How to set up a homegroup in Windows 8 easily and simply? Step by step guide

At this time it is very difficult to find a PC that does not have an Internet connection, puesto que simplemente poder contar con una conexión de red es más que necesario para poder llevar a cabo diferentes tipos de actividades ya be at home or work. This is why when there are several PCs either in the work office or in a home, one of the most useful features is being able to share files and resources between each of those teams easily.

Una de las formas más comunes de poder compartir contents entre los diferentes equipos que están conectados a una misma red es configurando las carpetas para que puedan share in network, but the truth of all this is that this configuration procedure can be avoided and for this basically you have to create a home network, through which you can share files and documents with other PCs that are connected to said home group.

Keep in mind that this function is present from Windows 7 and which has been improved and simplified in Windows 8, so anyone who has a little knowledge on the Internet can create this type of network and start share content with your family or close friends. This is why here we are going to teach you how to set up a homegroup in Windows 8 in an easy and fast way, for this follow in detail everything that we will show you below.

What is a Homegroup and what are the benefits of using it?

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Home groups they are nothing more than a group of computers in a home network that are connected to each other through the network and that you can easily share files and printers, making it ideal in offices where there are multiple computers and a single printer. At the time of creating this type of network, any of the PCs can easily send to print, in this way the use of a home group greatly facilitates what is sharing.

In this circumstance, users can share what they are images, music, videos, files, documents, printers, among many other things with the other people who are also part of that group. In order to offer security in this network system and avoid intruders who can take certain data from there, users have the opportunity to protect the home group with a password, which can be changed at any time.

At the time of determine this password it will prevent third parties may modify or take some of the files that are shared, al menos que dicho Username cuente con los permissions To do so, all this makes it possible for the shared files to reach their destination without undergoing modifications in the path.

As another measure of security, When creating or joining one of these groups, you can choose the folders you intend to share and in the same way prevent the sharing of some folders or files on your computer. Thus, it can be said that these home or work groups they are a way to organize teams within a local network y de esa manera poder compartir cierto type of content o dispositivos de una manera mucho más sencilla.

In accordance with all this, here we tell you the main benefits that this type of Win 8 tool offers you:

• File and data sharing within the network makes it possible to create easy and quick access to information.
• Offers easy access to shared resources, this is how through this home network You can review any type of file that is configured on the network, whether it is to be able to see images from one PC on another or listen to music from one computer on another.
• In the case of Internet connection it will always be available for all those devices that are part of the home group.
• Through the homegroup you have the opportunity to monitor all the activities of each of the devices that are connected to the net domestic and at the same time, all of this can be monitored through the router settings.
• It has a device management, so you have the possibility to remotely manage all the machines that are connected to the network.

Learn step by step how to set up a Home Group in Windows 8 from scratch

If you need to start share files and documents with other equipment whether in your work office or at home, then it is essential that you learn how create a home network in order to start sharing resources between two or more Windows PCs within the same home network.

For this you must follow each of the steps that we are going to indicate below:

Create a Home Group

• The first thing you should do is access the Home Group, for this you must place the mouse pointer on the edge of the right side of your screen and in the options menu that appears there select "Setting".
• The next thing will be to choose the option of "Change computer settings" y después haz click en el ítem de "Net" and then select the option "Home Group".
• Once you are inside the section of home group you must click on the option "Create".
• There you must choose the libraries and the devices what do you want to share with him group at home.
• After the home network is created, other computers running versions of Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 7 on the same network they will be able to join your home network and thus start sharing different types of content and devices such as the printer.

It is essential that when creating this shared network you take into account some aspects such as the following that could affect its configuration:

• If your Win 8 PC pertenece a un domain, entonces vas a poder unirte a un grupo de hogar, pero no vas a poder crear uno, por lo que se te será imposible realizar esta operación. Al mismo tiempo, vas a poder tener access to the devices and library of other computers that they share in the group, but you will not be able to share your libraries or devices on the network.
• If for some reason a homegroup already exists in your network, then a notice will appear asking you if you are looking for join it instead of creating a new one.
• It is essential that the "Find device and content" box is found activated, since it will be the one that enables the home group to function.

Search for files within the home group

Once the shared network is created, the next thing you can do is start searching shared files. In this circumstance you have to take into account that the teams that belong to the group will appear in the "Windows Explorer".

Thus, in order to access the shared libraries of the other computers, you must follow these steps:

• The first thing you should do is access the "File Browser", To do this, place the mouse cursor in the upper right corner of your screen and move the pointer down and click on "Look for".
• There you must write "File Explorer" In the search box and in the alternatives that are shown on the screen select "File Explorer" to get in there.
• Now in the "Home Group" you must choose the name of the user account of the person whose library you intend to access.
• Then, in the file list you must double click or double click on the library to which you intend to access, there you must find the file or folder you intend to open and you double click on it. Therefore you will be having access to shared content by the other users of the shared network.

Share devices and libraries or stop sharing them

You have to bear in mind that when creating a home group or joining it you must choose the libraries and devices you intend to share on the network with the other teams that are there, keep in mind that todo lo que selecciones allí va a estar al scope de las otras personas que formen parte del grupo.

It is also essential that you bear in mind that the files that are shared there are initially done as read mode, In other words, other users can see or hear it, but cannot modify it. It is also possible that you select some individual files or folders so that these can only be seen by specific users of the household group, in other words, that will not be available to everyone, but only to those you choose.

