On Windows 7 there is a new function called Home Group that is used to share folders, files and printers with other computers that mount Windows 7 as an operating system. This function also allows you to send streaming media streams from one computer to others.
This of the home group, therefore, is a good thing because it works automatically and allows you to use the files of different computers connected on the LAN, as if they were all in the same PC.
However, if you are using computers with different operating systems (such as Windows XP or Vista ), the home group does not work (it doesn't exist) and file and printer sharing can only be done in the traditional way.
In these cases, on the PC with Windows 7 you can completely disable the Home group so as to lighten the system and prevent it from loading unnecessary services.
Let's see, in a synthetic way, how this Home group works, how it is created and configured and how it can be enabled and disabled .
Note: The Home Group has been permanently removed from Windows 10 after the April 2018 update.
READ ALSO: Help sharing files and printers on a network between Windows computers
The HomeGroup makes sharing files and printers, only between PCs with Windows 7, very easy.
There are several ways to access the Home Group function, for example, you can go to the Control Panel and click on " Choose Home Group and sharing options ".
Then click on the Create a Group button, select what to share three images, videos, music, documents and printers.
After the group has been created you will receive a password which is used to access the other computers (obviously this password can then be changed from the configuration menu).
If you forget your password, just right-click on the Home group in the resource explorer and then press " view password ".
The other PCs that have Windows 7 and are in the same network, automatically detect the presence of the home group and can join by entering the right password.
If you don't want to use this unique password you can go to Control Panel -> network connection center -> change advanced sharing settings and, finally, set the user account for the Home group in the last option below.
To disconnect a computer from the home group just go to the sharing settings from the Control Panel and click on the link " leave the group ".
From the window that opens you can remove the sharing of files and printers or change the shared folders.
If you want to exclude specific files or folders that are in shared collections in the home group, you can select a file with the mouse and then click on the button at the top of the folder window, " share " and put none .
Finally, to deactivate the Home group because it cannot be used, the first thing to do is definitely to leave the group that has been created.
If you then want to disable the HomeGroup function on Windows 7, you can safely stop the service .
Going to Start then, write on the bar run the command " services.msc " and, in the list of services, search for " Home Group Provider ".
From the window that opens by clicking on it, you must set it as disabled in the drop-down menu and then press the " Stop " button.
To reactivate this home group, just restore the service and restore it with manual or automatic start.
In another article, the guide to configure a network printer shared between PCs also using the Home group.
