I have a new Dell Inspiron laptop with Windows 11 home. I am connected to the internet but my network folder is empty. I cannot access shared devices or files

Question

I have a new Dell Inspiron laptop with Windows 11 home. I am connected to the internet but my network folder is empty. I cannot access shared devices or files

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Internet and connectivity***

Answer 1

Hi Friends,

Thank you for reaching out to the forum support team.

It sounds like you're having trouble accessing shared devices or files on your new Dell Inspiron laptop with Windows 11 Home, even though you're connected to the internet. Let's go through some steps to troubleshoot and resolve this issue:

1. Ensure Network Discovery is Enabled:

• Open the "Settings" app.
• Go to "Network & Internet" > "Advanced network settings."
• Click on "Advanced sharing settings."
• Make sure "Network discovery" and "File and printer sharing" are turned on.

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2. Check the Network Profile:

• Go to "Settings" > "Network & Internet" > "Status."
• Click on "Properties" under your network connection.
• Ensure that the network profile is set to "Private" (not "Public").

3. Verify Sharing Settings:

• Open the "Control Panel."
• Go to "Network and Sharing Center" > "Change advanced sharing settings."
• Ensure that network discovery and file and printer sharing are turned on for the private network profile.

4. Check the Computer Browser Service:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Find the "Function Discovery Resource Publication" service and make sure it is running. If it is not, right-click on it and select "Start."

5. Ensure SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support is Enabled:

• Open the "Control Panel."
• Go to "Programs" > "Turn Windows features on or off."
• Check the box for "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" and click "OK."

6. Restart the Network:

• Sometimes simply restarting your network can help.
• Disconnect from your network, restart your router and computer, and then reconnect.

7. Update Network Drivers:

• Go to the Dell website and download the latest network drivers for your specific laptop model.
• Install the drivers and restart your computer.

8. Firewall Settings:

• Ensure that your firewall is not blocking network discovery or file sharing.
• You can temporarily disable the firewall to see if it resolves the issue. If it does, you'll need to configure your firewall settings to allow these features.

9. Check Shared Folders on Other Devices:

• Make sure the devices you are trying to access have shared folders configured correctly and that sharing permissions are set appropriately.

If you have tried all these steps and are still experiencing issues, please provide any error messages or additional details about the problem, and we can further assist you.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best regards,

Rosy