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- Requirements for a Homegroup
- Preparing to Set Up a Homegroup
- Creating a Homegroup
- Adding Computers to a Homegroup
- Accessing Homegroup-Shared Libraries
- Changing Homegroup Sharing Settings
- Using Homegroup-Shared Printers
- Changing Homegroup Settings
- Leaving the Homegroup
- Diagnosing Homegroup Problems
- Conclusion
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Creating a Homegroup
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Creating a Homegroup
Once each Windows 7 computer you want to add to a homegroup is configured with a network location of Home, the stage is set for creating a homegroup. Start the process by opening the Control Panel on one of these computers.
- Click Choose Homegroup and Sharing Options from the Network and Internet category (Figure 3) or from the Network and Sharing Center.
- When you open this dialog for the first time, note that there is no homegroup on the network. Click Create a Homegroup to set up a homegroup (Figure 4).
- On the next dialog (Figure 5), specify what you want to share. By default, Pictures, Music, Videos, and Printers are shared.
- To share Documents, click the empty Documents checkbox.
- If you don't want to share an item, clear its checkbox.
- Click Next to continue.
- The next dialog displays the password Windows 7 assigns to your homegroup (Figure 6 shows a typical example). Use the Print Password and Instructions link visible in Figure 6 to print out the homegroup password. The same password is used by all computers connecting to the homegroup.
- Click Finish to complete creating the homegroup.
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Figure 3 Preparing to create a homegroup from within the Network and Internet category of Control Panel.
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Figure 4 Preparing to create a homegroup.
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Figure 5 Specifying what you want to share with the homegroup.
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Figure 6 Windows 7 provides a password to the homegroup.