After the first stage of the upgrade the two Vista Home and the Windows 7 RC1 computers will have been upgraded to Windows 7. Now comes the challenge of getting them all to talk to each other.
The main difference between XP, Vista and now Windows 7 is that Windows 7 has introduced something called a Home Group. This is a collection of Computers all running Windows 7 linked by a password. As you install Windows 7 on the first computer in the Home Group you will be given a password to link all the computers together. Write it down paying careful attention to the case of the characters as this password is case sensitive. As you load the other computers on your network with Windows 7 make sure that all of them have the same Home group Password and can see each other.
If you have been running a network for a while, you probably already have a workgroup name. However if you aren't clued up on network security it will probably be one of the two Microsoft default names, MSHOME or WORKGROUP. I would strongly suggest you give it a different name (any name will do) because the defaults are the first ones a hacker would try.
When you have chosen a name, you need to work your way through all the computers starting with the oldest operating system. So....
- In Windows 2000 and XP - right click on the My Computer icon on the desktop. Go to Properties and on the Computer Name tab make sure that the computer has an unique name and the Workgroup name is the one you have chosen.
- In Vista and Windows 7 - right click on Computer and go to Properties. Click on Advanced System Settings and go to the Computer Name tab. Click on the Change button and give the computer a unique name then type in the Workgroup name you have chosen.
- On the Network ID button and make sure you are using a 'Home' network.
You may find that if you use autologon instead of having to enter your user name and password every time you boot your computer, the settings may have been reset to default. If so go to Start ...
- for Vista and Windows 7 press the Windows key + R and in Run type control userpasswords2 exactly as it here and press enter.
- Uncheck the option 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'.
- Click OK
- You will be prompted to enter the current password and confirm it.
In XP if there is only one user account on the computer Windows will not ask you to logon but occasionally XP gets itself reset and starts to ask you to logon. To reset Autologon you.........
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK.
- Clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" check box, and then click Apply.
- In the Automatically Log On window, type the password in the Password box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box.
- Click OK to close the Automatically Log On window, and then click OK to close the User Accounts window.
Once all the computers in your network have been renamed, have a unique ID and the same workgroup name shut them all down including your router and any switches/hubs you may be using.
- To restart the whole network start the router followed by any switches/hubs.
- Next boot up a computer containing Windows 7
- Boot any other computers containing Windows 7
- Click on the Network icon on the desktop and make sure all your Windows 7 computers can see and talk to each other.
- Now boot up any Vista computers and make sure they have joined the network.
- Finally boot up and Windows XP/2000 computers and see that they appear.
NB: It is possible to connect computers using other operating systems (Linux, Mac, Windows 9X/Me) to a network like this but the tweaks you have to do are beyond the scope of this article. You can fine help and information on my Network page at
http://www.omega-cottage.co.uk/.
You can download this blog as a PDF from here
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