All Windows 7 computers that belong to the same workgroup can also belong to a homegroup. There can only be one homegroup per workgroup on a network. Computers can only be a member of one homegroup at a time. The homegroup option is not available in Windows Vista or Windows XP.
Only one user in the workgroup creates the homegroup. The other users can join the homegroup, provided they know the homegroup password. Homegroup availability depends on your network location profile:
- Home Network - allowed to create or join a homegroup
- Work Network - not allowed to create or join a homegroup, but you can see and share resources with other computers
- Public Network - homegroup not available
NOTE: Computers with Windows 7 Starter or Windows 7 Home Basic installed can join a homegroup, but not create a homegroup.
To change a computer to the Home Network network location profile, follow these steps:
Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center.
Step 2. Click the network location profile listed in the View your active networks section of the window, as shown in Figure 1.
Step 3. Click Home network.
Step 4. Select what you want to share (e.g., Pictures, Music, Videos, Documents, and Printers) then click Next.
Step 5. Join or create a homegroup.
To create a homegroup, follow these steps:
Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel > HomeGroup.
Step 2. Click Create a homegroup, as shown in Figure 2.
Step 3. Select files to share then click Next.
Step 4. Record the homegroup password.
Step 5. Click Finish.
When a computer joins a homegroup, all user accounts on the computer, except the Guest account, become members of the homegroup. Being part of a homegroup makes it easy to share pictures, music, videos, documents, libraries, and printers with other people in the same homegroup. Users control access to their own resources. Users can also create or join a homegroup with a virtual machine in Windows Virtual PC.
To join a computer to a homegroup, follow these steps:
Step 1. Click Start > Control Panel > HomeGroup.
Step 2. Click Join now, as shown in Figure 3.
Step 3. Select files to share then click Next.
Step 4. Type in the homegroup password, then click Next.
Step 5. Click Finish.
To change the files shared on a computer, select Start > Control Panel > HomeGroup. After you make your changes, click Save change.
NOTE: If a computer belongs to a domain, you can join a homegroup and access files and resources on other homegroup computers. You are not allowed to create a new homegroup or share your own files and resources with a homegroup.