If you ever find yourself emailing docs to the computer in the next room so you can print them, HomeGroup was designed for you. Now, you can easily connect two or more PCs running Windows 7 on your home network to automatically start sharing printers—and your media and document libraries—with other people in your home.
You can join a HomeGroup in any edition of Windows 7, but you can only create one in Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise editions.
Concerned about privacy? So does Microsoft. That’s why HomeGroup is password-protected and puts you in total control. You decide what gets shared—and what stays private. You can also make your files "read only," so other people can look at—but not touch—your stuff.
A HomeGroup is protected by a password. You can use the one created when you first set up the home group, or you can change it. If you ever forget your HomeGroup password, you can view it on any PC that's part of your HomeGroup by following the steps in Where can I find my HomeGroup password?
People who belong to a home network won't automatically belong to a HomeGroup . They need a computer running Windows 7, first of all. Then they need to have the HomeGroup password so that they can join the HomeGroup .
A Few Things To Remember: Here are a few reminders to make your HomeGroup experience as smooth as possible:
- When using a HomeGroup , make sure all the HomeGroup PCs are turned on, connected to the network, and not sleeping or hibernating. It might seem pretty obvious that if a PC is turned off, you won't be able to access the shared files on it, but it's easy to forget that—it's happened to me before!
- If you change the HomeGroup password, enter the new password on all the other HomeGroup PCs right away. That way, all the PCs stay "in sync." There are more tips like this in HomeGroup: frequently asked questions.
- If you use a laptop from work when you're at home, be aware that domain-joined computers can join a HomeGroup and access files and printers shared by other people, but for security reasons they can't share their own files and printers.
- If you ever have problems with a HomeGroup , use the HomeGroup troubleshooter to help resolve them. Open the HomeGroup troubleshooter explains how to do that. Also, in Windows Help and Support, you can find more information to help troubleshoot any problems you might encounter while using a HomeGroup .
If you face problem in Connecting or accessing your HomeGroup, you can may find the following articles relevant, Why can't I create a HomeGroup ? and Why can't I access my HomeGroup ?