Electronics

[cddh]

I want to set up a "group" between 2 computers.  One running windows 7, another windows 10.  This is in anticipation of older computer dying on me unexpectedly.  Can anyone give detailed instructions?  I have been researching also.  I think it has to be workgroup not homegroup.

[Zhills]

Have you read this page?

differences between workgroup and homegroup

I don't believe the OS will make a difference in setting up a homegroup.  I had mine set up on a LAN for a while but just don't need it now.

If you are afraid of the older computer dying, wouldn't a daily backup that you could put on the new computer be more effective?

[juperier]

I know very little about setting up groups simply because I don't need to. But I am curious as to why you are relating this to one of your computers suddenly dying. If by dying you mean the hard drive failing, whether it's in a group won't have any bearing. If you don't have your files backed up, you most likely will lose them permanently unless you can afford the big bucks needed to hire a professional data recovery company (and even then, there's no guarantee that any given failed disk can have data recovered from it).

[jaxs mom]

Why don't you just back up your old computer to an external drive? 

[Zhills]

You might have a problem with software running on both machines.  If you open a document on the newer one and save it in the new format, the older software on the Win 8 may not be able to open it.  

If I was that afraid of the older one dying, I would back it up daily, just in case.  You can always use the older documents on the newer computer.  OR go ahead and transfer all files "just in case."