Windows 7 / Networking

Using HomeGroup with a Domain-Based Computer

A computer that is joined to an Active Directory domain (typically, a business network based on Windows Server) can join a homegroup, making it easy and productive to bring home a work computer and have access to home resources such as media, documents, and printers. It's also secure, due to differences in the way HomeGroup works on a domainjoined computer.

The principal difference is that a domain-joined computer can see and use all shared resources in the homegroup, but other homegroup members cannot see anything on the domain-joined computer. (This is done to protect your business documents and files from inadvertent access by others in your home.) When you create or join a homegroup using a domain member computer, the dialog box does not include any of the sharing options (Pictures, Music, Videos, and so on) that appear for other homegroup users.

Some corporate administrators might not relish the idea of you listening to music with Windows Media Player or watching television with Windows Media Center while you're working at home; those taskmasters can use Group Policy to prevent the computer from joining a homegroup.

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Windows 7 in a Domain
  2. The Domain
  3. What is Wrong with Workgroups
  4. The Domain Concept
  5. Active Directory
  6. Domain Security
  7. Joining a Domain
  8. Windows 7 Offline Domain Join
  9. Browsing the Domain
  10. Searching the Domain
  11. Custom Searches
  12. Assigning Permissions to Domain Members
  13. The Double-Thick Security Trick
  14. Creating a Test Bed
  15. Creating a Domain
  16. Installing Windows Server 2008 on vPC
  17. Configuring a Windows Server 2008 Server
  18. Promoting a Server to a Domain Controller
  19. Joining Windows 7 to a Domain
  20. Authentication vs Authorization
  21. Authentication
  22. Authorization
  23. Built-in Groups
  24. Organizing Users with Groups
  25. Group Scope and Group Type
  26. Creating Users and Groups in a Domain
  27. Using HomeGroup with a Domain-Based Computer
  28. Identifying and Resolving Logon Issues
  29. Hardware vs. Network
  30. Using Cached Credentials
  31. Password Expiration
  32. Determining Logon Context
  33. Logon Hours Compliance
  34. Restricting Computer Access
  35. Time Synchronization
  36. Understanding User Profiles
  37. Standard Profiles
  38. Roaming Profiles
  39. Implementing Roaming Profiles
  40. Mandatory Profiles
  41. Super-Mandatory User Profiles
  42. Modifying the Default User Profile
  43. Configuring Settings with Scripts
  44. Anti-Malware Software
  45. Microsoft Windows 7 Defender
  46. Third-Party Anti-malware Software