a message indicating I don't have permission to read the files and directing me to the network administrator (which is me). This is also a new problem that wasn't there a few weeks ago.

 

[Ketchup]

OK, so it sounds like Windows is no longer treating that user as an Administrator correctly. If you have verified all the settings in the Network and Sharing Center are correct, you could try creating another administrator account, and see if it will connect through that.

 

[Salamander]

OK, so it sounds like Windows is no longer treating that user as an Administrator correctly. If you have verified all the settings in the Network and Sharing Center are correct, you could try creating another administrator account, and see if it will connect through that.

Is there any way to fix the account if that turns out to be the issue?

 

[Ketchup]

It all depends. If something got changed to the wrong value, this should fix the problem. You can just compare old and new and change as needed. If something is actually broken, you may need to move everything personal to the new account.

Let's see if the new account works, and then go from there.

 

[Salamander]

I created a new admin acct. Same issue. Now I can't log in to my original account. It doesn't show up on the log in screen.

Update. I was able to get back in the original account - only to discover a number of files and programs are missing. Attempting to recover them from a backup.

 

[Ketchup]

First off I am going to bump this thread so that it is more visible.

1. If you select User Accounts and Manage account from the Control Panel what do you see?
2. If you navigate to "C:users" do you see the name of your old account?

Have you had any problems with this computer in the past, such as malware, hard drive issues, generally slow?

 

[Salamander]

I've recovered the files - thanks to WD My Book Live. C:users has the name of the account, which I'm now logged into.

User Accounts has manage your credentials - is that what you're referring to?

 

[Ketchup]

Well, this is a bit odd. So Windows lost your files. Glad to hear you had a good backup in place. Windows losing files is never good. Makes me think there is something else going on here. Like I said in my last post, I would run check disk and a good antivirus/antimalware scan.

How did you get back to your original account?

And to answer your question, I was not referring to your credentials. I was referring to whether or not the user account showed up on that page, but at this point it is not worth worrying about.

 

[ImDonly1]

Are you both on the same workgroup?

 

[Salamander]

Well, this is a bit odd. So Windows lost your files. Glad to hear you had a good backup in place. Windows losing files is never good. Makes me think there is something else going on here. Like I said in my last post, I would run check disk and a good antivirus/antimalware scan.

How did you get back to your original account?

And to answer your question, I was not referring to your credentials. I was referring to whether or not the user account showed up on that page, but at this point it is not worth worrying about.

It appears what was mostly missing was the desktop icons rather than programs and files - something I should have checked before doing the backup recovery.

I ran two antivirus/antimalware scans and got nothing.

I got back the account using the following (which I found using after some internet searching):

control userpasswords2 method:
1) Go to the Start Menu and the Run box.
2) Type in the following:

control userpasswords2

now click OK
3) In the new Windows that appears select the account you wish to make the
primary logon.
Now uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password..." box.
4) Hit Apply and a dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the selected
users password.
Click OK when you are done...

 

[Salamander]

Are you both on the same workgroup?

Yes

 

[john3850]

OK, so it sounds like Windows is no longer treating that user as an Administrator correctly. If you have verified all the settings in the Network and Sharing Center are correct, you could try creating another administrator account, and see if it will connect through that.

Very good idea that I will try soon.
I had 2 pc over the years that would not accept Sharing one is a x58 board.
I ran off my new IB recently and had the same problem with my x-58-pc.

 

[Salamander]

I'm still looking for a reason why my desktop and one laptop can access the shared files on the second laptop, but the second laptop can't access the shared files on the desktop or the first laptop - especially when everything was working fine a few weeks ago.

Is there any way installing Windows 8 on the desktop could affect the second laptop but not the first, given the network and homegroup settings are the same on both laptops?

 

[Ketchup]

If you go to advanced are all the sharing settings turned on? Is it set to allow Windows to manage homegroup connections on all 3 machines? Have you tried the HomeGroup troubleshooter?

 

[Salamander]

If you go to advanced are all the sharing settings turned on? Is it set to allow Windows to manage homegroup connections on all 3 machines? Have you tried the HomeGroup troubleshooter?

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

[Ketchup]

Hmm, ok. And the internet runs fine? What did the troubleshooter say?

 

[Salamander]

The internet runs fine. The trouble shooter couldn't find anything. It suggested I leave and rejoin the homegroup. That didn't fix it.

I tried uninstalling the Homegroup from all computers, and then creating one from the laptop with the issues. I got the same resuolt - the other laptop and the desktop could access the bad laptop, but not the reverse.

 

[Ketchup]

did you try turning off the firewall? (shouldn't need to, but there may be a connection that has been set to deny)

Have you looked at these?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/cant-connect-other-pcs

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Why-cant-I-access-some-of-the-computers-in-my-homegroup

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Why-cant-I-access-my-homegroup

 

[Salamander]

did you try turning off the firewall? (shouldn't need to, but there may be a connection that has been set to deny)

Have you looked at these?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/cant-connect-other-pcs

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Why-cant-I-access-some-of-the-computers-in-my-homegroup

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Why-cant-I-access-my-homegroup

Yes, yes, yes, and no - the Homegroup Fixit links to software that then won't open - says it is invalid or has expired. All the others didn't resolve my problem.

 

[Salamander]

I'm still looking for ideas!

 

[Ketchup]

I'm afraid I'm out of them for now, sorry. Hopefully someone else has some.

 

[Salamander]

I'm afraid I'm out of them for now, sorry. Hopefully someone else has some.

Nothing to apologize for. You made some good suggestions. I'm stumped as well.

 

[Ketchup]

Nothing to apologize for. You made some good suggestions. I'm stumped as well.

I appreciate that. Had another idea. Why don't you set a couple shared folders on your troubled laptop and the desktop. See if those shares work correctly. Might help narrow down the cause of the problem.

 

[Salamander]

I did a clean install of Windows 8 Pro. That fixed the problem.