Advantages Of HomeGroup Sharing

Advantages Of HomeGroup Sharing

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When you think of “sharing” with regard to PCs on home networks, you generally mean two types of resources: files and printers. For a long time, Microsoft has supported sharing these types of resources in various ways, but there was always a level of complexity involved. In Windows 7, there’s a better way. And while it requires two or more PCs in your home to be using Windows 7, the result is worth it: HomeGroup sharing makes sharing documents, music, pictures, video, and other files, as well as printers, easier than ever.

It’s very important to understand HomeGroup permissions. With the old-style workgroup sharing scheme, shared resources are global in that they work across all of the user accounts configured on a PC; but in order to seamlessly access shared folders on other PCs, you would need to make sure each PC has user accounts with the same names and passwords.

HomeGroup sharing is so important to Windows 7 that Microsoft actually makes joining or creating a HomeGroup part of the Windows 7 Setup experience.

With HomeGroups, shared resources are also global in the sense that they work across all user accounts, but the ability to access shared resources is also global: to connect a PC to a homegroup, you just need the HomeGroup password. And once you’re in, you’re in. And that’s true for all user accounts.

HomeGroup sharing does not replace the workgroup network scheme. In fact, to use HomeGroup sharing, you must be on a workgroup. HomeGroup sharing does not work with domain networks like those found in corporations. It is very specifically a consumer-oriented feature aimed at home users.

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Specified Network Provider Name Is Invalid | How To Fix

Specified Network Provider Name Is Invalid | How To Fix

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The specified network provider name is invalid and with that you can not connect to printer or other computers from your PC or laptop on the same home group.

The following Article will let you know how to troubleshoot the error message “The specified network provider name is invalid.”

But before you continue troubleshooting this error make sure that this worked for you earlier and you are facing the problem most recently. if  it was not working fine for you from the beginning, then you need to know how to setup a HomeGroup. Watch the video below to know how to setup HomeGroup In Windows 7.

Steps To Setup HomeGroup In Windows 7

If you are sure that HomeGroup worked for you in the past and it is not working right now, then another reason is that you might have installed any Security Software on your computer. If yes, disable the Security Software for the time being and check if you are able to login. Also turn off the Firewall for the time being and check.

Make sure to turn on or enable the Security Software once you are done with the test. And also make sure to turn on the Firewall once you are done with the test.

Troubleshooting HomeGroup In Windows: Follow this step to fix the issue:

• Click Start->Click Control Panel.
• Click System and Maintenance-> Click Administrative Tools.
• Double-Click Local Security Policy.
• In the left pane, click the triangle next to Local Policy.
• In the left pane, click Security Options.
• In the right pane near the bottom, double-click "Network security: LAN manager authentication level".
• Click the drop-down box, and click "Send LM & NTLM responses". Click OK.

If you still face problem in connecting to your HomeGroup Machines, then you need to Run the HomeGroup Troubleshooter and check if it fixes the issue.

If your computer is having problems viewing computers or shared files in your HomeGroup, try using the HomeGroup troubleshooter to fix the problem. It makes sure that your computer's different network services are running correctly, and that your computer is a member of a HomeGroup.

Refer this link to open the HomeGroup Troubleshooter: Open the HomeGroup troubleshooter
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-the-HomeGroup-troubleshooter

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Understanding HomeGroup Privacy And Tips On Making HomeGroup Experience As Smooth As Possible

Understanding HomeGroup Privacy And Tips On Making HomeGroup Experience As Smooth As Possible

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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 ?

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Domain-Joined Computers Can Be Part Of A HomeGroup In Windows 7

Domain-Joined Computers Can Be Part Of A HomeGroup In Windows 7

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The laptop buying trend doesn’t stop at home. Large corporations are also moving toward buying laptops for their employees. There is research out there that outlines productivity improvements with employees using laptops.

This makes sense as most of these laptop-wielding employees bring their computers home and put in those extra email hours. However, most corporations require that their laptops be joined to a corporate domain. This enables system administrators to manage and maintain these computers. 

Domain-joined laptops are thus subject to more restrictions than regular home computers are. It’s hard to even locate another PC on the home network to access or share files, let along configure your domain-joined computer to print to a printer at home.

With HomeGroup, we wanted see if we could make things a little easier for these computers to come home. With more and more people working from home or having the option to these days, we wanted to see if they could enjoy some of the media content they have on the other PCs in the HomeGroup while they work. 

So in Windows 7, your domain-joined computer can join and participate in a HomeGroup. This enables the domain-joined computer to consume the media available on Windows 7 PCs in the home, watch TV through WMC, listen to music via WMP, or print to the printer on another HomeGroup PC all by entering the same key you provide to other computers in the HomeGroup.

The only difference is that sensitive content on the corporate laptop is never shared to the other HomeGroup computers. In essence, the domain-joined computer can see out (and consume) but no one can see in. We believe this meets the need for corporations to maintain security over documents while enabling our customers to enjoy a fun and interesting work environment at home, with access to all their media and home printers while they work. 

All you need is an existing HomeGroup, a domain-joined computer, and you can be rocking to your favorite tunes on your home network, while you catch up on all your important work.

Of course the ability to join a HomeGroup is a policy that can be managed by corporate domains as you would expect.

