Windows 10 – How to Remove and Recreate A HomeGroup

Summary:  This article shows how to remove and recreate a HomeGroup on Windows 10 for multiple devices

Comments:

• There may be occasions where removal and recreation of the HomeGroup on Windows 10 is necessary
  • End-user desire to remove and recreate HomeGroup anew with different sharing options
  • End-user choice to reset HomeGroup to ‘off’ and require other devices to re-join the network
  • Corruption in the Windows HomeGroup service and/or related Peer Networking Service Profiles’ configuration files
  • Inadvertently deleting the HomeGroup system files (Note: Rare, but its occurred more than once)
  • HomeGroup does have a few requirements on Windows 10
    • IPV6 is required
    • Admin rights are required for the logged on user to create a Homegroup
    • Both of the Homegroup Windows Services must be running(HomeGroup Listener and HomeGroup Provider)

 

How-To:

On the computer that created the HomeGroup

1. Navigate to c:\windows\serviceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Roaming\PeerNetworking^[1]
   – delete idstore.sst
2. Navigate to Control Panel/HomeGroup
   – leave HomeGroup
3. Go back to the above ‘ServiceProfiles’ path and delete the remaining files in that same folder
   – Repeat the exact same above steps(1, 2, 3) on any other machines on the HomeGroup network
4. Shutdown all machines
5. Power up the machine you wish to create the HomeGroup(leave the other devices powered down(Note: Only a machine with administrative rights [aka admin] can create a HomeGroup)
6. Logon to Windows
7. Open File Explorer/View/Options/View Tab
   – scroll down to ‘Use Sharing Wizard’, toggle off, Apply, toggle on, Apply, close File Explorer
8. Navigate to Control Panel/HomeGroup
   – create the HomeGroup (follow the HomeGroup wizard instructions and configure sharing options to your personal preference)
   – The wizard will provide a password for HomeGroup access ==> Write the password down – you’ll need it on the other device(s) to join the HomeGroup
9. Power up the other device(one at a time if more than one other device exists)
10. Logon to Windows
11. Open File Explorer/View/Options/View Tab
    – scroll down to Sharing Wizard, toggle off, Apply, toggle on, Apply, close File Explorer
12. Navigate to Control Panel/HomeGroup
    – Join the HomeGroup – follow each step provided by the HomeGroup setup wizard, enter the password when requested)
13. Shutdown the device (Optional, but if other devices exist, its best to configure each device with only the host device on the network).
14. Repeat Steps 9 through 13 for any other devices
15. Power up each device and verify access to the HomeGroup’s shares established by the host device.

 

Footnote: [1]  c:\windows\serviceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Roaming\PeerNetworking is a Windows System/Hidden folder, it may be necessary, even with admin rights, to configure File Explorer to show ‘Hidden files’ and when accessing agree to the prompt to obtain permission to access the folder and its subfolders. (This is expected and routine in order to access and clear out any old HomeGroup service profiles

 

 

Revisions:

April 12, 2017: Initial Draft Date

April 13, 2017: Initial Publish Date

April 15, 2017:  Added note in Comments and How-To section – Admin rights for HomeGroup creation

Microsoft Surface update history

Summary:   Microsoft Surface web site for the latest and past released software and firmware updates

 

Comments:

• Microsoft’s Surface Update History (Software and Firmware) web site for Surface devices
• Applies to the following Surface devices
  • Surface, Surface Pro
  • Surface 2, Surface Pro 2
  • Surface 3, Surface Pro 3
  • Surface Pro 4
  • Surface Book, Surface Book with Performance Base
  • Surface Studio
• Direct links to obtain update history for the above Surface devices
• Surface Updates are automatically installed via Windows Update
• Note: Surface Updates files can also be downloaded and installed manually for most Surface devices
  • The file name format is the Surface version, followed by the operating system, followed by the release number.
  • To obtain, download and install Surface Updates manually follow the steps in this procedure
    • Download and install Surface updates manually
      • As an example here are the updates available for the Surface 3 which contain all current software, firmware, and drivers for the Surface 3 and also includes the optional WinTab drivers.

Additional Information:

• Microsoft Surface Update History
• Install Surface and Windows updates
• Trouble installing Surface updates
• Download and install Surface updates manually

 

Revisions:

November 22, 2016: Initial Draft and Initial Publish Date

December 8, 2016: Revised Comment section; Added ‘Applies to’ comment

January 14, 2017:  Added example picture to better explain the multiple files available for download and installation.