With this in mind, here we tell you how to perform these steps:

Share entire libraries

• Here you must access the home group, for this you must do it again from the chapter of Windows 8 Settings.
• Once you have put there you must choose "Change computer settings" and then select "Net".
• When you are in the network chapter you must choose the option of "Home group".
• Now select the library and devices what do you want to share with the home group, in this case they will be available to all users who are there.

Share files or folders individually

• In this circumstance you need to access the "Windows 8 Explorer" as we show you previously.
• Once there you must choose the item you intend to share and then click on the "Share".
• Here you must choose the option in the group "Share with", in this case you will find different options depending on the type of network it is and if the equipment is connected to a network.
• If what you want is to share files with a specific person, then you must select that person's user account.
• If you need to prevent a folder or file ends up sharing with other unwanted users, then you must click on the tab "Share" and then click on "Stop sharing with."
• To modify the access level towards a folder or a file, you must click on the tab "Share" and then select "See group at home" or "View and edit group at home."
• If what you need is to share a location such as a folder on the system or a drive, then you need to select the option of "Advanced sharing" so you can share it.

Share printer

As previously mentioned in the article, it is also possible to share what is the use of a printer through home groups, which greatly facilitates the printing procedure when there is only one printer in the home or office.

In this circumstance these devices are connected via USB cable to one of the homegroup computers, so this machine must share it. When the printer has already been shared, you will be able to access it through the print dialog whatever program you run, this procedure is totally the same as if the printer were connected to your team, only this time you must choose the one that has been shared.

Thus, in order to share it on the shared network, you will need to follow these steps:

Share printer in homegroup

• The first What you must do is access the home group, for this you must enter the Win 8 settings.
• Once you enter there you must choose the option of "Change computer settings" and then select the item from "Net".
• When you meet in the section of "Net" you must choose the option of "Home group".
• Now you must choose control to share "Printer and devices" this way you will be sharing your printer with the other users of the shared network.

To print to the homegroup printer

The first thing you should do is open the print menu of the application you are using, either a word processor, spreadsheet, photograph, among others. When the menu opens you must choose the printer that has been shared in the group and once chosen just click on "To print".

Add new computers to your Home Group to make it wider with these steps in Windows 8

It is possible that after create home group on the network, you need to add a new device, either because they have bought another PC in your house or because they have incorporated a new machine in your work office. In this circumstance for to be able to add a new computer to the network it is necessary to provide the password from the home group to that person.

In this circumstance It is essential that you keep in mind that all accounts except the guest account belong to the household group, so each person can control the access to your own library, as well as what type of content to share.

In order to add a new computer to the home network, you need to follow each of the steps that we are going to teach you below:

• The first thing you should know is that these steps must be done directly from the equipment that you are going to add, therefore, the first thing will be to access the "Settings" of the team.
• When you have put you must click on "Change computer settings" and then click on "Net" and then select "Home group".
• Now you must enter the password of the home group you intend to join, and then click on the option "Join".
• The next will be choose libraries and devices that you want to share with other members of the network.
• Once here you must choose the option of "Multimedia devices" In this case, you should select it only if you want network devices such as televisions or game consoles to reproduce their content in a shared way.

After this you will have already added a new equipment to your home group, in the case of wanting add another PC, then it will be necessary to repeat all the steps mentioned again.

Tips to boost the security of your Home Group network in Windows 8

Finally, we are going to show you how you can start meimprove the security of your home group network, This will allow you to protect each of the documents and files that are shared there, taking into account that on many occasions important data can be shared that may not be available to everyone.

Thus, here are some tips that will help you improve security on your Windows 8 shared network:

Set a password to your homegroup

The most basic and simplest form of power improving the security of your shared network is establishing a security password to access it, this will ensure that only the correct users access it, preventing said information shared there may become available to third parties.

At the same time, determining a password will ensure that none of the shared data can be modified, so it will only be available in reading mode. Therefore, if you want to start taking care of all the information that is shared there, you can start by placing a password and thus ensure that only members of the same can make use of said libraries.

Encrypt content that is relevant

In the case of the home groups of the houses There are usually not so many security problems, since these groups are simply made up only by the family, where it is expected that everything can go well. But the opposite occurs when they are created in work offices and they have to share important data and this can become available to any of group members.

In this circumstance the user has two options to protect your content and thus prevent it from being modified. The first case is to share the content only with the necessary users, in other words, with those who really need to see what you are sharing, since on many occasions an employee must share a file or document just for the boss to see, in this case you can share it only to the boss user.

Another alternative is encrypt said document or file and provide the key to the manager so that he can access it, You can also share it in read-only mode and thus prevent anyone else from making any kind of change that could affect your work.

Add only trusted people to your home group

One of the advantages that can be achieved when creating a home group is that you yourself have the possibility to choose what people can be there, This in case you do it at home, so a security measure for this is to allow entry only to those people you trust and who are sure they are not going to do this. no inappropriate use with the files or documents shared there.

In the case of offices, this can no longer be controlled so much, since in general, the entire group of employees must be there. I work to share the information necessary about the job. In spite of everything, in this case the most viable answer if you consider that there are people who cannot be trusted, to share all your information or at least the most important of privately only with those people who need it, This will prevent third parties from accessing said content without your authorization.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, we will answer you as soon as possible, at the same time it will surely be of great help to more members of the community. Thanks! 😉