How do I read-write to my laptop from my PC (both Win8.1)

Hello

Until very recently I used to be able to read and write onto my laptop from my PC, but suddenly it has stopped working for no apparent reason.

Background
In Windows Explorer, under Desktop ==> Network, I can see the name of the laptop. However when I click on it, a window called "Windows Security" comes up wanting a username and password. None of my usernames and passwords seem to work.

My PC and laptop are both Windows 8.1 Pro (x64), and both on the same router connected by Ethernet cable. It is a home-office situation. I do not require any security at all between the two machines.

How do I set up something from scratch that will work?

Many thanks

J

Try setting up a Homegroup: HomeGroup from start to finish - Windows Help

This is driving me INSANE.

No, that is not working.

All I want to do is get two PCs that are connected to the same router to be able to read each other's C: drives. But are Win8.1 Pro x64. How hard can this be?

On my laptop, in Windows Explorer, I can SEE the other computer and the share(s) I have created, but it says "You do not have permission to access...". And I have the same problem on my PC trying to read the laptop. But I have given full Administrator rights to each user and full read/write access to each share.

On both PCs, in Windows Explorers, under Desktop, there is "Homegroup", and within that my User name, but the other computer is not mentioned here.

- Is it a problem that my usernames are different on different PCs? (I can't find any way to change the actual userID for each user PC)

- How can I remove password protection to the Homegroup?

- Would I be better off using Domains not Workgroups?

J

PS All my documents live within C:\docs
Does this mean Workgroups won't work in any case for that location?

PPS EDIT - What's the difference between a "Homegroup" and a "Workgroup" - I am confused!

UPDATE:
Okay, on my desktop PC I have left my HomeGroup and then created a new one.
It seems to have created a new password "If someone else wants to join your homegroup, give them this password" for this HomeGroup.
But:
a) I don't want my home group to be password protected
b) It won't let me edit this password
c) I can't see how to get rid of this password
d) On my latptop PC, I am not being asked for any password....

Nightmare

UPDATE:
If I in Windows Explorer, I enter: \\COMPUTERNAME
then the list of my Shares appears.
If I click on one of the Shares I get "You do not have permission to access..."
And then very slowly a green pulsing bar appears across the address field, and after about 10 minutes it still hasn't got all the way across.

I am now wondering if part of the problem could be something to do with my firewall. I am using BitDefender Total Security 2016 - in Autopilot mode I think, on both my PCs.


PS Here are my "Advanced Sharing" settings, located here:
\Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings

The following are ticked:
- Turn on network discovery
- Turn on Automatic setup of network-connected devices

- Turn on file and printer sharing

- Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers

- Turn on sharing so that anyone with network access can read and write files on the public folders

- Use 128-bit encyrption to help protect file sharing connections

- Turn off password-protected sharing

Generally disabling all security, firewall, AV stuff is conducive to getting network stuff working. Once you have access in both directions you can enable the safeguards one at a time, testing at each step. Trying to trouble shoot with all that stuff running is too many variables in the equation. You'll drive yourself to distraction.

MilesAhead said:

Generally disabling all security, firewall, AV stuff is conducive to getting network stuff working. Once you have access in both directions you can enable the safeguards one at a time, testing at each step. Trying to trouble shoot with all that stuff running is too many variables in the equation. You'll drive yourself to distraction.

Click to expand...

Good point. OK, on both PCs I have now disabled BidDefender's everything I can find, and I have disabled Windows Firewall. In Windows Explorer under "Network", I can see my other PC, and I can see the Share(s). However when I double-click on them Windows is still saying "You do not have permission to access..."

MilesAhead said:

Generally disabling all security, firewall, AV stuff is conducive to getting network stuff working. Once you have access in both directions you can enable the safeguards one at a time, testing at each step. Trying to trouble shoot with all that stuff running is too many variables in the equation. You'll drive yourself to distraction.

Click to expand...

Good point. OK, on both PCs I have now disabled BidDefender's everything I can find, and I have disabled Windows Firewall. In Windows Explorer under "Network", I can see my other PC, and I can see the Share(s). However when I double-click on them Windows is still saying "You do not have permission to access..."

EDIT:
I now can READ files on the other PC - which is a start! - however I still can't write to it! (e.g. I can't even rename a simple text file on the other PC...)

Note that when I created the share I made sure that I gave full read write permissions, however Windows won't allow write access.
Note that it's still a problem even if I have turned off both Windows Firewall and all my BitDefender stuff.
[GRRR!]

If I use Windows Explorer to got to the share on the same computer (as the share in question), if I then ==> Right-click on the share name ==> Security tab ==> then if I try to change anything I keep getting "Error Applying Security" "...Failed to enumerate objects in the container. Access is denied."

Until very recently I used to be able to read and write onto my laptop from my PC, but suddenly it has stopped working for no apparent reason.

Click to expand...

This makes me think a Windows Update hosed the network.

Also when you set up a homegroup MS has used the non-intuitive nomenclature that a "public" homegroup will not let you do anything without passwords. It considers Public to mean like a kiosk machine. OTOH a "private" homegroup will let you do file and printer sharing without a password. Since it is Private then it is not accessible from the outside world. Therefore it is OK to allow password free access.

Speaking of which make sure the network has file and printer sharing enabled. Also I would turn off media file sharing unless you really want to use it. Otherwise WMP will spend all its time scanning your drives for media files to put in the library.

But it might be easier to figure out what happened to change the network from letting you do stuff to stopping you. It must have been something.

MilesAhead said:

Until very recently I used to be able to read and write onto my laptop from my PC, but suddenly it has stopped working for no apparent reason.

Click to expand...

This makes me think a Windows Update hosed the network.

Also when you set up a homegroup MS has used the non-intuitive nomenclature that a "public" homegroup will not let you do anything without passwords. It considers Public to mean like a kiosk machine. OTOH a "private" homegroup will let you do file and printer sharing without a password. Since it is Private then it is not accessible from the outside world. Therefore it is OK to allow password free access.

Speaking of which make sure the network has file and printer sharing enabled. Also I would turn off media file sharing unless you really want to use it. Otherwise WMP will spend all its time scanning your drives for media files to put in the library.

But it might be easier to figure out what happened to change the network from letting you do stuff to stopping you. It must have been something.

Click to expand...

Where are the setting for the things you describe?

Here are my "Advanced Sharing Settings", (located here:
\Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings
The following are ticked:
- Turn on network discovery
- Turn on Automatic setup of network-connected devices
- Turn on file and printer sharing
- Allow Windows to manage home group connections (recommended)


- Turn on network discovery
- Turn on file and printer sharing


- Use 128-bit encyrption to help protect file sharing connections (recommended)
- Turn off password-protected sharing


Also
Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections
==> Ethernet ==> Change settings of this connection ==> Internet Connection Sharing ==> Not ticked

Many thanks

J

The settings are when you create the homegroup in the first place. There are radio buttons for private public etc.. You are probably better off to destroy the one that is not working and make a new one. Also since this is a networking question you should ask the moderator to move it to the Networking forum. Many more network aficionados will read it there than here.