How to leave a workgroup?

[Gorstak]

Basically having all your devices sharing stuff is nice. Microsoft made something called homegroup which allowed locally connected users to share stuff like pictures, files, printers and so on. Then they decided that idea is silly and moved on to workgroups. Basically, once you create a new user in windows 10, you can opt to join a domain, like your work or school, or, you can be in a workgroup. I have tried googling how to leave it, but I couldn't find a solution. Until today, when I did a clean install and pressed ctrl + shift + F3 on country screen during the setup, which booted me to builtin administrator account, which, surprisingly, doesn't need to join a workgroup, and service that allows browsing devices in a workgroup, called computer browser, does not exist. Depending on your ISP, a workgroup can be a liability, and it was one that bugged me for years. If anyone knows of a better, or proper way to leave it, I'm all ears. I have attached a screenie from my Administrators account.

 

[Solaris17]

You cant. A workgroup is not the same as a home group. workgroup has been around since like windows 98. Home group is what allowed you to share random things with other machines on your network more easily. Workgroup has always existed.

EDIT:: In your case it appears that the underlying services and corresponding registry entries are damaged (this is probably WMI). This is not a good thing, and does not mean you are "ridding yourself of a workgroup" Issues like the one imaged above can cause adverse issues with your machine.

EDIT 2:: you booted into audit mode it seems in which multiple services are disabled so the system can sysprep. That is the reason.

Depending on your ISP, a workgroup can be a liability,

This is also total misinformation.

 

[Gorstak]

No, I canceled sysprep...simple click on cancel, not entering audit mode. I hate to be rude, but this is the second time I see you pulling info out of your beep.

 

[R-T-B]

Then they decided that idea is silly and moved on to workgroups.

Workgroups have long proceeded homegroups. Sheesh. Anyone remember Windows 3.11 for Workgroups?

I hate to be rude, but this is the second time I see you pulling info out of your beep.

Frankly, you've been doing that left and right, so I wouldn't go there.

 

[Gorstak]

Great, a troll is all we needed here.

 

[Solaris17]

No, I canceled sysprep...simple click on cancel, not entering audit mode. I hate to be rude, but this is the second time I see you pulling info out of your beep.

Exiting out of sysprep GUI is not

I canceled sysprep...simple click on cancel, not entering audit mode.

exiting audit mode.

Because

when I did a clean install and pressed ctrl + shift + F3

pressing CTRL+SHIFT+F3 during installation and skipping OOBE is Entering Audit mode.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...re/desktop/boot-windows-to-audit-mode-or-oobe

This is, allows you to make modifications to the OS with minimal services running and non functional features to prepare the OS for image acquisition so that it can be re-deployed to a fleet of machines. (I prefer PXE).

I literally do this like every quarter. You are not meant to run or operate windows in this mode, it is for setup only. Exiting the sys prep prompt does not exit audit mode. Audit mode is enabled until a sysprep is completed, Even if you reboot.

 

[Gorstak]

Again. Once you login to admin account, you are OFFERED to enter either oobe cleanup or AUDIT mode. You don't have to do it.

 

[Solaris17]

Again. Once you login to admin account, you are OFFERED to enter either oobe cleanup or AUDIT mode.

No. You are not understanding this technology. Audit mode is the default regardless of if you select it in the sysprep GUI or not. This allows you to reboot the machine if a software installation requires it.

You can just read the technical article I linked regarding sysprep.

However none of this matters. You cannot get rid of a workgroup, in Windows. Yours does not show up because the services required are not running while you are in Audit mode.

The options to modify workgroup in Windows are as follows.

• stay in "workgroup"
• Change the name of the "workgroup" to something else
• Join a domain instead of a workgroup

 

[R-T-B]

Great, a troll is all we needed here.

I'm not trolling (If I ever am, I admit it openly). I'm stating facts backed by a product that was actaully made refuting your foundations of your argument.

You need to study this more. No offense or trolling intended.

 

[Assimilator]

People, this OP is either a troll, a moron, or a paranoid schizo. Please stop entertaining his drivel.

I already called this out in the previous thread but my post got deleted, because apparently calling a spade a spade is considered rude nowadays.

 

[Solaris17]

because apparently calling a spade a spade is considered rude nowadays.

