# Win XP: Sharing files between computers on different workgroups?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049 "2005-09-04T15:24:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049/1 "2005-09-04T15:24:15Z")

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I have a network of five computers. Three of them belong to workgroup A and the other two workgroup B. How can I access the shared drives of workgroup A computers from a workgroup B computer?

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049/2 "2005-09-04T16:24:09Z")

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Just type in \computername

Workgroups don’t matter, it’s just a convience for you if you have a large network and have to manually navigate them.

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**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049/3 "2005-09-04T16:28:39Z")

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I dunno. I tried to set up a very simple wireless network between my main machine and my new laptop last night, and failed miserably, despite the “wizards”. Google tells me it’s a common error, but the solutions all advise me to start messing with settings that someone like me shouldn’t be messing with.

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049/4 "2005-09-05T09:21:37Z")

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> [@bouv](#):
>
> Just type in \computername
> 
> Workgroups don’t matter, it’s just a convience for you if you have a large network and have to manually navigate them.

Thanks, It worked! BTW, is there some way to view all workgroups on the network? I managed to do it once somehow, but I can’t do it now.

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-sharing-files-between-computers-on-different-workgroups/320049/5 "2005-09-05T15:55:40Z")

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> [@Dog80](#):
>
> Thanks, It worked! BTW, is there some way to view all workgroups on the network? I managed to do it once somehow, but I can’t do it now.

Yes, there is.

From [here](http://www.lincproject.org/toolkit/cos_guide/node/view/225)

> [@](#):
>
> Start \> Control Panel \> Network \> My Network Places \> View Workgroups \> View My Network Places AND Microsoft Network (to view workgroups) \> Computers Near Me (to view computers).

It seems a bit long and convoluted. I’m not on a network, and last time I was, all the computers were in the same workgroup, and before that, I was using win 98, so I can’t verify that.