Network Sharing and Passwords

Question

I am having a nightmare of a time trying to access shared folders on my two PC's, a Desktop and a NUC acting as a server.
Windows keeps asking for Passwords, but I did a new install and I haven't even chosen a password
I didn't do it as a local machine, I did it online using my Microsoft account.

If I use the password from my Microsoft account, it say no

If I use the PIN it says no

If I change my Microsoft password to make sure it is correct, it says no

The share folders are accessible to Everyone

If I try logging in to the Desktop from the NUC using the user Everyone, the I can see the shared folder
If I try logging in to the NUC from the Desktop using the user Everyone, I get a pop up asking for a Password - which doesn't exist!
In Advanced Sharing Tab - If I turn on Password required it pops up, If I turn it off, I can't even access the NUC at all

The NUC is running Windows 11 Pro, the Desktop is running the Home Edition
My Microsoft account shows both PC's registered, so I know that it is working
And then I have the Microsoft Authenticator App - which tells me I have a passwordless account - even after I have updated the password many times!!!

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Files, folders, and storage***

Answer 1

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. According to your description, you are encountering the problem of being unable to access local shared folders using a Microsoft account.

First, please confirm that the computer on which you have enabled file sharing already has a user account bound to your Microsoft account.

Then right-click the shared folder, enter the Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing, and add your Microsoft account to the permissions list.

Finally, on the computer that needs to access this shared folder, use the taskbar to search for Credential Manager, open it, click Windows Credentials, find the credentials corresponding to the shared folder and delete it, then try to access the folder again.

Note that since using a Microsoft account is based on the network, accessing local shared folders often leads to various verification failures due to information refresh. If you frequently use this function, it is recommended to use a local account for access.

Best regards

Zunhui