Cant share files on a Windows 7 workgroup network

Make sure that File and printer sharing for Microsoft netwoks is enable on the 3 pc's

Create a homegroup - it simplifies the sharing of the files and folders.

Ditto what TheRightClick said.  W7 homegroup works well.  Do you have any pre-Win7 computers that also need to access the shares?  If so, homegroup will work for the Win7 systems but not the older ones.  If it's just the Win7 systems, then homegroup should do the trick for you.  First make one system a member of the homegroup.  Then proceed to each of the other two, in turn, and make them members of the homegroup.  There will be some moving back and forth between the computers required, as you will have to generate some homegroup codes (necessary to keep stray computers from joining), but the whole process shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes.

Just a note - if you use a homegroup, the Windows 7 computers will NOT need to all have the same uses and passwords as it creates a homegroup password.

However, if you do have XP computers that need to connect and share files, there will be some configurations that will have to be done to make that work properly.

Hi
Thanks for the advice re Homegroup but unfortunately I need to be able to connect to non W7 computers

I hope this isn't against the rules, but there is a very comprehensive step by step walkthrough that I feel way too guilty to plagiarize (and way to lazy to recreate) that you can find here:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-7/share-files-and-printers-between-windows-7-and-xp/

Another note, if you have that many computers on a network it is time to consider some type of server running Active Directory.  In the long run, this will make file and resource sharing much simpler by consolidating all of the uer accounts in one place rather than duplicating them on all the computers on the network.

My rule of thumb is that with 5 machines, you should strongly consider it.  At 7-8 machines, you should definitely do it.  Microsoft starts imposing sharing limitations once you get to 10 machines on XP and 20 on 7 Pro and then you will have no choice.

How many machines do you have?  Sharing can become problematic when mixing Win 7 and XP systems in a totally shared environment (i.e. without a server running AD).  I agree with TheRightClick on numbers.  I've especially run into issues trying to share printers in a mixed peer-to-peer network (Win 7 and XP mixed together).  Permissions are simply worlds apart between XP and Win 7.  Running a server smooths things out because Active Directory takes care of permissions.  

Hi
i have 3 machines all running W7 with fixed IP addresses. Each machine has a partitioned D drive with a lot of data which does not suit the public folder idea.  I set up Homegroup and I can map drives from one machine to another.  perfect but   When I activate the McAfee firewall the mapped drives get an X and I cant access them.. . It just times out and the diagnostics dont help  I can see and open the Public folders.

 I have spent a long time with the McAfee people in chat mode where they take over my machine but even the second level support dont have much idea what to do.  The seem to just hack around.  They go to Firewall/settings/Ports and system services.

Does any body know what needs to be changed here?

So if the firewall is not running, everything works fine, but when the firewall is running, no happiness?

Yes this  is correct

Hi

I managed to fix this myself.  The mcAfee firewall needs you to "allow"  an IP address.  Putting these in I am now able to map drives from one machine to another.

Thanks everybody who replied.
brian