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My Windows 11 23H2 machine is behind a NAT router in a WORKGROUP type network. Previously, I could browse shared folders on it from other machines on my network using UNCs like "\dev9\Downloads".
Recently, this feature has stopped working. In Windows File Explorer on the other machine I can actually see my Windows 11 machine (DEV9) but when I double-click to drill to the shared folders from another machine on the network I see the following error message:
Both machines have 'SMB Direct' enabled and 'SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support' disabled. The 'Diagnose' button concludes there is no problem.
If I enable 'SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support' on both machines then accessing shared folders on DEV9 works, but my understanding is that this option is insecure and that 'SMB Direct' should be used (and previously was successfully working).
If I set up a shared folder on another networked Windows machine that only has 'SMB Direct' enabled (not 'SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support') then that works - i.e. I can access it from DEV9.
Both machines are always logged in with the same user name and password (and no authentication UI is presented).
I have tried unchecking, rebooting and rechecking the 'SMB Direct' option on DEV9 but to no success and have run out of ideas. I cannot pinpoint the exact time at which the functionality stopped working, but definitely in the last few weeks. So possibly a Windows Update issue, though Googling has not been helpful in this case.
So, if anyone has a solution or some suggestions I'd be very grateful indeed. Thanks!
Pete
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Hello,
Disable SMB Direct and SMB1.0 on both computers to see if you can access the share successfully.
If not, use the command in the link below to see which version of SMB is enabled on the two computers. Then set the SMB version to the same on both computers to see if the problem can be successfully resolved.
Hello,
Disable SMB Direct and SMB1.0 on both computers to see if you can access the share successfully.
If not, use the command in the link below to see which version of SMB is enabled on the two computers. Then set the SMB version to the same on both computers to see if the problem can be successfully resolved.
Hi Wesley Li,
Many thanks for your suggestion and I'm sorry I have taken a while to respond - dead phone and internet this week!
I tried your suggestions of removing SMB Direct and SMB1.0 but browsing shared folders still fails.
My understanding is that, on Windows 11, SMB Direct is enabled by default and SMB1.0 is disabled (due to security concerns).
I reinstalled SMB Direct on both computers but left SMB1.0 uninstalled on both. I believe shared folders should work but what I get suggests there is an issue on one machine only:
I know I can restore the shared folder functionality by enabling SMB1.0 but don't want to do this for security reasons (and SMB Direct should work!).
Finally, with SMB Direct enabled, I get the following Powershell results:
PS C:\Users\Peter Boulton> Get-SmbServerConfiguration | Select EnableSMB1Protocol
EnableSMB1Protocol
------------------
False
PS C:\Users\Peter Boulton> Get-SmbServerConfiguration | Select EnableSMB2Protocol
EnableSMB2Protocol
------------------
False
PS C:\Users\Peter Boulton> Get-SmbServerConfiguration | Select EnableSMB3Protocol
EnableSMB3Protocol
------------------
PS C:\Users\Peter Boulton> Get-SmbServerConfiguration | Select *
AnnounceComment :
AnnounceServer : False
AsynchronousCredits : 64
AuditClientCertificateAccess : False
AuditSmb1Access : False
AutoDisconnectTimeout : 15
AutoShareServer : True
AutoShareWorkstation : True
CachedOpenLimit : 10
DisableCompression : False
DisableSmbEncryptionOnSecureConnection : True
DurableHandleV2TimeoutInSeconds : 180
EnableAuthenticateUserSharing : False
EnableDirectoryHandleLeasing : True
EnableDownlevelTimewarp : False
EnableForcedLogoff : True
EnableLeasing : True
EnableMultiChannel : True
EnableOplocks : True
EnableSecuritySignature : False
EnableSMB1Protocol : False
EnableSMB2Protocol : False
EnableSMBQUIC : True
EnableStrictNameChecking : True
EncryptData : False
EncryptionCiphers : AES_128_GCM, AES_128_CCM, AES_256_GCM, AES_256_CCM
InvalidAuthenticationDelayTimeInMs : 0
IrpStackSize : 15
KeepAliveTime : 2
MaxChannelPerSession : 32
MaxMpxCount : 50
MaxSessionPerConnection : 16384
MaxThreadsPerQueue : 20
MaxWorkItems : 1
NullSessionPipes :
NullSessionShares :
OplockBreakWait : 35
PendingClientTimeoutInSeconds : 120
RejectUnencryptedAccess : True
RequestCompression : False
RequireSecuritySignature : False
RestrictNamedpipeAccessViaQuic : True
ServerHidden : True
Smb2CreditsMax : 2048
Smb2CreditsMin : 128
SmbServerNameHardeningLevel : 0
TreatHostAsStableStorage : False
ValidateAliasNotCircular : True
ValidateShareScope : True
ValidateShareScopeNotAliased : True
ValidateTargetName : True
PSComputerName :
CimClass : ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Smb:MSFT_SmbServerConfiguration
CimInstanceProperties : {AnnounceComment, AnnounceServer, AsynchronousCredits,
AuditClientCertificateAccess...}
CimSystemProperties : Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimSystemProperties
So, I am still in search of a solution! There is clearly an issue with DEV9 if shared folders works in one direction but not the other.
Many thanks!
Pete
OP here. I have found my own solution (based on the Powershell SMB informational commands referenced in Wesley Li's original answer.
I noticed that EnableSMB2Protocol was reported as 'False' on DEV9 and 'True' on the VM. I therefore executed the following Powershell command on DEV9 (at Administrator level):
Set-SmbServerConfiguration -EnableSMB2Protocol $true
This command enables SMB2 and now shared folders work perfectly on both machines!