How to do File Sharing via HomeGroup in Windows 8 and 10 computers

In small network of computers, we can share files and Devices by creating a HomeGroup. One of the users in the network should create a HomeGroup and other users join to that HomeGroup. HomeGroup network is password protected. Users who have the HomeGroup password can only Join to the network. 

This is one of the ways to do File Sharing via HomeGroup in Windows 8 and 10 computers.

When you connect to any Network it asks to assign network locations Home Network, Work Network or Public Network. 

To Create or Join HomeGroup your computer's network location must be set to Private(Home or Work Network but not Public Network)

To Create HomeGroup, Go through the following steps:

• Control Panel>>Network and Internet>>HomeGroup

• As I have mentioned earlier, if your computer's network location is not set to private, you can't connect to HomeGroup. If so, Change Network Location
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• Then, Your computer starts searching for HomeGroups on the network. If the HomeGroup has not created yet, you need to Create a HomeGroup.
  
  
  
  

• While creating HomeGroup you have to choose Files and Devices you want to share and set permission levels.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• To add other computers to your HomeGroup, you need to enter password. While creating HomeGroup it generates random password, you can change that password.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

To Join to HomeGroup,

• As mentioned above go to,  Control Panel>>Network and Internet>>HomeGroup
• Your computer searches for the HomeGroup on the network, then it finds out the HomeGroup created earlier. 
• Then Join Now, Set permission levels and Enter Password
  
• Now you can access the Shared files and Devices on the HomeGroup network computers.
  
  
  
  
• To see and change the permission levels what you are sharing on HomeGroup: While Creating or Joining the HomeGroup, you have to set the permission levels(Shared/Not Shared). But after joining the HomeGroup if you want to change the permission levels then you can do as the following step.
  
• To Leave the HomeGroup: If you want to leave the HomeGroup, then  click on Leave HomeGroup. 
  

In this way you can share the Files and Devices in small network of computers with password protection. Since only the users who has HomeGroup password can join the network, it also provides the optimum network security.

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This article/tutorial is written by Er. Bharat Dankoti, ICTV DDC Gorkha. For feedback, please comment on the article below.

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