Windows 11 Home 25H2 File Sharing after this update

Question

Up until this update (25H2) I've always been able to share/map drives in a private network setting. After this update, its been a nightmare. Yes, before you ask, I am aware that SMB protocols were changed with this update... Here are the workarounds I used to temporarily fix this problem and a more permanent fix.

1. In the past, to connect to a network share, I always had to use the password that I currently used to install Windows 11 on that machine when it was built and I always used my outlook.com global account to do this. Meaning, that password had to be recorded and used even if I changed my master password on the Microsoft/Outlook account.
2. To unify my 3 Windows 11 machines, I created a local account on each and used that to access network shares. I consider that a workaround and NOT a solution.
3. When I installed Windows 11 to these machines recently, I saw a different way to login to my Microsoft Account using my phone rather than the master password (maybe 2FA?) and I used that option. THAT is where I think my problem was... I should have used my master password to sign in the first time.
4. So then I signed in to each machine using my password and NOT the pin. Removed the local accounts from each machine and reset sharing & security to match these changes. All the shares seem to be functioning as they should.

My question is my methodology here sound for the update? Did I miss something key here? I guess my thought was the global MS account was supposed to take care of this, even as I updated passwords frequently.

Answer 1

Please see my answer dated Dec 2, 2025 in this question.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5639768/file-sharing-win-11-not-working

I never change the password to my Microsoft account. If you do, then I would suspect that your issue is that the local account, the first 5 letters as I called it, still has the old password. This is a variant on my comment about the user who had only ever logged in with his pin, and never used his password to log in.

Log in to each machine and run whoami.exe to see the local account that serves as a placeholder for your MS account. You can also run "whoami /all" and you can see "MicrosoftAccount\YourEmailAddress" listed.

Then use runas.exe to see if you can launch a command prompt with your MS account's password.

Do you typically log in with a pin or a password?

The next time that you change your MS account password, use runas.exe to see if the placeholder account knows what the new password is.

I don't have a way to test this. I don't want to change my password.

Answer 2

Your methodology for addressing the file sharing issues after the Windows 11 25H2 update appears sound. The changes in SMB protocols and authentication methods can indeed affect how file sharing works, especially in a networked environment with multiple devices. Here are some key points regarding your approach:

1. Using a Microsoft Account: It's common for users to experience issues with network shares when using a Microsoft account, especially if there are changes to the authentication method (like switching to 2FA). Ensuring that you are using the correct password associated with your Microsoft account is crucial for access.
2. Local Accounts as a Workaround: Creating local accounts to unify access across machines is a valid workaround. While it may not be the preferred solution, it can simplify access issues, especially if there are inconsistencies with Microsoft account logins.
3. Resetting Sharing and Security Settings: After making changes to accounts, resetting the sharing and security settings is a good practice. This ensures that the permissions are correctly applied based on the new account settings.
4. Sign-in Method: Using the master password instead of a PIN for initial sign-in is generally recommended for ensuring consistent access to network resources. The PIN is often device-specific and may not work across different machines.

Overall, it seems you have effectively navigated the changes introduced in the update. If you continue to experience issues, you may want to review the SMB settings and ensure that the necessary protocols are enabled and configured correctly.

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References:

• SMB security hardening
• Control SMB signing behavior