Yup that was me. Again, try to conform to the forum rules at least. don't let the "dainty" part fool you.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Basically, once you create a new user in windows 10, you can opt to join a domain, like your work or school, or, you can be in a workgroup.

Or do neither. Nothing says you have to join a domain or a workgroup.

You cannot get rid of a workgroup, in Windows.

You can but the process is not straightforward.

What you need to do is rename your computer and reboot. Your computer will no longer be recognized by the workgroup and will not be allowed in.

Also, see How to Delete Windows Workgroup.

 

[Solaris17]

Or do neither. Nothing says you have to join a domain or a workgroup.
You can but the process is not straightforward.

What you need to do is rename your computer and reboot. Your computer will no longer be recognized by the workgroup and will not be allowed in.

Also, see How to Delete Windows Workgroup.

Eh thats not exactly right. That ties into what I said here.

Change the name of the "workgroup" to something else

Pardon me for not being great at explaining this. If you follow that guide, you are doing what I just quoted. What is actually happening though is that "workgroup" is sometimes reffered to as both a name and a function.

You can rename your "workgroup" to say "Alice" However "Alice" is now your "workgroup" it provides the OS and protocols relying on inter workstation communication the same information they need to do their job, its simply no longer called "workgroup".

domains perform a similar function. If you were to go to your system and click advanced under system and went to rename "workgroup" you could also choose a domain. Now while internally domains do a bit more and some of the same a bit differently it doesnt matter for example what the domain is called.

it could be

contoso.com (this shows up alot in MS documentation)
or techpowerup.com

In either case the name is providing the same oppertunity for a network that "shares that name" (for lack of a better word to discribe it) to utilize features that rely on these names.

you never truly get rid of it in that sense. Workgroup in itself is just a default name baked into windows that is utilized by certain feature sets. The name can be changed but there must always be one.

Here is a SS of a server I have in a VM for testing.

A "Workgroup:" and a "Domain:" both expose certain features. However in this case "WORKGROUP" is just a name. You can change the name of course. However you must be part of one or the other and you cannot name it nothing.

 

[Bill_Bright]

As I said, it is not straight forward.

You can rename your "workgroup" to say "Alice" However "Alice" is now your "workgroup" it provides the OS and protocols relying on inter workstation communication the same information they need to do their job, its simply no longer called "workgroup".

True - kind of. Your computer is not really a part of any group - unless you consider 1 computer a "group". Your folders and files and connected printers are no longer being shared. Other computers on your network can no longer access those assets via "their" workgroup. And you can no longer access assets on their workgroup.

It is kinda (but not really) like being a single computer connected to a router. It is a network of just 1 computer. And while it is networked, there are no other computers it is networked with. It is a LAN with just one computer.

Pardon me for not being great at explaining this.

Nothing to be pardoned for. IMO Microsoft messed it all up with nonsensical names and functions that were not intuitive and never really worked properly. I suspect it was their marketing weenies trying to be clever again.

"Sharing" assets makes sense. And ever since Windows computers supported networking, sharing was possible. But you almost had to be a network engineer and Windows expert to share a folder, drive or printer over your own local network. Workgroups was supposed to make that easy but was never, IMO, properly implemented. I think that is due, in part, because the developers didn't like it because it exposed those shared folders to bad guys - forcing users to become security experts too.

Personally, I have 6 computers here. If I want to share a folder, I set up sharing on that folder and only let specific users on specific computers have access. For my clients, I insist on putting printers on the network and all users can print to the networked printer instead of any "host" computer opening up sharing. And if they have files they need to share, I set them up with a NAS. I don't want them messing with workgroups - unless they want to assume total responsibility for their own support and security!

 

[Solaris17]

unless you consider 1 computer a "group".

Yeah thats what I mean, Just that technically speaking it is part of a "group". Of course if your the only one, then none of the functionality it provides matters, and maybe thats what the OP wants. In which case It might be something for him to consider.

 

[Gorstak]

I think I've read somewhere that all that it takes for them to connect to your pc in a workgroup is the same user created on both devices.

 

[Bill_Bright]

What I am suggesting is a workgroup of 1 doesn't provide any functionality.

I think I've read somewhere that all that it takes for them to connect to your pc in a workgroup is the same user created on both devices.

No. Even the default workgroup "workgroup" has to be setup before any other computer can join it. It is not enabled by default with no password, for example. That would be a HUGE security issue if anybody could just connect another computer to the network, guess (or even know) a user name, and get access to everything.

