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Trying to get a Toshiba Satellite C55 to join LAN

G

Gustavus

Golden Member
The title is not quite accurate. I have a wireless LAN which four Windows XP computers share, meaning I can mark a folder to be shared on any machine and all machines can access it.

I bought a Toshiba Satellite C55 B5202 laptop running Windoes 8.1 which immediately found the LAN -- shows five bar strength -- and uses it to access the internet. Getting very good speeds both up and down.

I would like to add the laptop to the network so it can share files with the other machines. I know how to do that in Windows XP and have done it for dozens of machines over the years, but after hours of poreing over the Toshiba manual and reading on internet am unable to make the laptop "join" the workgroup. All I can reach at Toshiba tech support is an automated query response that is totally dedicated to getting on the internet. But I am on internet and have been from the beginning. What I need to do is cause the laptop to become a member of the existing workgroup.

Is there a site that has simple instructions for causing a Windows 8.1 laptop to join a workgroup?

There is a lot at stake -- for me -- in getting this done. My NAS is based on a couple of Netgear SC101's which are incompatible with Windows 8.1 and which Netgear has said they will nor provide new drivers for to make them compatible. Since all four of the Windows XP machines read and write to the SC101's with no problem, a workaround would be to create a shared folder on one of the XP machines and use it as an intermediary to move a file to and from the laptop on those occasions that is needed.

Thanks
 
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If you haven't already:

Go to system properties and make sure the laptop has the name you want and has the same Workgroup name as the other computers you are connecting to.

Go to Network and Sharing Center, Advanced Sharing Settings, and make sure 'Network Discovery' and 'File and printer sharing' are enabled.
 
ketchup79
Thanks for the reply. I have of course made sure the computer and workgroup names are correct. Part of my problem is that Windows 8.1 is so unfamilar to me that I can't yet find my way around. There is an article by Christian Bryant which appears to be exactly what I wish to do "How to Join Windows 8.1 to a Domain" but so far I can't follow his instructions. I have the almost 1,000 page Windows 8.1 Bible, but it is like trying to translate a foreign language with only a dictionary and no knowledge of the language itself.
 
I have just spent the better part of the day trying to get tne Toshiba laptop with Windows 8.1 to join the existing workgroup. I have disabled the Homegroup in Windows 8.1 and can get the networking boxes to show the correct name for the Workgroup etc -- but it cannot see machines or folders in the workgroup nor can they see it.

An absolutely frustrating experience -- made all the more difficult since Windows 8.1 is virtually incomprehensible.

A suspicious indicator is that on the page where you are setting the domain or workgroup properties it says This edition of Windows 8.1 cannot join a domain. It does allow me to set workgroup settings though and does not say it cannot join workgroups.
 
I'd love to see some screen shots of the windows you are going through. I have 8.1 on a VM and it joins a network no differently than 7, and only a slight change from XP.
 
ketchup79
I will try to install a screen capture software tomorrow and if I succeed will send the captures.

The four XP computers can all share folders on the workgroup.

I have disabled Home group on the Windows 8.1 laptop and gone through the setup for connecting to a Workgroup. . On the System page for the laptop, at the bottom it shows Workgroup with the correct name. I think I have checked sharing at every possible place.

But it is not in the Workgroup. It sees the wireless LAN and clocks 30Mbps down and 6 Mbps up.
 
boomerang
Thanks for the suggestion. The link you gave says to enable network discovery. I had of course done that, but just in case went back and verified that network discovery is enabled. It is and the laptop still cannot see or be seen in the Workgroup. I have set access to everyone and verified permissions are unrestricted. Still no Workgroup access
 
You mentioned domain so I will ask, did you take any steps to join a domain? Because that could mess things up.
 
ketchup79
Thanks. No, I already knew the laptop could not join a domain.

