Orphaned Windows HomeGroup
I have two Windows 10 computers on a home network:
Machine #1 – NUC01
Local User on Machine #1 – NUC01User
Machine #2 – NUC02
Local User on Machine #2 – NUC02User
Following Windows updates yesterday, I was told the existing Bluetooth driver on NUC01 was no longer compatible. I ran Intel’s Driver Update Utility which, in addition to detecting a new Bluetooth driver, also detected new NIC and Wi-Fi drivers. All were downloaded and installed.
As part of the NIC and Wi-Fi driver updates, the existing drivers were first uninstalled before the new drivers were installed. Both wired and Wi-Fi devices are functioning after the update, but my Homegroup now has problems. My gut tells me that the process of uninstalling the network device drivers left my HomeGroup orphaned.
When looking at Network and Sharing Center on both machines I see:
HomeGroup: Available to join
If I click the Available to join link, I see:
“NUC01User on NUC01 has created a homegroup on the network”.
Working on NUC01 as NUC01User, if I click the Join Now button, I get the option to define which folders I wish to share with other HomeGroup devices/machines. When I click Next, I’m asked for the HomeGroup password. Typically the password can be displayed on machines that are already joined to a HomeGroup, but as both machines are no longer joined, the option to Display HomeGroup Password is not shown.
How do I kill the HomeGroup that is lurking on the network and create a new one?
EE-1.jpg
EE-2.jpg
Machine #1 – NUC01
Local User on Machine #1 – NUC01User
Machine #2 – NUC02
Local User on Machine #2 – NUC02User
Following Windows updates yesterday, I was told the existing Bluetooth driver on NUC01 was no longer compatible. I ran Intel’s Driver Update Utility which, in addition to detecting a new Bluetooth driver, also detected new NIC and Wi-Fi drivers. All were downloaded and installed.
As part of the NIC and Wi-Fi driver updates, the existing drivers were first uninstalled before the new drivers were installed. Both wired and Wi-Fi devices are functioning after the update, but my Homegroup now has problems. My gut tells me that the process of uninstalling the network device drivers left my HomeGroup orphaned.
When looking at Network and Sharing Center on both machines I see:
HomeGroup: Available to join
If I click the Available to join link, I see:
“NUC01User on NUC01 has created a homegroup on the network”.
Working on NUC01 as NUC01User, if I click the Join Now button, I get the option to define which folders I wish to share with other HomeGroup devices/machines. When I click Next, I’m asked for the HomeGroup password. Typically the password can be displayed on machines that are already joined to a HomeGroup, but as both machines are no longer joined, the option to Display HomeGroup Password is not shown.
How do I kill the HomeGroup that is lurking on the network and create a new one?
EE-1.jpg
EE-2.jpg
David Johnson, CD
change both computers from Homegroup to Workgroup and if you still want to use a homegroup recreae the homegroup
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Subsequently found instructions on how to eliminate the phantom HomeGroup