Lost connection to local area network drives. How do I reconnect these (three) drives?

After much probing and many false starts I finally found a solution to the problem. The*.PNG file shows the error message that finally got me on the right track. I have a *.pdf file that gives the actual solution as provided by "WindowsClub". Unfortunately, I don't know how to attach the file to this reply. You can get to the webpage by searching for "you can't access this shared folder because your organizations security policies bought unauthenticated yes to access." Case closed.

Hello,

Thanks for your update, this may help others with similar issues.

Best regards,

molly

Thank you for your assistance. I have tried to follow every step in your outline.

1. This was already done so there was no change with this step.
2. Two of the three drives are mapped but not accessible the third drive produced an error message: "cannot access MyCloud-HLL-6K6...)
3. SMB 1.0 was turned on. The system was restarted. No change in the accessibility of the disk drives.
4. Reset network - no effect on the accessibility.
5. I checked all of the device drivers and all of them were up to date.
6. Turning off the firewall (Windows Defender) had no effect. I turned the firewall back on.
7. Not tried.
8. System log provided a minor clue but nothing I found useful.

I have opened a ticket with Western Digital which I am now pursuing. Even though I was not able to resolve the problem with your input I did find it helpful. Thank you. I will post again once the problem has been resolved. Sorry for the delay in responding. I have not been sitting idle. This is turned into a very large can of worms.

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out. It sounds like the Windows 11 update has disrupted your local network drive connections. Here are some steps you can take to restore the connections to your network drives:

1. Check Network Discovery & File Sharing

Ensure that Network Discovery and File Sharing are enabled, as this is essential for connecting to network drives.

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center.

Click on Change advanced sharing settings.

Make sure Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing are selected.

Save changes.

2. Re-map the Network Drives

Sometimes, Windows might have lost track of the drive mappings. Try to manually remap them:

Open File Explorer.

Right-click This PC and select Map network drive.

Choose a drive letter and enter the network path (e.g., \hostname\share).

Make sure Reconnect at sign-in is checked, and provide any necessary credentials.

3. Check SMB Protocol Version

With the Windows 11 update, SMBv1 might be disabled (since it's considered outdated). If you're using older network equipment that requires SMBv1, you'll need to re-enable it:

Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.

Scroll down and ensure SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support is checked.

Restart your system.

4. Reset Network Settings

If the above steps don’t work, resetting your network settings can help restore connections:

Open Settings > Network & Internet > Status.

Scroll down and click on Network reset.

Follow the prompts to reset network settings (this will remove and reinstall network adapters).

5. Check for Driver Issues

Windows updates sometimes cause driver conflicts. Check if your network adapter drivers are up to date:

Open Device Manager.

Expand Network adapters, right-click your adapter, and select Update driver.

If updates are available, install them.

6. Check Firewall and Antivirus Settings

Ensure that your firewall or antivirus software isn't blocking the network drive connections. Temporarily disable them and see if you can reconnect.

7. Map Drives via Command Line

If you’re comfortable with command-line tools, you can use the net use command to map your network drives:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

Use the following command to map a drive:

net use Z: \hostname\share /user:username password

Replace Z: with the desired drive letter, hostname\share with your network path, and username and password with your credentials.

8. Event Viewer Logs

If the issue persists, you can check the Event Viewer for any related errors:

Open Event Viewer (search for it in the Start menu).

Look under Windows Logs > System or Application for any network-related errors.

After trying these steps, let me know if you’re still having trouble, and we can look into more specific fixes!