# Connecting to a home network with my work laptop



## RoyGBiv (Aug 27, 2008)

I have a laptop I use at work connected to their network. I bring it home periodically and would like to be able to share files from that laptop with my home desktop. How do I do so? My laptop has no trouble connecting to the internet from home. 

If I click on network on the laptop, my home desktop is listed. Every time I try to connect it asks for my username and password. The problem is my home desktop has only two users, me and my wife, and we both use the same settings. So it is set up not to require any type of login or passwords. I have tried everything I can think of to provide a username and password, but anything I try results in a return to the screen requesting the information.

My desktop is connected to my home wireless router which has a USB port which I use as a backup hard drive. My laptop can connect to this USB drive without any problems and share files with it, but it can't connect directly to the desktop computer.

Both laptop and desktop are running Win7. I have enabled file sharing on my desktop computer. The desktop computer uses only Windows firewall at the recommended settings. The laptop has Symantec virus protection, but I am not getting any security warnings, I just can't connect.

Thanks in advance for any help.

SMK


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## alpenadiver (Jul 31, 2007)

On the desktop, go to Control Panel > User Accounts, then give your user account a password, make sure you select require password at login. Restart the desktop, login then try to connect the laptop to the desktop using the username, and password.


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## Confounded Also (Aug 19, 2015)

RoyGBiv said:


> I have a laptop I use at work connected to their network. I bring it home periodically and would like to be able to share files from that laptop with my home desktop. How do I do so?



If it's owned by the company, you probably shouldn't be trying to change settings without their permission. They may not want file sharing enabled.


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## jaxtraw (Aug 7, 2010)

What version of Win 7 is the home computer using?

If it's a Home version, you'll probably need to set up another account on it with a password on it to enable your laptop to log in.

If you have Windows 7 Pro, Ultimate, Awesome etc, you can change the setting: "Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only" to disabled. You'd still need to give a user account name, which from the sound of it is probably "Administrator".

NB this would be a good time to set up separate accounts anyway, since it is written in the Good Book that yea, a wise man and his wife and their sons and daughters shall not share the same login, thus sayeth the LORD.


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## jaxtraw (Aug 7, 2010)

Or, the obvious thing I forgot- check your network is identified as "Home" or "Work", then just turn off password protected sharing in the Advanced Sharing settings in Network And Sharing Centre.


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