What is HomeGroup again?

HomeGroup is a simple way to network Windows 7 PC’s, share files and resources such as a printer. In this quick tip, I will show you how to share files using HomeGroup.

Join a HomeGroup

The first thing we need to do is Join our HomeGroup. To do this:

Click Start

The click Network

On the Command Bar, click Network and Sharing Center

Under See Also click HomeGroup

Windows 7 should automatically detect another Windows 7 computer with HomeGroup configured. Your next step is simply to click Join now.

Select the type of content you would like to share with your HomeGroup, you can choose from Pictures, Music, Videos, Documents and resources such as a Printer.

Enter the HomeGroup password that was created on the other computer. If you don’t know it, you will need to return to the other computer and click the ‘View the homegroup password’ link

Once you have entered the password, you will now be able to share and access files on other Windows 7 PC’s:

Our next step is to add shared locations in our Windows 7 Libraries, to do this, click Start > Documents. In your Documents Library, click the link to share a Location on your Network.

This will display the ‘Documents Library Locations’ window. Click the Add button, under the Navigation pane, expand your Network locations > expand the name of the computer on which shared files exist. Navigate to the location of the shared files or folder then click Include folder. Then click OK

What will happen now, files that you have shared in that specific folder will automatically show up in your library.

Individually Share Files

You will notice that I did not check the option to share Documents during the HomeGroups sharing wizard. HomeGroups gives you the option to individually share files too, you can even share a batch of files if you wish.

To do this, click Start > Documents

Right click the file you would like to share, click Share with and select ‘HomeGroup (Read/Write’). What this will do now is automatically share those files and they will show up in the Documents Library on the other computer where we added Documents folder as a location.

As you can see our two files we just shared, now show up in our Library. You can also do this for other folders too.

Related:

Networking Made Easy with HomeGroups

How to Share Files with HomeGroup is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

Andre’s Windows 7 posts on Notebooks.com:

A Look at the Windows 7 Editions: If you’re trying to figure out which version of Windows 7 is right for you this is a great place to start. This guide covers everything from editions and versions to pricing and upgrade paths.

How to Install Windows 7: This guide walks you through the installation process highlighting important steps and providing pictures to guide you through installing Windows 7.

How to Upgrade to Windows 7: If you aren’t installing from scratch then this guide is for you. It contains a walkthrough of an “in-place” upgrade and information about how to fix compatibility issues.

How to Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7: Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 brings many improvements but it’s not as easy as an upgrade from Vista. This guide will provide you with tips to make it easier.

Using Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 7: Windows Easy Transfer makes moving your files and settings from an old computer to a new one easy. This guide walks you through how to use Windows Easy Transfer to get your files to your windows 7 computer.

A Guided Tour of Windows 7 for New Users: If this is your first time looking at Windows 7 than this walk through is a must. Andre highlights the changes and helps you find out where things have moved to in the new operating system.

Using the Improved Taskbar and Start Menu in Windows 7: Some of the biggest changes users will notice in Windows 7 are on the Taskbar and in the Start Menu. Check out all of the changes and how to use them to your advantage.

Using the Windows 7 Desktop – Fun Time Savers: This guide explores the additional time savers and “pizzazz” that the Windows 7 Desktop brings to your new computer.

Windows Explorer – What’s new in Windows 7: Another area in Windows 7 that has changed significantly is Windows Explorer. Explorer is what you see when you click on My Computer and is generally how you interact with files on your computer. Come learn about the refreshing cleaner look it has in Windows 7.

A Tour: Windows 7 Desktop, Windows Explorer and Control Panel: This tour will quickly get you up to speed on some of the improvements found in Windows 7 and give you a better understanding of how to navigate the new operating system.

Improved Windows 7 Applets: Come learn how the included productivity apps in Word can be used. This guide includes a look at; the Scenic Ribbon, WordPad, Paint, Calculator, XPS Viewer and Sticky Notes in Windows 7.

Networking Made Easy with HomeGroups in Windows 7: In past versions of Windows setting up a home network to share files, printers and more was an involved process. Now, with HomeGroups in Windows 7, networking your computers is easier than ever and this guide shows you how it’s done.

Improved Recovery Options in Windows 7: Past versions of Windows have included the ability to use a Recovery Console to fix some computer problems but most of the time it didn’t work well. Windows 7 has an improved Recovery Console that can help you repair startup, do a System Restore, recover from backup backup and more. Come look at these repair options in more detail.

How To Do Practically Anything in Windows 7 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.