Windows networking should work fine without the Dashboard. Seagate' troubleshooting guide for the dashboard even suggests running without it if you are having problems. I haven't used the dashboard for around 10 months.
If the GFH isn't showing up in network;
- make sure you have set the same Workgroup as other computers in Seagateshare preferences> Server Preferences> Network Sharing.
- Check in Seagateshare preferences> Server Preference> LAN connection that the gateway is set to your router., you can also set a static IP addresss here. Access seagateshare by typing //goflex_home in a browser address bar
- Turn on Network discovery in Windows
It is best to set a static IP for your GFH either in your router or (and) in Seagate share preferences
You should be able to connect even if it doesn't show under network by typing \\goflex_home\ or \\yourgfhIPaddress\\ for example \\192.168.0.15\ in the explorer bar
In Win 7 , "remember my credentials" doesn't seem to work so you need to set in credential manager otherwise it will ask you for a password.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the sake of your own health and sanity, if your data is important to you, keep a second copy on another storage (a backup)