I have a wireless LAN named gus which the laptop found on it's own and through which I have excellent internet access. I disabled the Homegroup using instructions from a Microsoft link and then went through the steps to join the Workgroup. That must have been partially successful since on the System page, the information in

Computer name,domain, and Workgroup settings is

Computer name GusLaptop
Full Computer name GusLaptop
Computer description GusLaptop
Workgroup TROLLHAGEN

all of which is correct

Note added:
I have all four of the XP computers in TROLLHAGEN on and have verified this morning that each can and does share files with all of the others. Of course none of them see GusLaptop nor the shared folder on it.
 
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inachu
Thanks for the help.
I typed in

NET USE r: \\pcname\subdirectoryname

exactly as shown. The response was

"The network cannot be found"

Not sure what that means since the laptop sees the LAN named "gus" and is using it to go on the internet. In fact that is the only way it can since it isn't hardwired to anything.
 
In windows 8 there should be a setting to put your pc into 2 different modes.

Either as a client or your nic wifi is offering services to act like a wifi switch itself.
I'll check my own setup when I go home as I do not remember the setting area.
 
Can't resist commenting on my impression of Windows 8.1 with Bing -- the version Toshiba installs on their laptops.

When I was kid in the early 30's a common ad in magazines was: "Get lots of mail. Send 25 cents and your name and address". For your quarter you got on the mailing list of companies sending ads by mail. My overwhelming impression of this version of Windows 8.1 is that I paid a couple of hundred dollars to the same end. 99% of what is returned in a search from within Windows 8.1 is ad based. With effort you can eventually find the 1%, but at my age that is too much time wasted.
 
When you go into the Network and Sharing Center > Advanced sharing settings, under All Networks > File sharing connections, you need to have 'Enable file sharing for devices that use 40- or 56-bit encryption' checked and of course save the settings. XP does not have the capability for stronger encryption.

If that doesn't do the trick then let's get a little more basic. From the Win8 machine, what is the method you are using to attempt to see the shared folders on the XP machines? In other words, you click on what and then what, etc., in the attempt. You have admitted that 8 is foreign to you and I completely get that so let's make sure your methodology is correct.
 
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boomerang
First, I really appreciate your effort to help.

I had set the 40- and 56- bit encryption originally and have verified the box is still checked.

In Network Connections it shows

WiFi gus and five bars signal strength

In Advanced Sharing Settings

Turn on Sharing is checked
Enable File Sharing is checked and as mentioned the encryption is set to allow 40 or 56 bit encryption
Turn off password protected sharing is checked

If I go to the LAN link, gus, and check properties

File and Printer Sharing is checked.

The Workgroup name is TROLLHAGEN and that shows on the SYSTEM page as

Workgroup TROLLHAGEN

The name of the laptop is GusLaptop. That doesn't show on any of the four XP machines in TROLLHAGEN when I open View Workgroup Computers, although they each "see" the other three machines

On the laptop if I go to network connections all that is shown is gus, the WiFi name.

I am out of ideas for what to do next. I have joined literally dozens of XP based machines to Workgroups over the years -- many to this workgroup and for friends who wanted to set up a shared network. I have spent more time trying to get this one machine into a Workgroup than all of those other times combined.
 
Gustavus said:
On the laptop if I go to network connections all that is shown is gus, the WiFi name.
Click to expand...
What you are seeing is expected but you are not looking in the correct spot to see the shares on the XP machines. There are several ways to view those shares. None is 'wrong', it comes down to preference.

From the desktop, click on the File Explorer icon on the left end of the taskbar. The icon that resembles folders. In the left pane, there will be an entry titled 'Network'. You may need to scroll down to see it. If the XP machines are awake and available it should be expanded and you should see the XP machines there. You should know what to do from there.

If they are not present, I have two suggestions.

First, I am curious why you disabled Homegroup. Now, maybe it is necessary to connect to XP computers but my research has not turned that up. My concern is that in disabling Homegroup you may have inadvertently disabled some settings required. I would reverse what I had done, leave it as is and try again. Homegroup and Workgroup by my research are not mutually exclusive.