Windows Essentials 2012 – Download (Last Chance)

Summary:  Windows Essentials 2012 Download Full Version Installer – Possibly Last Chance before being removed from the Microsoft Server

Note:  This Blog entry is now obsolete – Windows Essentials 2012 installer files are no longer available from Microsoft. 

For additional and later information see this ===>> Blog article

 

Comments:

• Windows Essentials 2012 includes Windows Live Mail 2012, Photo Gallery/Movie Maker, and Windows Live Writer 2012
• Ever since Windows 8.0 was released the possibility of the Windows Essentials 2012 suite of products no longer being available and/or not supported has been a valid concern.
• Windows Live Essentials 2011 and 2009 Full and unified web version installers are no longer available from Microsoft web site and servers.  Windows Live Essentials 2011 and 2009 are no longer supported products.
• Windows Essentials 2012 Full version installer remains available on the Microsoft server (How long = unknown)
• If using one of more of the Widows Essentials 2012 suite of products, it is highly recommended to download the Full version installer for archive purposes in the event a reinstallation is necessary, clean installation on a new or different pc, and/or backup requirements.
• It is safe to assume that Windows Essentials 2012 will not be supported in the future.  End of support does not always mean, no longer capable of being used but it does usually mean end of availability to obtain its installer files.

 

How to:

• Direct  Link to download Windows Essentials 2012 Full Version Installer from Microsoft Servers
  • Full Version 2012 installer – English Language Version -  http://g.live.com/1rewlive5-all/en/wlsetup-all.exe

Note:  The Direct download link above is for the English language installer. For a different country specific version please replace the ‘en’  in the above link with the local language code.

Revisions:

July 1, 2016: Initial Draft and Publish Date

March 26, 2017:  Added Note on article obsolescence and link with further explanation

Windows 10 – DISM Tool for Checking and Repairing a Windows System Image

Summary: 

• How to use the Microsoft DISM Tool to Check, Scan and Restore Windows 10 System Image Health

Comments:

• DISM(Deployment Image Servicing and Management [DISM.exe]) is a command-line tool that can be used to determine the status[Health] of the Windows operating System Image’s Component Store.  The tool can also be used to Repair a Windows System Image
• DISM’s command-line tool is run in an elevated command prompt
• DISM is also available via PowerShell.  (Note: This article will not cover using DISM’ with PowerShell)
• This article covers three(3) of the command line switches available for use with the DISM command
  • /CheckHealth  – Scans and reports if the System Image is healthy, corrupted, repairable, or non-repairable
    • Informative Only, Doesn’t Fix, Repair or Change
  • /ScanHealth – Scans and reports if corruption exists
    • Informative, Doesn’t Fix, Repair or Change (This scan will take several minutes and will provide a progress bar showing % progress – Do not interrupt)
  • /RestoreHealth – scan the Windows Image for component store corruption and automatically perform repairs
• Use the DISM tool to determine the health of the Windows System Image if the built-in Windows System File Checker can not repair Windows file corruption.
• If the DISM tool’s CheckHealth and ScanHealth options report the image (a) corruption **and** (b) is repairable, then use the DISM tools /Restore Health option.

How To: 

• Using DISM’s /CheckHealth or /ScanHealth  option

1. Open an Elevated Command Prompt => Press Windows key + X ] then select the ‘Command Prompt (Admin) option
2. At the command line prompt enter one of the following

• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
• Note: A healthy system, i.e. no component store corruption will report findings as shown in the two pictures shown below

 

 

• Using DISM’s Restore Health option (Note: Always perform a /CheckHealth and /ScanHealth prior to attempting a repair of the Windows System Image and ensure that the /CheckHealth option reports the image as repairable)
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

 

Additional Information:

• DISM’s /RestoreHealth option can also be used to resolve Windows Update errors that may be the result of component store corruption.
  • See Microsoft article ‘Fix Windows Update errors by using the DISM or System Update Readiness tool” for additional information(KB947821)

 

Revisions:

January 6, 2016: Initial Draft and Publish Date

May 8th, 2016:  Updated and revised Comments section description of the command line switches

August 15, 2016:  Replaced example pictures for better view-ability

September 9, 2016: Added reference to using DISM for Windows Update errors caused by component corruption