Missing Network Settings - "Find Devices and Content"

My Win 8.1 is a wireless only laptop:

1. I open registry editor
2. Navigated to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Network\NwCategoryWizard
3. and there was no "Show"

Oh, well...

My Win 8.1 is a wireless only laptop:

I didn't have the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\NewNetworkWindowOff 

I also forgot all the wireless connections, which were listed and then reconnected to my home router

When I reconnected, I was asked if I wanted to share files and printers at home with a yes or no answer choice (the implications of what kind of a share group may be setup at that time is unclear).

The said switch was not there before I forgot all previous connections, after I forgot everything, or after I reconnected.

More trial and error to go...

I'm sorry many of you are having problems with HomeGroup!

I have the same problem, but not with exactly the same variables:

• I'm on a Home LAN with a Gateway for internet and video services.
• I want to work file and printer sharing with Win 8.1s, Win 7s and XPs (Maybe Win10s)
  • Therefore, I used a Workgroup as my local networking sharing model on the home LAN.
  • Workgroup used to work so well, even though I had some sharing protocol security concerns.
    • My desired protocol improvement work effort never happened because I added a Win 8.1 to replace a damaged Win XP machine that would have cost more to repair than to replace.
    • Because of my backup processes my wife didn't loose any of her "really important stuff" (lucky me).
    • Unfortunately, I did give up on the 8.1 issue that evolved and bought a temporary high maintenance backup drive as a direct connect for the Win 8.1 due to unresolved one way connectivity being a problem for such a long time and the new machine is a Laptop.

LAN connectivity:

• Win7 and Win XPs are wired
• Win 8.1 is wireless
• Win 7 can "see" and access Win 8.1
• Win 8.1 can "see" and can't access Win 7 due to "permission issues" (original target for backup functions due to available processing power and ability to operate with older and newer sharing protocols).
  • This is where I ran into the Missing Network Settings - "Find Devices and Content" object not being presented in the heavily published setup sequences for Win 8.1. and why I came to this page.
  • I don't like the idea of using a Win XP as a backup server at the lower protocol security levels, but I started doing it anyway for less work through automation.
• Win XP can "see" and access Win 8.1
• Win 8.1 can "see" and access Win XP
• Win XP can "see" and access Win 7
• Win 7 can "see" and access Win XP

Workgroup:

I have spent hours setting up Workgroup in the beginning getting it to work (Win98SE).

• Then hours again when I added a new OSs to the mix, because for some reason the user interfaces we were used to and spent so much time learning how they really worked became harder to find or understand.
• Win7 was another toughy.
• Win 8.1 seemed to come up right away.

But, once you get a local area network sharing system working and you have created the functionality you want, it can break (there are a few reasons this can happen).  Restoring functionality is a system restore (system restores have a limited window of opportunity when you are really to busy to identify subtle changes) or manual resetting requiring a different set up list by OS version to restore connectivity with a restart.

Now with Win 8.1 I'm having problems getting the current issue (above) un-broke!    I have spent a lot of time on and off looking though all kinds of recommendations to try as long as I don't hack the registry or start changing a lot of services or security settings as a work around (all of those things should be set correctly using the available user interfaces - if not we need to tell them).  Like this,  ***THE USER INTERFACES PROVIDED IN WIN 8.1 ARE CONFUSING BASED ON HISTORICAL INTERFACE USE CONDITIONING AND ARE THEREFORE COUNTER INTUITIVE BASED ON MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCES***

I have ended up checking all kinds of stuff that is supposed to be turned on only to find it is turned on.  I'ts getting harder and harder to understand how this stuff works because of exponential levels of complexity due to increased numbers of variables, which creates a curve of diminishing returns for trouble shooters.

Here is the best effort I have found so far on Microsoft's behalf addressing LAN sharing connectivity (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sharing-files-printers-help#sharing-files-and-printers=windows-81&v1h=win81tab6&v2h=win7tab2&v3h=winvistatab1&v4h=winxptab2

• you can switch between OSs at the top of the page, pretty cool concept).  

But, I don't want to be told how to fix it any more, I want an APP!

Let me download an MS APP, let me make simple common sense choices based on what I am trying to achieve (homegroup, workgroup, VPN, etc.)  and fix it!  Get everything back online and move on.  Fixing all the variables now needs to be automated.

My Most Recent Experience:

Let me suggest a thought, which has been occurring to me because I got one way connectivity on a XP within the last week. The connectivity issue is kind of like the Win 8.1.  The machines in the LAN can "see" the XP but they can't access it and I now have it isolated and booting on a CD because it has a rootkit (the cat6 cable is unplugged a lot)!

I am running a series of anti-malware scanners as full scans on all the machines on my network till I am decided they are clean for now (just have someone click on the wrong website and that can change).

I'm struggling with the rookit identified PC, because the tools aren't taking it out on the first pass like they used to. I'm using all kinds of ant-malware to try and remove it.   I'm contemplating formatting the OS and reinstalling. Probably a WIN7 if I can find it out there.

My thoughts are (just call me paranoid):

• One of the first things malware wants to do is take out connectivity "to" the PC, so that I can't get the latest versions and database updates to go after the causes and caused problems at the ram and file level. 
  • I store clean copies of anti-malware on other PCs in the LAN
• The second thing malware would like to do is to spread itself in the LAN once it got a foot hold through network shares.
• These things could be achieved by messing with the many OS variables that make network sharing function.
  • You then would have the task of finding the specific "switches" before the infection spreads and the LAN administrator!
    • Looks like your chances are pretty slim!
• My thinking is these are the two first symptoms you will see in a more advance malware setup if it gets established stealthy and wants to get into stealing data, key loggers or other system take over features.  Not the traditional malware terrorism (wipe your hard drive), but the steal you blind stuff.

Closing Thoughts For Now:

I want to stick to this tread of getting back network sharing connectivity, but, this information may be helpful to others based on my current paranoid state:

• Malware Bytes has identified stuff and is having problems removing what it finds.  Probably, is leaving behind the cause.
• Microsoft  Safety Scanner is find more than other, but is also apparently not removing the cause.

I have two PCs I was thinking about taking to free WIN 10 upgrades and haven't had to time to look at the possibilities!

Earnesto

I feel your pain.  I suspected that this solution is not for everyone.  A poster above had a registry hack solution, but me and at least one other responder couldn't find the key that was supposed to be removed. So, the "disappearing slider problem" can apparently have more than one solution, and, the solutions don't work universally. It's another clue for the smart person that, hopefully, will resolve the issue. Thanks for your response. At least I'm not the only one fighting this issue.  Good luck.