HomeGroups in Windows are great for sharing files between computers on a local network. At some point, though, you might find it necessary to disconnect from a HomeGroup. Here’s how to do it.
HomeGroups make sharing files and printers between PCs on the same local network really simple. But you might find yourself needing to disconnect from a HomeGroup for whatever reason. Maybe you don’t need to share files anymore, or maybe you’re just setting things up from scratch again. Leaving a HomeGroup is pretty straightforward. Before you get started, though, you should make sure you no longer need access to any files or printers shared by other PCs on the network and that other PCs don’t need access to anything your PC is sharing.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Using HomeGroups in Windows
When you’re ready to disconnect, click Start, type “homegroup,” and then click the “HomeGroup” control panel app.
In the main “HomeGroup” window, click “Leave the homegroup.”
RELATED: How to Change What You Have Shared with a HomeGroup in Windows
On the “Leave the Homegroup” window, confirm that you want to leave by clicking “Leave the homegroup.” You can also choose to not leave the HomeGroup and not make any changes at all (effectively the same as clicking “Cancel”) or not leave the HomeGroup but change what you’re sharing with it. For help with the latter option, be sure to read our instructions for changing what you have shared with a HomeGroup.
When the wizard finishes removing you from the HomeGroup, click the “Finish” button.
And your PC is now no longer part of the HomeGroup. We told you it was pretty straightforward.
RELATED: How to Remove an Old Computer from a Windows Homegroup
By the way, if your HomeGroup has been around a while, you may see old PCs haunting your HomeGroup that are no longer on your network, but were never formally removed. The process is a bit different, but if you want to get rid of those, it’s also pretty simple to remove old computers from a HomeGroup.
