Networking home network

Question

i have a computer in garage and i used to be able to connect to it from computer in house i got new computer laptop and in network i see the garage computer but it wont connect to it

Answer 1

@Ronald Cool

Is your new laptop connected to your network, and does it show on your router? Are both computers setup to share?

Example image for sharing.

Answer 2

Hi RONALD COOL,

I understand how frustrating it is to see the new laptop sees the garage PC but won’t connect. Error 0x80070035 means the path is but access is being blocked by something, not by the router itself.

The Q&A Assist has pointed in the correct path, so I think it’s worth checking them out first. If you’ve already done that or the suggestions didn’t help, here’s what I recommend checking:

1 - Make sure both PCs are using a Private network

• On both PC, open Settings > Network & Internet
• Click your active connection > Network profile = Private

2 - Turn on network sharing options (on the garage PC)

• Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings
• Check Advanced sharing settings > Under Private:
  • Turn File and printer sharing to ON
  • Turn Network discovery to ON.

3 - Disable password‑protected sharing

• On the garage PC, open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center
• Open Advanced sharing settings > Scroll to All Networks
• Turn Password‑protected sharing to OFF > Save changes.

4 - Match user accounts instead

• Create the same username and password on both PCs
• Log in on the laptop using those credentials.

5 - Test with IP instead of the computer name

• On the laptop, open File Explorer
• In the address bar, type: \\<garage-PC-IP>
• If this works, the issue is name resolution, not connectivity.

What you're facing is sometimes caused by Windows sharing security defaults on the garage PC. If you want, let me know if both PCs are on Windows 11, or is the garage PC Windows 10.

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Answer 3

Use these checks and steps on both the laptop (in the house) and the garage PC.

1. Confirm both PCs are on the same network

• On each PC, make sure they are connected to the same router (same Wi‑Fi/Ethernet network).
• On each PC, open File Explorer and in the address bar type \\<other-computer-name> or \\<other-computer-IP> to test access.
• If the laptop cannot see shared folders by name but can by IP, the name may have changed (for example, Windows can append a dash and number when network changes). Verify the exact computer name on the garage PC (Settings > System > About) and use that name.

2. Test basic network connectivity

• From the laptop, open Command Prompt and ping <garage-computer-name> or ping <garage-computer-IP>.
• If ping fails, there is a basic network or firewall issue; check cabling/Wi‑Fi and router, and restart modem/router if needed:
  • Unplug router and modem power, wait ~30 seconds, plug modem back in, wait for lights to stabilize, then plug router back in and wait a few minutes.

3. Check that sharing and the account are usable on the garage PC

• Make sure the user account used to connect is enabled and the password is valid and not expired.
• Ensure the shared folder on the garage PC is still shared and permissions allow access (e.g., Everyone or the specific user).

4. If the garage PC is visible but “cannot be found” when connecting This can happen if:

• The connection between the two PCs is broken.
• The user account on the garage PC is disabled.
• The password on the garage PC has expired.

To resolve:

• Confirm both PCs are on the same network by browsing to the garage PC from File Explorer.
• Confirm the account on the garage PC is enabled.
• Confirm the password is valid and not expired.

5. If Ethernet/Wi‑Fi on either PC is unstable If one PC has trouble staying connected or seeing network shares:

• On Windows 11, go to Settings > Network & internet and check status (should show “Connected”).
• If needed, run the Network troubleshooter from Settings > Network & internet > Status > Network troubleshooter.
• If problems persist, as a last resort use Network reset on the affected PC:
  • Windows 11: Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset > Reset now.
  • This removes and reinstalls network adapters and resets settings to defaults. Afterward, VPN clients or virtual switches may need to be reinstalled, and network profiles may revert to Public.

6. If the laptop can connect only by IP, not by name

• Verify the garage PC’s actual computer name (Settings > System > About).
• If the name has changed (for example, a dash and number were added after a network change), use the new name or reboot the router so name resolution refreshes.

If, after these steps, the laptop can ping the garage PC and open \\garage-pc-name or \\garage-pc-IP in File Explorer, the connection should work again.

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References:

• Error: Unable to connect to the machine <name>. The machine cannot be found on the network.
• Fix Ethernet connection problems in Windows
• Windows 11 share not taking computer-name - Microsoft Q&A