Can't access a local Network NAS in Windows 11

Fred Mercado 30 Reputation points
2023-07-03T02:13:12.0933333+00:00

I have a new Windows 11 Pro laptop (ASUS Zenbook) and joined to my home network. I have several NAS Servers that I can access with all my other computers on the network via Username and Password login, as the NAS Servers just show up as visible. On Windows 11, when I click on the NAS that shows up in the Network -> Computer file explorer view I get "Enter network Credentials" which defaults to my computer login credentials, and then I get a "\ServerName is not accessible." popup attached pic. I can never connect to the NAS nor do I get a chance to enter the username and password to the NAS.Error

Now, I have entered the credentials for the NAS into the Credential Manager, I have set my network to Private, I have set the Workgroup to my network workgroup name, I have enabled SMB 1.0 (even though the NAS uses SMB 2&3), I have Public folder sharing ON, Private Network Discovery is ON, File and Printer Sharing is ON, I have enabled insecure guest logons, I have restarted the laptop more times than I can count. No luck on simply seeing the folders on my NAS just like I can on the other computers on my network. I have Mac's, Windows 7, and Windows 10 computers that have no problem.

How can I just click on the NAS Server I want and get the Username and Password login prompt to access my server, and not the default Microsoft credentials login that pops up?

If I choose More Choices on the Network Login screen popup, I can see the Username for the NAS, and I click on it. I enter the password, and it just goes into a loop asking for the password over and over. The NAS Credentials are obviously there, but do not work. It states: A specified logon session does not exist. It may have already been terminated.

I have spent hours scouring solutions on the Internet to no avail . Why is something so simple as networking on your home network so difficult in Windows 11?

Windows Network
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Windows 11
Windows 11
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Accepted answer
  1. Gary Nebbett 6,091 Reputation points
    2023-07-06T09:05:04.9566667+00:00

    Hello Fred,

    A new day, a new "answer" started :-)

    That last trace "why2.etl" seems not to correspond with your description. There is no data in the trace about Homenet-Qnap but there is a lot of SMB data to FRED-ASUS (i.e. the new laptop, looped back) and that is authenticated "implicitly" (since both client and server are the same device).

    The connections to HOMENETSERVER fail, but this is probably because of a mix-up in the credentials. The usernames being sent to HOMENETSERVER include "fred", "freddy" and a 10 letter word starting with "M" (possibly a password being entered in a username field). All of the connection attempts failed authentication but the "process" (exchange of messages) looked good - I think that there is a good chance that the connection would work with the correct credentials.

    So, although the final proof is still missing (successful connections to HOMENETSERVER and Homenet-Qnap), I think that using a "local" account will work.

    It should also be possible to make the Microsoft account work too.

    The first thing to try would be the tip from the Synology KB - specify the NAS usernames in the style "HOMENETSERVER\fred"; if this works then great (no need for a new trace) but, if not, could you send a new trace?

    If the above fails, the next step would be to create a REG_DWORD value named "ConnectedAccountSSO" under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0 and set its value to 2 (Always allow SSO). A reboot might be needed before this takes effect. Once again, a test and a new trace in the event of failure would be helpful.

    The current "default" value for ConnectedAccountSSO (when it is not present in the registry) appears to be 0 (Deny SSO if the resource is public. Allow if the resource is private or enterprise. Deny SSO if the resource is unspecified). You mentioned in your very first message that the local network is set to Private, but this is something that we might need to check for two reasons:

    1. If the NAS devices were deemed to be "private" then even a ConnectedAccountSSO value of 0 should not prevent SSO to the NAS devices.
    2. The failure to "discover" other computers on your network might be related to confusion about the status of the local network.

    Gary

    2 people found this answer helpful.

5 additional answers

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  1. PKSzeto 5 Reputation points
    2024-06-09T12:53:43.9633333+00:00

    Lost connection to my connected NAS drive after a Windows11 update. Sounds like this is a recurring problem that has happened to others here. I don't see an answer to this problem.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  2. Limitless Technology 44,411 Reputation points
    2023-07-03T11:06:22.9566667+00:00

    Hello there,

    If you're unable to access a local Network Attached Storage (NAS) device on your Windows 11 computer, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:

    Check network connectivity:

    Ensure that your Windows 11 computer and the NAS device are connected to the same local network.

    Confirm that other devices on the same network can access the NAS device successfully. This helps identify whether the issue is specific to your Windows 11 computer or if it's a network-related problem.

    Verify NAS device settings:

    Check the NAS device's documentation or the manufacturer's website for any specific configuration steps required for Windows 11 compatibility.

    Make sure the NAS device is powered on and connected to the network correctly.

    Verify that the NAS device's IP address is correct and hasn't changed. You can usually find this information in the NAS device's settings or through the device's management interface.

    Disable firewall and security software temporarily:

    Temporarily disable any firewall or security software on your Windows 11 computer and try accessing the NAS device again. Sometimes, these security measures can block or restrict access to network resources

    I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

    Hope this resolves your Query !!

    --If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer--


  3. Gary Nebbett 6,091 Reputation points
    2023-07-05T09:23:05.06+00:00

    Hello Fred,

    I am starting a "new" answer to make recent messages easier to find (I mistakenly commented on the "Limitless Technology" contribution last time).

    Things are starting to become a bit clearer, but more research is needed. What appears to be happening is that the routine MspLm20GetChallengeResponse is working on generating the response to the NTLM challenge received from the NAS; it calls NlpGetPrimaryCredential to get the NT One-Way Function of the password and this fails with the unhelpful error code STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL.

    If a password has been "explicitly" provided (the credential manager password counts as such an "explicitly" provided password) then MspLm20GetChallengeResponse fails with status STATUS_NO_SUCH_LOGON_SESSION; if the connection attempt was using the "implicit" credentials (the credentials used to log onto the PC) then MspLm20GetChallengeResponse tries to use the "null session" credentials (no username or password).

    The HomenetServer NAS fails the "null session" logon with status STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE; the Homenet-Qnap NAS permits the "null session" logon but then denies access to the IPC$ share.

    There are thousands of event providers and the few that we traced say nothing about why NlpGetPrimaryCredential / LsaGetCredentials failed. This is the current focus of my research.

    UPDATES:

    Have you enabled Windows Defender Credential Guard?

    Can you connect to the NAS devices with a command like net use \\HomenetServer\IPC$ /user:fred *?

    Gary


  4. Fred Mercado 30 Reputation points
    2023-07-05T18:56:14.28+00:00

    Here is the link to the trace: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Au-jv6zGZTolgiZe6h5bT8o-9t2p?e=IcoQz1

    I did also add a local account and logged into it. I was able to log into my Qnap NAS from there but not my Synology. It said wrong Username or Password, but I am sure they are correct. Interesting that Qnap NAS did let me in...


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