Problem with folder/file sharing on a small simple LAN in Windows 11 Pro

Question

LAN settings challenge

I have an on-going struggle with my local area network. I need professional guidance.

There are three computers on this network for which folder/file sharing has been a challenge. To wit:

System 1, a Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tiny running Windows 11 Pro Preview OS always kept fully up to date.

System 2, an Intel NUC8i7HVK running Windows 11 Pro Preview OS always kept fully up to date.

System 3, a Microsoft Surface Pro 7 running Windows 11 Pro OS always kept fully up to date.

System 1 and 2 are working systems, system 3 is used by both system 1 and 2 as a server for critical shared data accessed.

I have struggled to find the appropriate sharing settings that consistently allow access by systems 1 and 2 to the shared folder on system 3. I have been unable to find the necessary information on sharing at Microsoft.

I have, many times, won the access, but at a later date it is lost, usually after a Windows Update.

I would appreciate guidance please.

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Settings***

Answer 1

Hello Philip,

Thank you for reaching out with your network sharing issue. Here are some steps you can follow to configure and troubleshoot folder/file sharing on your LAN. These steps should help ensure that your shared folder on System 3 (Microsoft Surface Pro 7) remains accessible to Systems 1 and 2:

Step 1: Verify Network Discovery and File Sharing Settings

1. Enable Network Discovery and File Sharing on All Systems:
   • Open *Control Panel*.
   • Go to *Network and Sharing Center*.
   • Click on *Change advanced sharing settings*.
   • Ensure *Turn on network discovery* and *Turn on file and printer sharing* are selected under both *Private* and *Guest or Public* networks.

Step 2: Set Network Profile to Private

1. Ensure All Systems are Set to Private Network:
   • Open *Settings*.
   • Go to *Network & Internet*.
   • Select *Status*.
   • Click on *Change connection properties*.
   • Ensure the network profile is set to *Private*.

Step 3: Configure Folder Sharing on System 3

1. Share the Folder Properly:
   • Right-click the folder you want to share on System 3.
   • Select *Properties*.
   • Go to the *Sharing* tab.
   • Click *Advanced Sharing* and ensure *Share this folder* is checked.
   • Click *Permissions* and set the appropriate permissions (e.g., Full Control, Change, Read) for users.

---

Step 4: Ensure Necessary Services are Running

1. Check Required Services:
   • Press *Windows + R*, type *services.msc*, and press Enter.
   • Ensure the following services are running and set to **Automatic**:
     • *Function Discovery Provider Host*
     • *Function Discovery Resource Publication*
     • *SSDP Discovery*
     • *UPnP Device Host*

Step 5: Configure Firewall Settings

1. Allow File and Printer Sharing Through Firewall:
   • Open *Control Panel*.
   • Go to *System and Security*.
   • Click on *Windows Defender Firewall*.
   • Select *Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall*.
   • Ensure *File and Printer Sharing*is allowed on both private and public networks.

Step 6: Verify User Permissions

1. Ensure Correct User Permissions:
   • Right-click the shared folder, select *Properties*, and go to the *Security* tab.
   • Ensure the users or groups (e.g., Everyone, specific user accounts) that need access are listed with the appropriate permissions.

Step 7: Disable Password Protected Sharing (if necessary)

1. Disable Password Protected Sharing:
   • Open *Control Panel*.
   • Go to *Network and Sharing Center*.
   • Click *Change advanced sharing settings*.
   • Scroll down to *All Networks* and turn off *Password protected sharing* if you want to avoid needing credentials for access.

Step 8: Refresh Network Configuration

1. Restart Network Services:
   • Open a Command Prompt as Administrator.
   • Run the following commands: net stop fdPHost net start fdPHost net stop fdResPub net start fdResPub ipconfig /flushdns

Step 9: Additional Troubleshooting

1. Check for Recent Updates:
   • Sometimes updates can change network settings. Ensure all systems are updated and re-check the above settings after any updates.
2. Reboot All Devices:
   • Restart all three systems to ensure that changes take effect.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, please let me know, and we can explore further troubleshooting steps or escalate the issue for more specialized support.

Best regards,

Rosy

Answer 2

100 Gold Stars for Rosy. Thank you for a concise, clear and useable set of instructions.

Answer 3

Hello

I have the same problem - I have 2 new PCs with Windws 11 pro but I can't share folders between them.

I followed all the steps above and got the message Windows cannot access \ pc-spoony, the error code given is 0x80070035 The network path was not found.

What shall I do next?

Kind regards

Mandy

Answer 4

I have followed all of these steps, but get stuck at Enter Network Credentials.

Connecting 2 Windows 11 Pro laptops over private wifi network. (firewall and password protection disabled), using shared folder permission to everyone...

ERROR MESSAGES:

From New Laptop to Old Laptop: Clicking on Network < Laptop-1 returns:
\Laptop-1 is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.
The network address is invalid.

From Old Laptop to New Laptop: Windows Security Enter network credentials to connect to Laptop-2 User name ___ Password ___ returns:
"You can't access this shared folder because your organization's security policies block unauthenticated gues access. These policies help protect you PC from unsafe or malicious devices on the network"

(EDIT: I just learned that for Windows Hello PIN enabled PCs, which are logged into Microsoft Account, the password is the Microsoft Account password. I will need to re-figure this out once I switch to a local user account)