Problem to access a win 10 pc from a win 11 pc on my network

sorry i forgot to add screenshot

PFA

Hi everyone,

I’m facing a frustrating issue after the recent Windows 11 update, and I’m hoping someone here can help me figure it out. Before the update, I had no trouble accessing my Windows 10 PCs from Windows 11. However, after the update, I can no longer access any Windows 10 PCs from my Windows 11 machine.

Here’s what’s happening:

• Ping Response: I can ping the Windows 10 PCs by IP address or computer name, and I get a response, so the network connection seems fine.
• Access Error: But whenever I try to actually access the Windows 10 PCs (whether through file sharing or another method), I get an error. I’ve already checked the folder permissions, and they’re not the issue, as everything works perfectly when accessing other Windows 10 machines.
• Accessing Windows 11 from Windows 11: When accessing Windows 11 PCs from another Windows 11 device, I’m prompted for credentials. This is a new behavior I didn’t experience before the update.
• Other Directions: I can still access Windows 11 machines from Windows 10 without issues, so the problem seems to be specifically Windows 11 to Windows 10.

I’ve tried all the settings, permissions, and policies I could find online—including resources from Microsoft community forums and YouTube tutorials. I’ve done extensive research and R&D, but I still haven’t found a solution. Despite these efforts, the issue remains unresolved.

At this point, as a temporary measure, I’m planning to format my PC and install Windows 10 again until I can find a more permanent solution to this problem.

I’ve already contacted Microsoft support, but they informed me that they don’t provide assistance for network-related issues, which has been really frustrating.

I noticed similar issues were reported months ago, such as problems with printer sharing between Windows 11 and Windows 10. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this or knows of a solution?

I’d appreciate any insights or suggestions on how to resolve this issue. Thanks!

Hello,

If your system is windows 11 24H2 version I suspect the problem may be caused by SMB signature. I recommend that you open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following command to disable SMB signing and restart your computer to see if you can fix the problem:

Set-SmbClientConfiguration -RequireSecuritySignature $false

Accessing a third-party NAS with SMB in Windows 11 24H2 may fail | Microsoft Community Hub

If you do not want to access the shared file by logging in with a user and password. I recommend that you use Registry Editor to enable Insecure guest login, see the following steps:

1. Open Registry Editor. Go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation.

Note: If the key does not exist, you need to create it. Hold down the "Windows" key (right-click), select "New" > "Key" and name the switch "LanmanWorkstation".

2. Hold down the "LanmanWorkstation" key (right-click), select "New" > "DWORD (32-bit) Value" and name it "AllowInsecureGuestAuth". Double-click, set "Value Data" to "1", and press Enter.

Note If you modify the registry incorrectly, you can cause serious problems. So, follow these steps carefully. For additional protection, back up the registry before modifying it. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, see Backing up and restoring the registry in Windows.

Best Regards

Zunhui

I have tried both methods you suggested—

disabling SMB signature using PowerShell with the command

Set-SmbClientConfiguration -RequireSecuritySignature $false

and

enabling Insecure guest login via the Registry Editor (as well as using gpedit.msc for the same). Unfortunately, despite these changes, I am still unable to access my Windows 10 PC from Windows 11.

Has anyone encountered a similar issue or found other solutions? I would appreciate any further guidance. Thank you!

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. I suggest you refer to the following steps to activate SMB 1.0 on your computer to see if it can fix the problem.

In Control Panel, select Programs and Features.

In Control Panel, under Home, select Turn Windows features on or off to open the Windows Features box.

In the Windows Features box, scroll down the list, clear the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Share Support check box, and then select OK.

After Windows applies the changes, select Restart now on the confirmation page.

If the problem still cannot be resolved. Make sure that the services below are started (running) and that their startup type is set to automatic on each computer you want to share with. (see screenshot below)

• DNS Client
• Function discovery provider host
• Publishing Feature Discovery Resources
• Server
• SSDP Detection
• UPnP Device Host

Best regards

Zunhui