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Question

Networking Win10 and Win7, credentials needed?

Aug 20, 2018 6:23AM PDT

I have a laptop still running Windows 7 and a desktop which I just upgraded to Windows 10. When both were on W7, I used a homegroup to trade or stream files from one to the other, such as playing a video file from the laptop on my desktop, which uses a 42" TV as a monitor. But it seems W10 no longer supports homegroups as of version 1803.

When I go to File Explorer > Network on the desktop, it shows my laptop computer, but gives a network error which says I "do not have permission to access \\[Computer name]" and to contact my "network administrator to request access." (But...I AM the network administrator.)

On the laptop, File Explorer > Network doesn't even show my desktop computer, so when I manually enter the name into the address bar, it demands a user name and password. I tried entering these for the desktop, like it wanted me to login remotely, but no go. I tried entering these for the laptop instead, but no. I tried entering these for the network itself, again no.

I looked up windows credentials and found the credentials manager, which is something I've never encountered before. Googling has failed me, because I can't seem to get a straight answer out of what this is for and how it works. I don't even know if this will let me do what I used to with a homegroup.

Are W7 and W10 even compatible in this way? It's only a minor inconvenience and I will probably update my laptop to W10 anyway, once I get the the hang of things, but I'd rather understand what the issue is than merely overlook it.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: homegroup
Aug 20, 2018 7:28AM PDT

No, the homegroup doesn't exist anymore, but the older way of assigning a drive letter to a shared folder on another PC still works. I can access my XP PC from my Windows 10 PC (they both have a Windows account with an identical username) and the other way around, in just the same way as when both were XP.
I never even switched to homegroups in between. Too new. Not needed.

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Re: drive letter
Aug 20, 2018 1:51PM PDT

Just tried to do that, but I still get the same error saying that I don't have permission to access the other computer.

I also tried everything I could find in this help thread from somebody who seemed to be experience the same problem, all unsuccessfully.

I also took the steps laid out here and finally managed to get my laptop to recognize the desktop, but performing the same actions on the desktop didn't have the same effect in reverse.

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Let's cover a basic issue with this question.
Aug 20, 2018 2:04PM PDT

Do you know what a share with "Everyone" means?

In short that share is only available to users that have accounts on the server. So if you create a share and share it to Everyone the following scenario FAILS.

1. On the server you share to "Everyone." DAN (an user) does not have an account on the server.
2. DAN on his PC tries to connect to the share on the server. Access will be denied.

Why? DAN doesn't have an account on the server. Yes, yes, you could enable the Guest account but there is too much risk.