Homegroup issues

[neonplanet40]

Hi folks,

I wiped my PC yesterday (Windows 10) and did a fresh install.

Even this wasn't smooth (it refused to detect any of my Logitech keyboards or mice which was a nightmare.

Anyway, in my network I have the following:

• Main pc (just a fresh install now) Windows 10 Pro fully updated according to windows update
• HTPC - Windows 10 pro fully updated according to windows update
• NAS
• Livingroom HTPC - Windows 10 Pro fully updated according to windows update

Before the fresh install, these were all on the same homegroup and there were no issues.

However, now I have problems.

Homegroup no longer is an option in my main pc after a fresh install. Supposedly it was removed in a recentish update by Microsoft. However, despite both my HTPC's having been fully updated (via windows update), they still have homegroup as an option.

So now I'm lost. What do I do? I can't set up a workgroup (or at least can find no option to do so), nor can I set up a new homegroup because my main pc can't pick it as an option (as it has been removed). WIndows 10 is doing my head in!

Anyone got any ideas?

[shaithis]

Open command prompt, check the Windows version.....

if its:
10.0.17134.x or higher, then homegroup is gone. The ones with it will almost certainly have a lower version.

[neonplanet40]

Then why is windows update saying up to date Grrr does my head in!

[DanceswithUnix]

I thought homegroup wasn't gone, just the ability to configure it. So upgraded machines using the homegroup should continue to work, but the re-loaded machine is now locked out.

What were you sharing in the group? Microsoft's advice for how to now share things didn't work for me regardless of how they said things like "just simply".

[neonplanet40]

I was just accessing files between computers and watching stuff on the main pc from my HTPC.

I can no longer connect to it without entering a username and password. However, no matter what combo I use (I use the same one for all three) it doesn't work and says username/password is wrong.

Pain.

[DanceswithUnix]

I expect he answer is to switch to a workgroup.

I'm hoping I don't have to dust off the documentation for my Linux Samba server to see if I can get that running as a domain server, like in the Windows XP days. But so far it seems easier to just grab a USB stick than go fix Windows.

[peterb]

I expect he answer is to switch to a workgroup.

I'm hoping I don't have to dust off the documentation for my Linux Samba server to see if I can get that running as a domain server, like in the Windows XP days. But so far it seems easier to just grab a USB stick than go fix Windows.

Windows 10 does have issues with Samba - or the nmb part, so Windows explorer doesn't recognise the broadcast of the server Samba identity. I've not looked into it, but I think its to do with NetBios support - or lack thereof.

However you can still manually map Samba shares to a drive letter, and also as a network place - you just have to add

\\server_name\share_name

manually.