SOLVED Can't create Homegroup

[Nancee]

I have recently had to refresh two laptops both running Windows 10. Two different errors both resultimg from updates ( BSOD !) Got them both working again but now they can 'see' each other ! Both say 'Create Homegroup' but when I try both have the same 'Windows can not create a Homegroup on this computer'.
Both say there is no homegroup!. I've tried refreshing my laptop for a secong time but still no luck. Have run the help tools, still get the same answer , Nothing found. I am novice at this can follow directions but have limited knowledge. Learning fast. Thank you in advance for you help

 

[windows10help]

Hi,

is network discovery turned on both machines? and are they both in the Organization workgroup?

 

[Dan99]

Nancee, Network Discovery (mentioned above) is found in Network and Sharing Center/Change advanced sharing settings.

 

[Nancee]

I have recently had to refresh two laptops both running Windows 10. Two different errors both resultimg from updates ( BSOD !) Got them both working again but now they can 'see' each other ! Both say 'Create Homegroup' but when I try both have the same 'Windows can not create a Homegroup on this computer'.
Both say there is no homegroup!. I've tried refreshing my laptop for a secong time but still no luck. Have run the help tools, still get the same answer , Nothing found. I am novice at this can follow directions but have limited knowledge. Learning fast. Thank you in advance for you help

 

[Nancee]

Yes I've checked that teh settings are the same on both laptops, Both laptops can 'see' each other but there is no home group i have tried I have now found this issues after running Windows Network diagnostics again
'Windows Sockets registry entries required for network connectivit are missing' Means nothing to me! Thanks again

 

[Nancee]

Yes I've checked that teh settings are the same on both laptops, Both laptops can 'see' each other but there is no home group i have tried I have now found this issues after running Windows Network diagnostics again
'Windows Sockets registry entries required for network connectivit are missing' Means nothing to me! Thanks again

managed to get this snip too

 

[Trouble]

'Windows Sockets registry entries required for network connectivit are missing'

You might try rebuilding the winsock catalog as well as the IP Stack. Especially on the one, if it is only one, that is presenting with the above errors.
Right click the start button and choose Command Prompt (Admin) and in the command prompt window type
netsh int ip reset C:\resetlog.txt
hit enter
then type
netsh Winsock reset
hit enter
reboot the computer

Also please note that Internet Protocol Version 6 TCP/IPv6 is the backbone of HomeGroups and must be enabled and usually is by default on the network adapters that you are using on both machines. Presumably since they are laptops.... the wireless adapters.

After resetting the above you will need to re-enable your private network settings.
Easiest way I know of and there are several, is to simply open File Explorer and click on network, you should see a prompt at the top that says
"Network discovery and file sharing are turned off. blah blah.... Click to change, so...
Click and choose to turn it on and choose "No, make the network that I am connected to a private network"

AND.... then start over with your HomeGroup settings, choose the optimal computer to be the source of the beginning of the HomeGroup construction. The pro machine if they are different, the more powerful if they are different, the more often used one if they are different.

 

[Nancee]

You might try rebuilding the winsock catalog as well as the IP Stack. Especially on the one, if it is only one, that is presenting with the above errors.
Right click the start button and choose Command Prompt (Admin) and in the command prompt window type
netsh int ip reset C:\resetlog.txt
hit enter
then type
netsh Winsock reset
hit enter
reboot the computer

Also please note that Internet Protocol Version 6 TCP/IPv6 is the backbone of HomeGroups and must be enabled and usually is by default on the network adapters that you are using on both machines. Presumably since they are laptops.... the wireless adapters.

After resetting the above you will need to re-enable your private network settings.
Easiest way I know of and there are several, is to simply open File Explorer and click on network, you should see a prompt at the top that says
"Network discovery and file sharing are turned off. blah blah.... Click to change, so...
Click and choose to turn it on and choose "No, make the network that I am connected to a private network"

AND.... then start over with your HomeGroup settings, choose the optimal computer to be the source of the beginning of the HomeGroup construction. The pro machine if they are different, the more powerful if they are different, the more often used one if they are different.

 

[Nancee]

Thank you for your very clear instructions, I did it on both machines but it didn't work either time. I t didn't change the network settings so I am still without a Homegroup, I did manage to save a diagnostic report attached. Also I created a system restore point before changing anything , IS it OK to stay with this new point or should I go back? Thanks again

 

[Nancee]

Hello Thank you for your very clear instructions. i tried it om both laptops after setting a restore point but it didn't help. Still have the same problem.I have managed to save a diagnosic file ( Not sure how helpsul as I think the releveant info is still on the other machine which i can't access at the moment! if I can copy it again I will add later. Thank you.
Should I undo the restore?

 

[Trouble]

now they can 'see' each other

If they can both see each other, why do you feel the need to create a homegroup? Personally I've never seen any true value in using that particular feature.
I've been networking computers for a very long time and have always just used Workgroup for common peer to peer SOHO environments (not enterprise activedirectory domains) and have never had any issues.
Setup your shares (files and or folders) on the respective host computers, grant appropriate permissions / access under the share's properties page, under both the sharing tab (full control to the everyone group) AND THEN under the Security Tab for NTFS permissions more granularly and explicit as to who can do what (read, write, modify, full, etc.,).

 

[Nancee]

Hello Thank you for your very clear instructions. i tried it om both laptops after setting a restore point but it didn't help. Still have the same problem.I have managed to save a diagnosic file ( Not sure how helpsul as I think the releveant info is still on the other machine which i can't access at the moment! if I can copy it again I will add later. Thank you.
Should I undo the restore?

