Unable to use homegroup between two Windows 7 machines, although other network connections are OK
I have 2 Windows 7 machines, a DELL desktop with 32bit Win7 Ultimate, and a DELL laptop with 64bit Win7 Home Premium. Homegroup was set up on the desktop with all libraries shared. The laptop can see there is a homegroup on the desktop, and I have no trouble joining it. The problem arises when I try to navigate through the Homegroup nodes in Explorer - both machines report "No other homegroup computers are currently available". I've tried the troubleshooter from both computers, as well as leaving and rejoining the homegroup. I can map UNC drives between them, and the laptop can see and playback from my "remote" Windows Media library on the desktop. I have only Windows Firewall running on each machine. The desktop uses Windows AV, and the laptop uses McAfee AV. The McAfee firewall was uninstalled. Both machines are time-synched to the same internet server.
November 20th, 2009 9:11am

Hi, On each computer, please run the following command in an elevated command prompt to disable Windows Firewall and check the issue: Netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off Note: you can turn back on with the command Netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on. Hope this helps. Thanks.Nicholas Li - MSFT
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
November 30th, 2009 7:34am

No difference. I also tried recreating the homegroup with both firewalls disabled and running the troubleshooter, but again no difference. I also now only have Windows AV on both computers as McAfee was too intrusive in other areas.
November 30th, 2009 8:24am

Bump. Problem remains.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
January 18th, 2010 4:44pm

Got the exact same issue... With mine I can only see one way.. hagatha
January 19th, 2010 6:56am

I reinstalled Windows on my desktop and recreated the Homegroup. The laptop can join that homegroup but as soon as I try to use it, it goes back to the old problem of not being able to see any active members of the homegroup. Aside from this, both machines "see" each other fine over the network, and the troubleshooters find nothing wrong at either end.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
March 31st, 2010 2:12pm

I don't think anyone really knows why/how this happens. I look all over the web and see people asking variations of this and always the answer is never really spelled out. The consensus seems to be firewall-related. I had this happen with pc #1 seeing pc#2 in homegroup just fine but pc#2 could not see pc #1. It gave the "no other computers in the homegroup" message when I knew that was wrong because the other pc was seeing this one. Also on PC #2 when I tried to tell it which things to share in homegroup settings it would not take the changes. I would check the boxes then "Save Changes." Then go back into homegroup settings and the boxes were not checked anymore. I did a lot of things like un-installing then re-installing the adapters, turned of all firewalls etc. The thing that finally worked was to turn on both firewalls. Go to "allow a program through the firewall" (or whatever it says) and UN-check homegroup. (It was checked to start with). Restarted the machine. Went to allow a program through firewall and checked homegroup. Did the same with other machine. Now they work. No real changes in settings, just simply a "reset." I think there are still many gremlins in Windows.
December 8th, 2010 1:41pm

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics