Question I have never set up a Windows network successfully

[David_652]

I have tried it so many times over the years. The furthest I got was to get two PCs to see each other and work together over a home network. But even then, the network did not persist. If I shutdown or rebooted either or both PCs, they couldn't see or connect to each other anymore.

Things are worse now. I have a Windows 10 and 11 PC connected to the router connected to my internet device. I can get them to see each other. But I can't open the Windows 11 PC from Windows 10 at all. I can't open a shared folder on the Windows 10 PC from the Windows 11 PC at all.

I believe the only things unique to my setup are using hard configurator and using GPEdit to stop Windows updates and to keep the Windows 10 PC at a version prior to AI.exe showing up on the scene. Don't assume these are issues though. They may not be.

Is there a good comprehensive resource for Windows networking to ensure success? Are there tools that automate a lot of this so I can avoid issues?

I have tried instructions that take me through the process, including enabling network discovery and file sharing, etc., opening Windows Defender for file sharing, and having the same WORKGROUP. I set up folder sharing, created the same user accounts in both PCs; the original Microsoft accounts on both were the same already. I put .bat files in the startup folders to reset the network on bootup to enable persistence.

I #$%@&*! around with it for four hours today and didn't solve these issues. Can't find the network path. You don't have permission to access that resource. Blah, blah, blah. Is there a set of instructions that covers everything and sets it up right the first time?

Windows 11 is 23H2. Windows 10 is 22H2. I have reset everything back to normal. I'm not trying it again this weekend. But I would love to have some resources that would enable it to just work.

 

[dwd999]

I have tried it so many times over the years. The furthest I got was to get two PCs to see each other and work together over a home network. But even then, the network did not persist. If I shutdown or rebooted either or both PCs, they couldn't see or connect to each other anymore.

Things are worse now. I have a Windows 10 and 11 PC connected to the router connected to my internet device. I can get them to see each other. But I can't open the Windows 11 PC from Windows 10 at all. I can't open a shared folder on the Windows 10 PC from the Windows 11 PC at all.

I believe the only things unique to my setup are using hard configurator and using GPEdit to stop Windows updates and to keep the Windows 10 PC at a version prior to AI.exe showing up on the scene. Don't assume these are issues though. They may not be.

Is there a good comprehensive resource for Windows networking to ensure success? Are there tools that automate a lot of this so I can avoid issues?

I have tried instructions that take me through the process, including enabling network discovery and file sharing, etc., opening Windows Defender for file sharing, and having the same WORKGROUP. I set up folder sharing, created the same user accounts in both PCs; the original Microsoft accounts on both were the same already. I put .bat files in the startup folders to reset the network on bootup to enable persistence.

I #$%@&*! around with it for four hours today and didn't solve these issues. Can't find the network path. You don't have permission to access that resource. Blah, blah, blah. Is there a set of instructions that covers everything and sets it up right the first time?

Windows 11 is 23H2. Windows 10 is 22H2. I have reset everything back to normal. I'm not trying it again this weekend. But I would love to have some resources that would enable it to just work.

I have my 2 computers setup where I create a desktop shortcut that opens windows explorer and accesses the other computer's C: drive. The shortcut looks like this for my other computer named TV:

C:\Windows\explorer.exe \\TV\c\

There has to be a space after the explorer.exe command. You can add a folder name after the drive letter. The only thing I noticed is that it helps if you enter the computer name all in capital letters.

 

[David_652]

What did you do to get them set up before you got to adding that shortcut?

 

[Ralston18]

This:

"I can't open a shared folder on the Windows 10 PC from the Windows 11 PC at all."

What error messages are being presented when attempts to share folders fail?

Take some screenshots and post those screenshots here via imgur (www.imgur.com).

= = = =

And this:

"I have a Windows 10 and 11 PC connected to the router connected to my internet device."

What is that "internet device"? Could be a modem or modem/router.

Update your post to include make and model information for modem and router.

Or modem/router if combined.