 

[Nancee]

Got the

If they can both see each other, why do you feel the need to create a homegroup? Personally I've never seen any true value in using that particular feature.
I've been networking computers for a very long time and have always just used Workgroup for common peer to peer SOHO environments (not enterprise activedirectory domains) and have never had any issues.
Setup your shares (files and or folders) on the respective host computers, grant appropriate permissions / access under the share's properties page, under both the sharing tab (full control to the everyone group) AND THEN under the Security Tab for NTFS permissions more granularly and explicit as to who can do what (read, write, modify, full, etc.,).

files in txt format still means nothing to me.
Poor choice of words when I said the pc could 'see' each other I meant that the icons were appearing on both screens but still could not access each other.
Thanks again sorry to have caused confusion

 

[Trouble]

could not access each other

Assuming you have a share configured on both, what happens when you double click to access one machine from the other?
Do you get an error? Is the error the same in both directions? Is it access denied or something to the effect that it can't find xxxxx?
The IP addressing scheme that you attached is fine and what I would expect to see for the Atheros WiFi Adapter.
Do either or both have internet access?

 

[Nancee]

Assuming you have a share configured on both, what happens when you double click to access one machine from the other?
Do you get an error? Is the error the same in both directions? Is it access denied or something to the effect that it can't find xxxxx?
The IP addressing scheme that you attached is fine and what I would expect to see for the Atheros WiFi Adapter.
Do either or both have internet access?

Hi trouble
sorry for the delayed response. both laptops can access teh internet. When I click on the icons on each machine I get a differnt message! see clips below) I guess I have put a pssword on one of the machines at sometime in the past! what a plonker! don't know when or what it is !! Is there a way round this ? Thank agatn for your help

 

[Trouble]

That "check the spelling" error is frequently indicative of a third party security suite that is messing with Windows networking.
The credentials prompt needs to contain the MachineName followed by a backslash "\" followed by a username and then the password for that user on that machine that is hosting the network share. So it'll look something like this.....
ComputerName\Username (where ComputerName is the name of the computer hosting the share and UserName is the name of a user on that computer who has proper permissions to access that share on that machine)
Password (where Password is the actual password for that UserName, on that ComputerName, that is hosting the share)

Having a password is a good thing. Actually as of late it's almost mandatory, Windows does seem to like blank passwords anymore when accessing network resources.
As a matter of fact a few years ago when everyone was having so much trouble with Windows 7 networking, Microsoft suggested creating a common user name and password on each computer hosting network shares
Something like
JohnSmith
P@$$w0rd
And explicitly granting that user share permissions and ntfs permissions to the parent directory and child containers (subfolders and files), so.....
Responding to the credentials prompt was then universal on the network by simply typing
ComputerName\JohnSmith
P@$$w0rd

 

[Nancee]

That "check the spelling" error is frequently indicative of a third party security suite that is messing with Windows networking.
The credentials prompt needs to contain the MachineName followed by a backslash "\" followed by a username and then the password for that user on that machine that is hosting the network share. So it'll look something like this.....
ComputerName\Username (where ComputerName is the name of the computer hosting the share and UserName is the name of a user on that computer who has proper permissions to access that share on that machine)
Password (where Password is the actual password for that UserName, on that ComputerName, that is hosting the share)

Having a password is a good thing. Actually as of late it's almost mandatory, Windows does seem to like blank passwords anymore when accessing network resources.
As a matter of fact a few years ago when everyone was having so much trouble with Windows 7 networking, Microsoft suggested creating a common user name and password on each computer hosting network shares
Something like
JohnSmith
P@$$w0rd
And explicitly granting that user share permissions and ntfs permissions to the parent directory and child containers (subfolders and files), so.....
Responding to the credentials prompt was then universal on the network by simply typing
ComputerName\JohnSmith
P@$$w0rd

Hi again Trouble
Still trying that no joy so far, But something else you said earlier triggered memories of problems connecting an old XP machine to a Vista laptop that was caused by some default setting in Kaspersky, I am using Kaspersky still so have contacted them for extra help as all the settings are now 'hidden' from people like me. Thanks again will update with more info when I get some where or when I need your help again. Thank you so much for your time.Nancee

 

[Nancee]

Hi again Trouble
Still trying that no joy so far, But something else you said earlier triggered memories of problems connecting an old XP machine to a Vista laptop that was caused by some default setting in Kaspersky, I am using Kaspersky still so have contacted them for extra help as all the settings are now 'hidden' from people like me. Thanks again will update with more info when I get some where or when I need your help again. Thank you so much for your time.Nancee

Thanks again Trouble for all your help7
It turns out my problem is in two parts.
1. The anti-virus software firewall was set to Public network It took me ages to fix that but eventually by using Windows firewall with Advanced security I knew where to look, so that fixed the 'Windows Socket registry missing on this computer'
the second problem is that I appear to have set a windows Credential password
don't know when what or which laptop
So now I'm looking for help to find out how to resolve that!

I can't thank you enough for your time. I have learned a lot! Nancee

 

[Trouble]

A password, is pretty much a password.
Windows credentials, appropriately enough are store in Control Panel -> Credential Manager
They can be edited or removed from there, but....
You need to make sure what you are attempting to "resolve".
You wouldn't want to edit or remove your local account credentials, just those that might be impacting access to network nodes.

 

[Yvette Campre]

I have recently had to refresh two laptops both running Windows 10. Two different errors both resultimg from updates ( BSOD !) Got them both working again but now they can 'see' each other ! Both say 'Create Homegroup' but when I try both have the same 'Windows can not create a Homegroup on this computer'.
Both say there is no homegroup!. I've tried refreshing my laptop for a secong time but still no luck. Have run the help tools, still get the same answer , Nothing found. I am novice at this can follow directions but have limited knowledge. Learning fast. Thank you in advance for you help

I am going through the same thing, Windows can not create a homegroup on this computer...how did you fix this option.