Solved Windows cannot set up a Homegroup on this computer

Hello,

I have a new Windows 8.1 computer. I wanted to set up a network with my old computer running Windows 7 home premium. I created a homegroup on the 8.1 device and when I try to join the homegroup on the Windows 7 computer I receive the message "Windows cannot set up a Homegroup on this computer" I have disabled the antivirus on the Windows 8.1 device but it still does not work. Is there a way to set up a home network in Windows without using homegroup or any ideas why I cannot connect to the homegroup. Thanks for any help.

Try going through the Homegroup trouble shooter list just to maybe help narrow down the problem.

Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide for Windows 7 HomeGroup Connection Issues

Often times the easier way to fix this is to leave the Homegroup on all Homegroup machines then create a new one on the machine with a problem and rejoin the other machines to this new Homegroup.

I have a few more tricks to get this working if you don't see any problems with the trouble shooter.

hello,

Thanks for the reply. I found this article earlier and went through the list but still cannot join the homegroup. From the research I have done it sounds like there are some serious bugs with homegroup and nothing short of a clean install on both machines will fix the issue. This is something I cannot do. I find it quite surprising that it is this difficult to set up a simple home network with two computers both running Windows. Anyways thanks for your help and I welcome any other ideas you might have.

You might try leaving the Homegroup on the Windows 8.1 machine then see if you can create a new Homegroup on the Windows 7 machine.

Certain chipset's have problems joining a Homegroup but you can usually create a Homegroup on these problem machines and join from the other machines.

I left the homegroup on the 8.1 device and shut it down. I then restarted the 7 device and went to homegroup and there was no homegroup showing so I created a new homegroup on the 7 device. I then started the 8 device and went to homegroup. There was a message saying that User on Windows 7 computer has created a homegroup on this network would you like to join? I clicked yes and entered the password. Waited a few seconds and received this error "Windows no longer detects a homegroup on this network. To create a homegroup click ok and then open homegroup in control panel." If I go back to the Windows 7 device the newly created homegroup still shows up. Any more ideas, your help is very much appreciated.

Bob1215 said:

I left the homegroup on the 8.1 device and shut it down. I then restarted the 7 device and went to homegroup and there was no homegroup showing so I created a new homegroup on the 7 device. I then started the 8 device and went to homegroup. There was a message saying that User on Windows 7 computer has created a homegroup on this network would you like to join? I clicked yes and entered the password. Waited a few seconds and received this error "Windows no longer detects a homegroup on this network. To create a homegroup click ok and then open homegroup in control panel." If I go back to the Windows 7 device the newly created homegroup still shows up. Any more ideas, your help is very much appreciated.

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I've seen the exact same problem, at first it can see the Homegroup but once you try to join it says there isn't one. Drove me crazy and I never did find a cure. In my case creating the Homegroup on the problematic Windows 7 machine allowed me to join from the Windows 8.1 machine.

From what I could tell it may be a problem with the chip set drivers so updating those on the Windows 7 machine may help.

It could even be a problem with the router but in my case that wasn't the issue because I connected directly to my main router through a switch rather than joining through one of my access points and it made no difference.

I think I will just use shared public folders and forget about homegroup, I have never updated chipset or bios, I know updating bios can cause problems I'm not sure about the chipset, that kind of thing makes me nervous. thanks again for your help

You might try removing all files at PeerNetworking on both machines, this has fixed the problem for me and many others.

The picture shows the path as C:>Windows>Service Profiles>AppData>Roaming>PeerNetworking.

In order to see the AppData file you need to enable "show hidden files" under Folder Options in the Control Panel.

You can also share Library's and stream music or HD video using the standard workgroup.

if I delete those files will that affect the workgroup and shared folders that are set up? Right now that is all working and I would hate to do something that would compromise what is going right. thanks

Bob1215 said:

if I delete those files will that affect the workgroup and shared folders that are set up? Right now that is all working and I would hate to do something that would compromise what is going right. thanks

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No it won't effect anything, these files are created each time you make a new Homegroup but they are known to cause problems such as you are describing. After removing the files reboot each machine then see if you can create a Homegroup and join.

I deleted the files from the folders on both computers, removed both computers form any existing homegroups and restarted both devices. I checked to make sure that neither device showed any existing homegroup. I then created a homegroup on the windows 7 device and tried to join on the windows 8 machine. At first the windows 8 machine recognized the homegroup created on the other device but after joining and entering the password I received the same error as before "windows no longer detects a homegroup on this computer. I then tried the whole process over again this time I created the homegroup on the Windows 8 computer and when I tried to join on the windows7 computer I entered the password and received the same error as I first did "windows cannot set up a homegroup on this computer". It looks like I will have to give up. I am not sure which device is causing the problem but nothing I have tried has worked. Thanks again for all your help.

Maybe the following Microsoft link can help you find any other type of potential problem.

HomeGroup problems in Windows - Microsoft Windows Help

I have AVG Internet Security on the windows 8 computer and one of the first things I did was to disable the AV on both computers. In doing some research this morning I found some info about AVG and homegroups and found out that AVG also has its own firewall that needs to be disabled separately from the AV itself. I disabled the AVG firewall deleted all of the files in the peer networking folder on both devices, restarted both computers, created a new homegroup on the windows 7 machine and tried to join on the windows 8 device. And it worked!!!! I am new to AVG, I have been using Kaspersky for years on my other computers. I was not aware of the AVG firewall. I am pretty sure that was it. The other thing I did that was different is I used a newly created local Admin account on the Windows 8 computer instead of the "Microsoft" account that was created when I first set up the new computer. I have been running into problems trying to do things with that account. I always set up standard account to use on a daily basis and then just enter Admin credentials in UAC when needed. I found that I could not do that with the password I had set up with the original "Microsoft " account that you log in to with an Outlook address. This stuff is all new to me. I am used to local accounts only, Admin and standard. I was trying to use the standard local account with the Microsoft password in UAC to install software etc. and could not do it. I then created a local Admin account and used those credentials in UAC on the standard account and everything works. I am not sure if that had anything to do with the homegroup problems but I did use the local admin account today in addition to disabling the AVG firewall and it worked. I do have to disable the Kaspersky AV on the Windows 7 computer in order to see anything in homegroup on the Widows 8 computer but at least it works. Do you know of any way to get around having to disable AV and firewalls every time you want to use homegroup or is that just part of the normal procedure? I can use shared folders to transfer files without doing anything with the AV on either device. Thanks again.

When you mentioned new Windows 8.1 with any Anti virus software disabled I of course assumed that was the case. My mistake and next time I'll have the client uninstall them completely or else I just waste my time trouble shooting. Very frustrating from my end when I don't have all the details.

These so called A/V's software cause nothing but problems, there are a few that work with Windows as they should and many more that do not.

If I knew AVG was involved I would have had you uninstall it completely using the special tool. Kaspersky has the same problems as you found out. Even the trouble shooters say you need to disable anti virus for testing.

It's always best to set up your network before installing any type of A/V software because it's pretty much guaranteed they will be causing problems. Glad it's working now but don't put too much faith in these third party A/V's as they tend to cause way more problems then they solve.

Here is a solution that worked for us on a wired network with a number of desktop PCs running either Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 Update, after no PCs were able to connect to the original homegroup that we created. Following advice from another forum, we disabled each PC's firewall AND both AVG Pro and Kaspersky Pro (as appropriate, one of which was running on each PC). We then disabled our proxy server and deleted the original homegroup. We then recreated the homegroup and all PCs on the network were able to connect and share folders immediately. We then re-enabled our antivirus software, firewalls and proxy server, and access to our homegroup still continues without further problems.