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Make Your Homegroup More Secure In Windows

Make Your Homegroup More Secure In Windows

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Even if your PC has no sensitive data on your PC, files in your shared folders are still vulnerable to inadvertent tampering when a family member moves instead of coping a photo, deletes a song accidentally, or makes changes to one of your documents rather than saving to a new file. [ Read More Drawbacks Of Homegroup In Windows | Secure HomeGroup In Windows ]

So how to you make your homegroup more secure?

Prune your libraries

Since libraries gather files from lots of sources, it’s easy to share something you don’t want to be sharing. In the Libraries folder in Windows Explorer, right-click one of the libraries you’re sharing and select Properties. In the Library locations list, remove any folders you’d rather not share. To prune even further without hobbling your libraries, create custom libraries, next.

Make custom libraries

Only the libraries you choose to share with the homegroup are readable by Everyone. To limit what you share, open the Libraries folder in Windows Explorer and click New Library on the toolbar. Open New Library and click the Include a folder button to add folders you’d like to share.

Although custom libraries won’t appear on the HomeGroup page in Control Panel, you can share them with your homegroup via Windows Explorer. Return to the Libraries folder, highlight your new library, and from the toolbar, select Share with and then either Homegroup (Read) or Homegroup (Read/Write).

If you don’t see the Share with button on the toolbar after selecting the custom library, open the Folder Options window in Control Panel and choose the View tab. Turn on the Use Sharing Wizard option and click OK.

Change file permissions

Share permissions are different from file permissions, yet both must agree for sharing to work. Although Windows sets share permissions automatically when you share a library on a homegroup, there’s nothing stopping you from going back and revoking sharing rights for Everyone via the Sharing tab. Better yet, add some Deny rules to the file permissions (Security tab), which are not only less likely to be disrupted by Windows’ tampering, but will supersede any Allow rules Windows adds to the permissions.

Stop using Homegroups

If you’re not a member of a homegroup, you won’t have to worry about Windows being careless with your data security. But keep in mind that once you leave the homegroup, you’ll have to remove the lax permissions added to your previously shared folders, and they’ll remain open to snooping.

This is probably the best option if you have a portable computer. The last thing you want is to join a homegroup at home, and then take your laptop to work or an Internet cafe, and have all your data accessible to anyone within range. Sure, you can change your network location to Work network or Public network, if you remember, but why take the chance?

One final note about Homegroups versus traditional file sharing. If you belong to a homegroup, anyone can sit down at your PC and click View or print the homegroup password to gain access to your PC, and you’d never know it.

At least with traditional file sharing, which relies on your user account password, someone can’t get your current password quite so easily.

Also Read: Drawbacks Of Homegroup In Windows | Secure HomeGroup In Windows

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Drawbacks Of Homegroup In Windows | Secure HomeGroup In Windows

Drawbacks Of Homegroup In Windows | Secure HomeGroup In Windows

By   15:39   No comments:

If you read the Windows help pages on Homegroups, you may’ve noticed that Microsoft suggests that you can stop sharing individual files and folders in an otherwise shared library. This is a boldfaced lie. If you use the Share with menu as instructed to unshare a folder in one of your libraries, precisely nothing will happen. Other members will continue to have access to all the files and folders in your shared libraries. The problem with sharing everything is how Windows sets permissions for homegroup shares.

Setting up a Homegroup is easy on this page in Control Panel, but be prepared to dig a bit if it doesn’t work.

For example, Create or join a homegroup, and when prompted, share only your Videos library.

By default, the Videos library sources its files from the My Videos folder, so open Windows Explorer and navigate to My Videos (the folder in \Users\{yourusername}\, not the library). Right-click My Videos, select Properties, and choose the Security tab.

In the Group or user names list, select HomeUsers, and look in the Permissions for HomeUsers box below. You’ll see that the HomeUsers group has read access on this folder. (To learn more about the HomeUsers group, use the Local Users and Groups tool described at the beginning of this chapter.)

Next, choose the Sharing tab. In the Network File and Folder Sharing box, you’ll see that your My Videos folder is currently being shared as \\pc_name \Videos. Then click Advanced Sharing, followed by Permissions, and you’ll see that the Everyone group now has Full Control (Read + Change) over your My Videos folder.

What does this all mean? First, other users who access your shared libraries through the Homegroup folder have read access only, which makes sense. But what Microsoft doesn’t tell you is that sharing a library with your homegroup automatically shares all the folders referenced in your libraries and sets their share permissions to that Everyone has read and write access. As a result, those same users can stroll on over to the Network folder in Windows Explorer, and change your files there.

Now stop sharing the Videos library in your homegroup, or better yet, leave the homegroup entirely. Now, return to the Properties window for your My Videos folder; you’ll see that the HomeUsers group still has read access, and the Everyone group still has read and write access, and the folder is still shared! As far as you know, you’ve unshared this folder, but others on your network can still see and change your files. Now, the lesson is that once you leave the homegroup, you’ll have to remove the lax permissions added to your previously shared folders, and they’ll remain open to snooping.

Even if your PC has no sensitive data on your PC, files in your shared folders are still vulnerable to inadvertent tampering when a family member moves instead of coping a photo, deletes a song accidentally, or makes changes to one of your documents rather than saving to a new file.

Read More On How To Secure HomeGroups In Windows?

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