Home network computers aren't shown in Windows Explorer

Anonymous
2018-06-24T06:56:05+00:00

I have two laptops A and B. They were connected wirelessly through my router on a HomeGroup and it worked fine. In the latest Win 10 upgrade the HomeGroup has been deleted and since then I have had terrible trouble connecting them.

I hibernate the laptops each night. When I open them in the morning, Laptop A can see and access laptop B in the Network folder of Windows Explorer. But laptop B doesn't always see laptop A and I can't get it to see it (not even by putting \laptopnamein the address bar).

Sometimes laptop B does show laptop A but when I try to access it I get a 'Windows can't connect" message.

I have tried all the sharing, credential and other options to make sure they are all consistent - nothing changes.

The ONLY way I have found for laptop B to access A is to restart laptop B (NOT A). Then it will automatically connect to A.

How do I get back to the old HomeGroup system of both computers accessing one another automatically when I wake them up?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Internet and connectivity

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-06-25T22:01:24+00:00

    No go.

    I have been through all the issues in your link above on both computers. I have looked up the IP addresses in the modem for each laptop and put them in the hosts file. It works.

    But when I open up the computers next morning and the modem turns on it has changed the IP addresses and no longer works. So I have to change the hosts file again.

    I tried setting the hosts file back to the original (blank) but I am back to laptop A being able to access A and B, but laptop B not even listing A in the Network. Only after a restart of B will it see and contact A.

    Next suggestion?

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  2. Pauli O 16,380 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-06-24T07:23:22+00:00

    Removing Homegroup from Windows 1803 caused problems for networking.

    "(not even by putting \laptopnamein the address bar)."

    "Sometimes laptop B does show laptop A but when I try to access it I get a 'Windows can't connect" message."

    These are typical symptoms in latest Windows update. 

    To get you PC's to visible under File Explorer network section then most important part is to start some required services.

    Push Win Key and type "Services", locate those services, start them and set Start type to Automatic (Delayed Start). 

    Services are:

       - Function Discovery Provider Host

       - Function Discovery Resource Publication

       - SSDP Discovery

    • UPnP Device Host

    For that  "\*laptopname"*don't work issue see Step 6 on my example.

    Find more details about sharing from example how I have setup my network to work with Win 10 1803.

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-files/homegroup-removed-how-to-get-network-sharing-work/01277332-2916-4a68-853a-116696b20743

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