 

[newtekie1]

Your folders and files and connected printers are no longer being shared.

This is not true at all. The workgroup you are in does not affect what you are sharing at all.

Other computers on your network can no longer access those assets via "their" workgroup. And you can no longer access assets on their workgroup.

In theory, yes. However, anything Windows 7 and newer doesn't care about Workgroups.

Lets make this clear, Workgroups makes management and finding resources easier. However, it does not deny any access to anything, there is no mechanism built into Windows Workgroups that prevent access to any resources. A computer in WorkgroupA can access all the shared resources from any computer in WorkgroupB.

And now that Windows Network Discovery exists, shared resources from computers in other workgroups show up in network. Being in a different Workgroup is not a way to deny resources to others.

I think I've read somewhere that all that it takes for them to connect to your pc in a workgroup is the same user created on both devices.

You don't even need that. I can plug my laptop into your network, even with my laptop in a completely different Workgroup, I don't even need to know what Workgroup your computer is in, and all I need is the username and password you use to log into your computer and I can access every file on your computer. I do not even have to have the same username and password that matches your on my computer.

 

[Bill_Bright]

This is not true at all. The workgroup you are in does not affect what you are sharing at all.

See, this is what I mean by it is not straight-forward. It makes it very confusing. newteckie1 is absolutely correct. If you set up "sharing" you don't even need to use a workgroups.

But you can share through workgroups. So if you remove yourself from that workgroup, it does affect those shares.

A computer in WorkgroupA can access all the shared resources from any computer in WorkgroupB.

Wait! What? No. Two different computers in two different workgroups cannot access all the shared resources.

 

[newtekie1]

See, this is what I mean by it is not straight-forward. It makes it very confusing. newteckie1 is absolutely correct. If you set up "sharing" you don't even need to use a workgroups.

But you can share through workgroups. So if you remove yourself from that workgroup, it does affect those shares.

You can share through Homegroups, not Workgroups. Of course, Homegroups is now gone. There is no actual sharing through Workgroups, all Workgroups do is allow computers to be grouped together for easy management. But there is no limit on sharing between different Workgroups.

Wait! What? No. Two different computers in two different workgroups cannot access all the shared resources.

Yes, they absolutely can. There is nothing when setting up shared resource that limits those shared resources to computers in the same Workgroup.

 

[Solaris17]

Wait! What? No. Two different computers in two different workgroups cannot access all the shared resources.

They can, but it will ask you to authenticate as a user that does have access to those resources.

 

[newtekie1]

They can, but it will ask you to authenticate as a user that does have access to those resources.

It should do that even if they are in the same Workgroup.

 

[R-T-B]

I have to say, all this confusion about workgroups is giving me serious nostalgia. I remember learning this when I was an OS/2 aficionado with IBM LAN manager.

 

[Bill_Bright]

They can, but it will ask you to authenticate as a user that does have access to those resources.

Right. That is a HUGE distinction than suggesting any user on computer A in workgroup ABC can access any share on computer X in workgroup XYZ.

It should do that even if they are in the same Workgroup.

It does. It goes by user too, not just the computer.

IF it was so easy for any user of any computer on any workgroup to access files on any computer in any other network - as has been suggested in this thread - it would be a HUGE security nightmare Microsoft would have been slammed for relentlessly for years. But that didn't happen because such easy access was never possible.

 

[newtekie1]

Right. That is a HUGE distinction than suggesting any user on computer A in workgroup ABC can access any share on computer X in workgroup XYZ.

It does. It goes by user too, not just the computer.

IF it was so easy for any user of any computer on any workgroup to access files on any computer in any other network - as has been suggested in this thread - it would be a HUGE security nightmare Microsoft would have been slammed for relentlessly for years. But that didn't happen because such easy access was never possible.

Yes, you're correct, I should have been more clear. What I meant was that any computer in WorkgroupA can access the shared resources on any computer in WorkgroupB as long as they have the proper user credentials. Windows sharing and the permissions to access shared resources is based on User credentials. The Workgroups the computers are in do not affect permission to access shared resources at all. That is the important point the OP and a few others in this thread need to understand. Removing yourself from a Workgroup or changing what Workgroup you are in will not limit anyone's ability to access the shared resources on your computer. That is not how Windows networking works.