Acronis doesn't see 'Computers Near Me'

[Merlin5]

I posted this in the windows forum but it occurred to me that it's probably more appropriate in here.

I've not used Acronis True Image before but I've installed it to both my desktop pc and laptop and I've created an Acronis Boot CD. I want to make a backup of my laptop. When I boot my laptop with the disc, Acronis loads and I go through the backup wizard (disk and partition backup). When it gets to 'browse for location' I click next, and it says' Computers Near Me'. I click on it and it just says 'No items to display'. So it's not seeing my desktop pc or shared folder. Any idea why it wouldn't see it? I've connected my laptop with a cable to my superhub so there's no wireless issue.

I tested the other way around by booting my desktop with the disc and it does see my laptop, as when I click on 'Computers Near Me' it says 'workgroup',* then I click on workgroup and it shows my laptops shared folder and if I click on that, it shows the contents. So I don't know why my laptop doesn't see my desktop. Is it anything to do with the way I've created the shared folder on my desktop? But when laptop and desktop are both in windows, the laptop does see the shared folder.

Since Acronis can see my laptop from my desktop (but not desktop from laptop), can I do a backup of my laptop to my desktop by booting the disc again from desktop, or must it be done by booting from laptop?

*These are both my home computers running windows 7. I'm not sure why it said 'workgroup' when I clicked on 'Computers Near Me' as both computers say 'This computer belongs to a homegroup'.

 

[Merlin5]

HomeGroup is what Windows 7 calls workgrouped computers for the purpose of file sharing. It has some fancy things to make administration simpler such as Pin codes for joining other systems etc.

You can either be in a workgroup or a domain. The default workgroup name for a workgrouped computer is WORKGROUP. That is why workgroup comes up in Acronis.

My suggestion is to re-run through the HomeGroup wizard on both systems and make sure settings are the same. In the Network and Sharing Center you can click "Advanced Sharing Settings" from the left pane and check that Network Discovery/File and print Sharing/Public Folder sharing/etc is Turned on for your Home/Work firewall profiles and also ensure that both systems have the firewall location set to Home when connected to your internal network.

Thanks Sin. Ah, I think you might have found the problem! On both my computers, Network Discovery/File and Print Sharing is on, but Public folder sharing in my 'Home or Work (current profile) /Turn off Public folder sharing (people logged on to this computer can still access these folders) is off. So I should enable that on both computers? Strange though that laptop was visible in 'computers near me' on my desktop pc since public folder sharing is off on both computers. But I'll turn them on and see what happens.

Not sure what you mean in your last sentence about 'firewall location set Home to your internal network'. I've looked in windows firewall on both computers in 'Allow programs to communicate through Windows Firewall', and I see 'Homegroup' in the list, ticked on the left and also on the right under 'Home/Work(Private), but not ticked in the Public box. Is that what you mean?


edit: damn, turning public sharing on doesn't make any difference, still nothing.

 

[Merlin5]

Yeah, both are set to home network. Tried with windows firewall disabled on both, still nothing. Desktop finds laptop. Laptop doesn't find desktop.

 

[Merlin5]

Does the desktop actually have appropriately shared folders?

Well, I've got a shared desktop folder which is seen by my laptop in windows but not with acronis. But my shared folder created on laptop is visible in both acronis on desktop and windows. I've just deleted my desktop shared folder and am going to create a new one to see what happens.

 

[Merlin5]

Well I created folders earlier outside of users but it didn't work. I have a feeling I've got permissions set up wrong. Can you check my screenshots?

At the moment, the 'Games' folder is the shared folder created on laptop which can be seen with acronis when booting from boot disc on my desktop pc. And it can also be seen in windows on my desktop. I need to change something I think don't I?


http://homepage.ntlworld.com/merlin.five/Laptop1.JPG
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/merlin.five/Laptop2.JPG

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/merlin.five/Desktop1.JPG
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/merlin.five/Desktop2.JPG