Secondly, I have a link for you. You can download a guide that is available in several formats. The guide is quite all-encompassing and will require somewhat careful reading to determine what portions are relevant to what you are trying to accomplish. It is not tailored specifically for your circumstances but I believe it to be valuable information. Do not be concerned that it talks only of Windows 7 and not 8. These specifics apply to both versions. Hopefully navigating to these setting is the same. But questions can be asked here...

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17168

Edit: I have been editing. Refresh to see the latest.
 
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boomerang

I began this several day effort on Windows Eight Forums. There I was told that Windows 8 or 8.1 will attempt to network using Homegroup which is incompatible with Windows XP machines. The instructions were to open services and to choose disable for

Homegroup Listener
Homegroup Provider

services. I did that after which the System page shows

Workgroup TROLLHAGEN

as expected.

File Explorer/Network returns

Folder empty, even though three of the XP machines are currently on and showing each other.
 
No. None of the XP machines require a password. The Laptop insisted on a password.

The user name is the same on all machines: Gustavus
 
Smoove910 said:
do you have the same login credentials on the Win8 machine as you do on the XP machines?

Username
Password
Click to expand...
I believe he should still be able to see the shares but would not be able to connect. He would get a prompt that he wouldn't be able to get through. This was a bridge I was going to have him cross when the time came. But I'm a little fuzzy on all this. It's been a long time since I've done networking with XP and I never had one in the mix here with 8.
 
Gustavus said:
boomerang

I began this several day effort on Windows Eight Forums. There I was told that Windows 8 or 8.1 will attempt to network using Homegroup which is incompatible with Windows XP machines. The instructions were to open services and to choose disable for

Homegroup Listener
Homegroup Provider

services. I did that after which the System page shows

Workgroup TROLLHAGEN

as expected.

File Explorer/Network returns

Folder empty, even though three of the XP machines are currently on and showing each other.
Click to expand...
Based on the names of those two services, I doubt they're in play with this problem. Still, it would be simple enough to turn them back on and see what happens. I have Homegroup enabled fully (and functional) and I am also in the WORKGROUP Workgroup which is the default. I can change the workgroup name if I wish. It is not grayed out.

Have you turned off the firewall on the Win8 machine as a troubleshooting step? Turn it off on one XP machine too. You can of course turn them back on later.

What router are you using? Don't think this is a strange question. There are issues with older routers and newer Operating Systems. I got into a discussion a number of years ago with some very knowledgeable folks here and I eventually proved to them that incompatibilities do exist. Getting on the internet is one thing. Networking to other computers is entirely different.

Do you know how to ping? Can you ping one of the XP computers?

There are workarounds for username and password issues regarding sharing but for now, you might want to set a password on one XP machine to match the Win8 machine. Make sure both username and password match. It will take a variable out of the equation. Just one machine.

To verify, you set up the laptop initially with a local account and not a Microsoft email address, correct?
 
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OK, well let me tell you what I have and maybe we can see something amiss.

I have two VMs on my desktop right now, one running 8 and one running XP. They can both connect to my home server running Server 2008. I can connect to my server and my XP VM from the Windows 8 VM.

Here are my Private (current profile) settings that are checked:
Turn on network discovery
Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices
Turn on file and printer sharing
Allow Windows to manager homegroup connections

And here are the settings under All networks:
Turn on sharing so anyone with network access .....
Use 128-bit encryption to help protect ...
Turn on password protect sharing
 
I have Turn on network discovery checked
Network sharing is checked
Automatic setup of network connected devices is checked
File and printer sharing is enabled
Windows is set to manage homegroup connections (not sure if that automatically becomes manage workgroup connection)
I have sharing set for everyone on all machines.
I have 40 and 56 bit encryption checked since four of the machines are running Windows XP -- although I have tried setting it to 128 with no change.
password protect is now turned off.

My modem is a Motorola DOCSIS 3 SB6121. The router is a gigabit Netgear DIR 655

I will be away for the next three days, so won't be here to respond to messages.
 
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