Ping.
You can still access them by sharing folders on the PC and then, in explorer, access the PC by \\pcname\foldername
Switch to Windows 10 Pro. No homegroup but it’s easy to do yourself. Or get a Win 10 Enterprise VL from your employer or Win 10 Academic from your school. All pretty much the same.
Microsoft is just reminding us that we don’t really own our computers.
>>Any 3rd party inexpensive networking software or work-arounds that can solve a small office computing networking issue?
Linux
I am SO happy they got rid of that home group garbage. When they first introduced it I was scratching my head about it. It’s such a pain.
One more reason to switch to Linux
Any lawyers here want to help in a class-action suit against Microsoft?
This is going to ruin many people and their businesses
Being on the cloud is wonderful for those who trust everyone, including Nigerian Princes.
I’ve disabled everything to do with the cloud on my machines.
“Sneakernet”
I have a flash drive with that very word on it. It makes many trips each week from upstairs to downstairs ... up - down - up - down. No cloud for us, either.
Yeah, share the folders and then use UNC file paths. Home groups were antiquated.
What functionality is missing? The removal is supposed to leave the private network file shares in place.
I am definitely not trying to platform flame when I say this, but Macintosh.
Linux Mint Cinnamon.
Solved my problems with the Microsoft Borg Cube. Fine. Done.
Never used nor liked the Homegroup function. According to MS website, they’re going to a Shared folder concept where you can access folders on other computers or devices. I’ve been doing this for years. I have a hard drive plugged into my secure router for which we download and access all of our files. It’s my own personal cloud. I backup the hard drive nightly.
It sounds to me like a step in the right direction.
My small office must deal with other companies.
I have come to love the cloud.
Umm, no, they didn't remove "all networking capability". There are still ways to share files and so forth over your local network, and of course you still have internet network access.