Win7 Backup & Restore–over a network

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I have Win7 Pro on a laptop. I currently use a 3rd party program to do image backups to an external hard drive attached to a different computer on my network. I have never had to put it to the Restore test, but seems to backup just fine.

I am getting a new Win7 Pro desktop, and thought I would use Win7’s built in Backup & Restore for that task. So I tried to test it on my Win 7 laptop. During the ‘Set up backup’ phase, I choose ‘Save on a network’ and then enter the destination. At that point, I am asked for a User Name and Password for my Network. Since I am the only user of my network, I don’t have ANY password protection. Is there a way to get past this Name/Password screen? My 3rd party software doesn’t ask for this information.

Harry

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It’s asking for the username and password of the device you are trying to save to, not the network in general. Can you leave both fields blank or just the name filled in and save it? That’s what I do if anything does ask (isn’t smart enough to figure out there is no password). If not it just needs the username and password of the remote system, which means you may have to give it a password to make it work.

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Can you leave both fields blank or just the name filled in and save it?

I just tried that tonight. Sadly, leaving either both, or just password blank does not allow you to move forward.

Harry

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Hello, Harry. You wrote : I am asked for a User Name and Password for my Network.

Do not be hurt by this question, did you go into Control Panel -> Network and then Join ? Jean.

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Hello, Harry. You wrote : I am asked for a User Name and Password for my Network.

Do not be hurt by this question, did you go into Control Panel -> Network and then Join ? Jean.

I’m never hurt by questions. I have a network named ‘ABCD’ and the above page shows me as being ‘joined’ to HomeGroup. I tried entering my User Name, or my Network Name, or my Workgroup name, etc. Unless I entered something in Password, I could not proceed.

I don’t plan to set up another password just for this, so will forget about M’soft’s Backup and Restore, and go back to EaseUStodo, which does not ask for a name or password. I was trying to save installing another program when Windows has one built in that would do the job.

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Harry, hello.
When trying to join a network and being asked for the user’s name and such, I often have senior moments but I then go to Users and find out who I am and my name as given to Windows. That is the name to use.
Now, it is possible to find the PW by going into Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> Choose Home Group and Sharing Options -> View PW.
But I am sure that you have tried all these steps. Be good. Jean.

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Jean:

I am sure I am more ‘senior’ than you are!

Thanks for that link to the password. I did not even know that already I had one assigned to me. Apparently that password is necessary to connect other computers running Windows 7 to their homegroup. Since the other computers on my network are XP, this has never been an issue. Will be interesting to see what happens when I add my new Window 7 desktop.

You said: “…go to Users and find out who I am and my name as given to Windows.” Windows has a Full Name (the one you see when you go to Control Panel->Users). Also has a Name (which is what you see when you open Explorer, and view what is listed under C:Users). Which is required for the above password?

Harry

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Harry, good morning.
Hi ! hi ! Let us not argue on age here, but I have been retired for 22 years now. That gives you an idea on who is “senior”.

Not to worry, I have LAN’d XP, W-7 and W-8 machines, no problem. It can be frustrating at times but not beyond the average bear to do. Having the proper name and PW is paramount, sans them, there is no way to LAN your machines. I do not have any XP left here, I run a nice LAN, -7 and -8 solely. I also run old apps, mainly Office 2000 and W-8.1 did not accept it so I got back to the straight vanilla version of straight 8.

I cater to a small group of users, maybe 10 of them in an IT look-alike setup, this really keeps my grey personal RAM churning. Will this allow me to go to 32 years of retirement, I hope so.

What protection are you using concerning backups ? Image or clone or again, none ??? I am a dedicated clone artist, this is a personal choice, it suits my way of operating a computor. Have a great day, Jean.

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Harry, good morning.
Hi ! hi ! Let us not argue on age here, but I have been retired for 22 years now. That gives you an idea on who is “senior”.

Jean:

I capitulate! I am only retired 16 years. Hope I make it to 22.

Harry

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Hi Harry,

This is my first posting so I hope I read your thread correctly. Does the network user/PW prompt only happen on the backup attempt or is it with any networking attempt such as getting to a file share?

-Commander Dave

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Hi Harry,

This is my first posting so I hope I read your thread correctly. Does the network user/PW prompt only happen on the backup attempt or is it with any networking attempt such as getting to a file share?

-Commander Dave

Dave:

It only happens for me when I attempt to access the Windows built -in Backup & Restore when I want to back up to a drive on the network, or attached to another computer on the network. Otherwise, in least in my case, I have no problem accessing my network. At this point I only have one Win 7 computer on my network, so don’t know if it occurs wen you have more than one Win 7 computer on the network.

