Resolved Windows 7 x64 login behavior changes Network sharing for a Workgroup

One more question for a noob setting up Windows 7 x64 for use with a workgroup.

I noticed something peculiar on the log in routine which has to be explained.

Power up of computer takes me to the desktop and does not ask for a log in name. I have no passwords set as I am the only user. This makes user and administrator the same.

This power up does not show my other workgroup computer call homenet.

Note-- this is not a Homegroup-- home group is turned off since the other machine is Win XP.

At this point, if I select start > log off

My user icon appears, I select that and my other networked machine and files is now visible as I had set it up in Network and File sharing.

This is not a big complicated setup-- I'm using the Win 7 just like another XP machine with a workgroup.

My question is, why this duplication of log on routine and how can I fix it
so that log on goes directly to desktop as it does now, but has the network settings for "user "?

Where can I review all users where only one appears after the log in to the desktop?

From day to day I can forget this duplicate log in and wonder what I did wrong.

 

Maybe you didn't do anything wrong. According to Microsoft, (Quote) "It might take several minutes for computers running previous versions of Windows to appear in the Network folder. "

 

I wonder.

But the instruction I read say that the workgroup has to be created for a user.
I try to skip past the passwording and such.

Also those setup pages for the net in Win 7 have to be sure to have passwording turned off.

My reference is the Microsoft Networking Step By Step text. They carefully describe adding the workgroup. But initially every time I rebooted I thought I lost everything. A real rat in the maze experience. Then I hit on the logout/login and the other machine appeared.

I started a fresh install and tried to retrace things and see if I could get the workgroup going at "root" as the Linux gang says.

Oh yes; it took me a while to remember this: during a setup the Administrator and 'computer name' appear together under one icon.

Where a user might be called Jim, the root is called Jim3MSI or whatever you called the computer name under separate icons. That must be part of the mystery.

 

It's very popular to disable services to try and shorten the time to boot up or otherwise improve performance. Make sure you haven't disabled or delayed a service that is needed to support networking.

Every change that gets you to the desktop faster leaves less time for networking to get set up before you try to use it.

Look at the programs you have that are loading at boot. Some applications hog resources and may be delaying how long it takes for the network to establish itself.

 

I have read the article and it has some valuable tips and is well laid out. I will save for reference.