# Solved: Can't change Workgroup name in Windows 8



## MGump

I just installed a fresh copy of Windows 8 Pro on my desktop and a hard drive failure  then tried to change the Workgroup name. I attempted to change the name by right clicking on the Computer icon then selecting the Properties option. I then selected the "Change settings" option in the "Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings" section to get the "System Properties" window to come up. When the "Computer Name/Domain Changes" window comes up, the "Workgroup" field is grayed out so I can't change it to what I want. 

Any idea why I can't change the Workgroup name? I had the same machine with Windows 8 Pro running with my custom named Workgroup name before the hard drive failure so I don't understand why it doesn't allow me to change the Workgroup name now.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Mark

Tech Support Guy System Info Utility version 1.0.0.2
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 8 Pro, 32 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz, x64 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 4
Processor Count: 2
RAM: 3070 Mb
Graphics Card: Microsoft Basic Render Driver, 11 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 953866 MB, Free - 912348 MB; F: Total - 953866 MB, Free - 623208 MB;
Motherboard: Dell Inc., 0X8582
Antivirus: Windows Defender, Disabled


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## davehc

It looks like you have the "client for Microsoft networks" disabled.
In the Control panel, click "Network and Sharing Centre"
Click your Adapter and, in the next window select "properties"
Next window, make sure you have the first item "Client..etc" ticked.


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## MGump

Davehc,

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked that setting and there IS a check mark in the "Client for Microsoft networks" option.

This is really odd since this was a pretty vanilla installation of Windows 8. I haven't fooled around with any system type settings other than those having to do with the Search function. I had installed Outlook 2007 then Office 2010 Pro that included Outlook 2010 and found that I wasn't able to do any Search functions for Contacts or email so I played around with turning the Windows Search service off and on and rebuilt the indexes. That got the Search function working in Outlook. I wouldn't think the changes I made for the Search problem would have anything to do with the Workgroup issue but who know.

The only other thing that might somehow affect this is that the Windows 8 installation was using a Microsoft "Upgrade" option I got when I bought a new desktop just before Windows 8 was released that included a $15 upgrade deal. I used this upgrade option on this computer (which is not the new computer I had bought and got the option on) and installed it on a newly formatted hard drive. Maybe, for some strange reason, the upgrade was expecting to find and old Windows 7 installation on the drive and somehow that affected this workgroup setting. I'm grasping at straws here but in the interest of "full disclosure" I'm noting this detail in case anyone thinks it could be significant to the problem.

Any other thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mark


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## MGump

I found some suggestions on the web indicating this problem could be caused if the Workstation Service not running. I found that the Workstation service was NOT running (Start button > Run > services.msc > Workstation) 

I tried to start the Workstation service and got an error response that said:
Windows could not start the Workstation on Local Computer. For more information, review the System Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor, and refer to service-specific error code 2250." 

I looked at the Event Log (Start button > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System)

I found many, many error entries for "Service Control Manager" (Event IDs of 7001 and 7024) and "Workstation" (Event IDs of 3113). I was not able to determine the cause of these error events. Here are the details associated with each Event ID:

Service Control Manager:
Event ID 7001:
The Computer Browser service depends on the Workstation service which failed to start because of the following error: 
The service has returned a service-specific error code.

Event ID 7024:
The Workstation service terminated with the following service-specific error: 
This network connection does not exist.

Workstation:
Event ID 3113:
Initialization failed because the requested service redirector could not be started.

Any idea what might be causing these errors? 

Thanks for any suggestions.

Mark


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## MGump

I tried starting the system in Safe mode with networking and found the Workstation service was started.  I was able to go into the Computer Properties (Start button > right click Computer > Properties) and change the Workgroup to the name I wanted it to be.  I then restarted the system and the Workgroup name change stuck BUT the Event Viewer showed I was still getting the Service Control Manager and Workstation errors I noted in my last posting. I am NOT able to see other computers on my local network that have the workgroup name I was finally able to add to this Windows 8 computer. 

So, I still have a problem but it is now slightly different than my original problem. 

Any suggestions would still be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mark


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## MGump

I was not able to figure out what to do to resolve this problem so I finally just reinstalled Windows 8 on another hard drive (this time after installing Windows 7 on the drive first) and with this new installation I didn't have the problem of being able to change the Workgroup name, access the other computers in that workgroup, have the Workstation service start or get any of the Event errors.

So, there is no need for anyone to bother to respond further to this posting unless they have some great idea(s) that might help another person who might have a similar problem who's wandered across this posting. 

Mark


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