Harry

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Dave:

It only happens for me when I attempt to access the Windows built -in Backup & Restore when I want to back up to a drive on the network, or attached to another computer on the network. Otherwise, in least in my case, I have no problem accessing my network. At this point I only have one Win 7 computer on my network, so don’t know if it occurs wen you have more than one Win 7 computer on the network.

Harry

Hmmm… I’m not sure if this will help at all, but I ran into a problem with one of my networked computers asking for a username / password but none was required. I tried everything I could find on the Internet with no luck. I finally, on a lark, ran a registry cleaning program called WinASO and it went away. Not sure why, but it did. I documented my adventures on a blog I had. Hopefully it will be of use (or at least interesting reading). One cavet, I have all Windows 7 computers and none on XP.

http://w7-commander-dave.blogspot.com

I wish you luck!
-Commander Dave

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Dave:

As I said, the network access was not a problem; just the Backup/Restore. From my searching, it appears that it requires the HomeGroup password. I’ll know more when I get my new Win 7 machine completely installed and try a backup.

I did not have time to read all of your blog, but I did read the one about the problem you had. How does the Registry Cleaner you used compare to something like CCleaner, which also does the Registry? And excuse my ignorance, but what is Chowder?

I made a note of your blog address and will read the rest when I have more time.

Harry

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Hey Harry,

I personally don’t use HomeGroup networking at all and my networking works and I backup two computers across the network with no issues (I use Crashplan -www.code42.com/CrashPlan). You may just wait on the Windows 7 machine and see how it all works but if you just want to try WinASO on the machine that your backup device is hooked to, it wouldn’t hurt anything.

I am not really sure what the differences are between CCleaner and WinASO. I have used WinASO for a very long time so it might just be habit on my part. A couple of notes: You can use WinASO for free, but it only fixes 10 issues at a time unless you buy it. Not very helpful I’m afraid. In case you do use it, do the Computer Optimization, see if it solved your issue and then do the registry cleaning if it didn’t.

As for Chowder, don’t feel ignorant… it’s just the name of one of my computers! Let us all know how it works out for you. It may be, as you indicated, just be easier to wait until you get your other W7 machine.

As always, good luck!
-Commander Dave

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Dave:

>>I personally don’t use HomeGroup networking at all and my networking works and I backup two computers across the network with no issues<<

How do you set that up without HomeGroup?

Harry

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Dave:
>>I personally don’t use HomeGroup networking at all and my networking works and I backup two computers across the network with no issues<<
How do you set that up without HomeGroup?
Harry

From what I understand, HomeGroup just sits on top of the "Home Networking" on the machines to make it easier. I use the term "Home Networking" because I am not sure of the correct terminology. In essence, you turn on Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing and it is enabled. To make sure you can get to the other computers on the network, be sure you have the same Workgroup name on each. Then, for individual files and directories, you can set shares and permissions to access them across the network. That's about all I can squeeze in on a forum post.

I'm still not quite sure of your setup for backing up (I sometimes miss details) but I am thinking you have an XP computer that has a backup drive on it, either internal or external, which you would like to have your program send the backup files to. If so, my recommendation at this point would be to set up networking, create a directory on the backup drive and be sure you can copy files back and forth into that directory. If so, the network is working correctly. Then, set up your backup program to use that directory and it should work.

I'm more of a hands on kind of guy rather than the explaining type so bear with me.

-Commander Dave

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Dave:

You said:

>> In essence, you turn on Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing and it is enabled<<

Where do you find these commands?

You understand my backup system perfectly. I use an external USB drive which is connected to my XP. I can access it from any of my computers (as long as the XP is on, of course). The only problem, if you can call it that, is that using Windows Backup & Restore requires the HomeGroup password if I try to access it via the network. Other backup programs that I use do not have that restriction.

Incidentally I just got my new Win 7 desktop up and running. I used Windows Backup & Restore to create an image backup on an internal hard drive of this new computer. The password is not asked for when using a direct connection–only when accessing via a network.

Harry

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Those particular commands are under “Control PanelNetwork and InternetNetwork and Sharing CenterAdvanced sharing settings” in Windows 7.

It is very odd that you can do everything with your network and it asks for a password just on the backup. Of course, I guess that is why you started this thread! LOL

I’m out of good ideas, so the last thing I would try is to remove the HomeGroup from your windows 7 machine and try the backup without it. You can always rejoin later if it doesn’t work.

Good luck – I think that is about all the ideas I have.

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Those particular commands are under “Control PanelNetwork and InternetNetwork and Sharing CenterAdvanced sharing settings” in Windows 7.

Dave:

Found that screen. Thanks. Those two items were already checked for ‘Home or Work (current profile)’. And I assume that under ‘HomeGroup connections’ if I check “Use user accounts and passwords….’ that will disconnect me from the HomeGroup?

I also noted there is a ‘Password protected sharing’, and mine is checked to ‘Turn on….’. I could not find any help for this topic, so not sure what that really does.

Harry

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