Help older computers find and use it
Sharing files and devices between Windows XP and Windows 7
Once you have a HomeGroup set up with Windows 7/8/10 on your network, the next step is to tune it so that all the older computers can find each other. Any Windows 7 and later computer can easily join the HomeGroup by using just the password, but if your network contains computers running older versions of Windows, you will need to put them in the same Workgroup.
If you have computers running Windows XP on your network, it is important to use the same workgroup name for all computers on your network. This will allow computers running different versions of Windows to discover and access each other. Remember that the default workgroup name is not the same in all versions of Windows. In 99% of cases it will simply be called WORKGROUP, but if it is not, make sure to change it to WORKGROUP.
To find or change the workgroup name on a computer running Windows XP, click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
