keep getting a "security policies block unauthenticated guest access" trying to network to one of my PCs win11 Pro

Question

I have three win 11 pro PCs. One of then cannot be network connected. I get the "organization's security policies block unauthenticated guest access". This PC is in no way connected to a business site that I know of. I tried some of the suggestion online with no good results. How do I get rid of this?

Answer 1

Hi David Hermens,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Windows 11 Pro includes built‑in security protections designed for business environments. When one PC connects to a network that Windows classifies as a business or managed network (for example, a site network, VPN, or domain‑style setup), Windows automatically disables guest (no‑password) access for file and printer sharing.

To move forward effectively, please let me know:

• Whether the failing connection is file sharing (SMB), printer sharing, or network discovery
• Whether the other two PCs are Windows 11 Home or Pro
• Whether this PC was ever used with a work or school account

Please check if the device is managed, you can verify by going to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. If a work/school account appears, removing it is the supported resolution path.

In the meantime, you can consider these possible options:

1, Use authenticated sharing

• On the PC that hosts the shared files, go to Settings > Accounts
• Confirm there is a local user account with a password
• Share the folder and grant access to that user.
• From the other PCs, connect using PCNAME\username and the account password

2, Turn off password‑protected sharing (home networks only)

• Open Control Panel
• Go to Network and Sharing Center
• Select Change advanced sharing settings
• Under All Networks, turn Password protected sharing > Off
• Restart the PC

3, Confirm the network is marked as Private

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet
• Select the active network
• Set Network profile type to Private

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

---

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

These steps do not word.

Answer 3

To resolve the issue of "security policies block unauthenticated guest access" on your Windows 11 Pro PC, you can enable insecure guest logons. Here are two methods to do this:

Method 1: Using Registry Editor

1. Open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation.
   • If the LanmanWorkstation key does not exist, create it by right-clicking on Windows, selecting New > Key, and naming it LanmanWorkstation.
3. Right-click on LanmanWorkstation, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it AllowInsecureGuestAuth.
4. Double-click it, set the Value data to 1, and press Enter.

Method 2: Using Local Group Policy Editor

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative templates > Network > Lanman Workstation.
3. Double-click Enable insecure guest logons.
4. Select Enabled, then press Enter.

After making these changes, restart your PC and check if you can connect to the network successfully.