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Resolved Question

I have Windows 7 on my laptop and Vista premier on desktop,

by Sep 11, 2011 6:00AM PDT

Can I connect my two computers to a homegroup network? I keep seeing that you have to be running 7 to have network. Can you tell me how? I'm an older adult that went back to college and hate being stuck at the desktop to do schoolwork and would like to share my printer. Please help.

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karen311 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
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To make use of the Homegroup ...
by Sep 12, 2011 4:43AM PDT

both computers would need to be running Windows 7.

This WILL NOT stop you from having a home network however and thus sharing printers and drives. Both computers will simply need to be in the same WORKGROUP (and in both Vista and Windows 7 that is the default name of the workgroup). You will also need to have the same user account with the same password on both machines.

Here is a link that gives details and even offers a little movie about networking different versions of Windows:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Networking-home-computers-running-different-versions-of-Windows

Here is another helpful link:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Setting-up-a-home-network

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To make use Homegroup
by karen311 Sep 12, 2011 11:57PM PDT

Thank you so much Ed! This was easy to follow and something I feel at ease doing. I love computers and want to know how to be able to utilize it to it's full potential. I want to be a geek, so you'll be seeing a lot more posts from me, because I don't attempt anything without checking with Cnet...you guys rock!!!

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One other thing.
by Sep 12, 2011 9:34AM PDT

I did the same thing you want to do and couldn't get it to work at first
You need to load the printer software on the Widows 7 laptop just like you did on your desktop computer and make it the default printer.
Do that and follow the links Edward gave you and you shouldn't have any problems

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one other thing
by Sep 13, 2011 12:02AM PDT

Thank you I would have never figured that out on my own, I've got my printer disk ready to pop in my laptop and thanks to you guys school should be alittle less stressful for this 52 year old woman! Much thanks, Karen

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