Windows 11 - Enter network credentials error for NAS

Question

Windows 11 - Enter network credentials error for NAS

lester just 16

I am trying to connect a new Windows 11 computer to my home NAS drive. (I have 2 other windows 10 machines connected with no problems.) If I sign into my Microsoft account the Win 11 machine connects perfectly to the NAS. If I try to sign in using a local account - which is my intended use for the machine - I get the error: "Enter Network Credentials". It asks for a user name and password. There is no user name and password for the NAS and nothing seems to work. I spent 2 hours with MSFT tech support, ultimately we could not connect, and they suggested I try to ask here. I've tried numerous "Advanced Sharing Settings", Adjusting the Credentials Manager, adjusting Network settings, etc.

The only thing I have not been able to access are the NTLM values (no access to them using gpedit.msc or secpol.msc). Plus the instructions are for Win 10 and I am running Win 11. More info here.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/security-policy-settings/network-security-lan-manager-authentication-level

The bottom line is that I cannot access my NAS using a local account. It only works when I am signed in to a Microsoft Account. How can access the NAS when i am not signed in? I am now in over my head, tech-wise, so patience and help are greatly appreciated.

Bryan Hirsch 15 Reputation points

2023-02-28T22:20:47.86+00:00

Hello,

I had the same issue. I ended up using Credential manager and in the control panel and added a new Windows Credential. Host is your NAS device then the username is NASHost<username> then enter your password. This worked for me.
Quiznarf 0 Reputation points

2024-03-31T18:00:54.37+00:00

This worked! Thanks! FINALLY!
Dan Martin Cruz Noble 5 Reputation points

2024-08-31T07:05:52.1933333+00:00

@Bryan Hirsch Thanks for the information. To clarify, what password goes with the NASHost<username>?

Thank you.
Noah King 0 Reputation points

2025-03-06T07:49:08.7333333+00:00

Thank you so much! Still helpful in 2025 :)

6 answers

Your answer

Bryan Hirsch 15 Reputation points

2023-02-28T22:20:47.86+00:00

Hello,

I had the same issue. I ended up using Credential manager and in the control panel and added a new Windows Credential. Host is your NAS device then the username is NASHost<username> then enter your password. This worked for me.
Quiznarf 0 Reputation points

2024-03-31T18:00:54.37+00:00

This worked! Thanks! FINALLY!
Dan Martin Cruz Noble 5 Reputation points

2024-08-31T07:05:52.1933333+00:00

@Bryan Hirsch Thanks for the information. To clarify, what password goes with the NASHost<username>?

Thank you.
Noah King 0 Reputation points

2025-03-06T07:49:08.7333333+00:00

Thank you so much! Still helpful in 2025 :)

Answer 1

Hi - I've had a similar problem and I'm sort of still having it. I have a WD MyCloud at local business - everyone can connect to it via Windows 10Pro w/o a problem. Once we introduced a Windows 11 pro laptop - THAT laptop could SEE the device but it couldn't connect to it. Windows 11 pro was asking for credentials as email / password as if it were connecting to laptop itself and it wouldn't connect. One added element was when the laptop was originally installed/configured we seeded it to the Azure/AD domain with an active email of that user. What I eventually did was reconfigure the computer without connecting to the Azure/AD domain - which meant we bypassed all online account options and went to setup ONLY a local account and THIS worked as far as access to the NAS. It's not an answer but a work around. Still trying to solve main problem. I don't know if this is possible for you BUT if you reinstall without connecting to your MS account I'll bet the local user will be able to access it fine. But that may be defeating the purpose for you. Not an solution just a work around.

Answer 2

Imonlythelittleguysowhyhelpme 5

I have the same problem. Any update on this?
When I try to map my NAS it asks for email / password. I've tried all my microsoft accounts and none work.
Not that it should need one, the NAS has a separate user name / password which works fine on my Win10 machine.
So frustrating!

Answer 3

S.Sengupta 24,636 MVP

While MS have turned off SMB1 by default you are still able to turn it back on in Windows Features. You only need the SMB 1.0/CIFS Client to be able to access legacy servers like your NAS.

KoprowskiT 236 Reputation points

2022-03-24T20:53:10.387+00:00

Wait a moment. You never, never ever should suggest to turned on SMB 1.0. Microsoft (and not only) disabled this way of communication for a reason.

SMB 1.0 and SMD 2.0 should be automatically, via policy and management forced as disabled on devices. SMB 3.0 is a minimum standard, but the strong recommendation is to use even harder security and the highest version. The most important part is to support higher encryption by default, using AES-128 bit & AES-256 bit encryption in both standards GCM & CCM, however, CCM is used by default.

Please do not share answers which could navigate users for decreasing their security in favour of functionality. And NAS servers are not so legacy, as the newest versions support many solutions (including cloud storage replication and more).

You can find more details about it here

Answer 4

lester just 16

Hello and thank you for the suggestion. I checked the box for: SMB1.0/CIFS File sharing support, SMB 1.0/CIFS Automatic Removal, SMB1.0/CIFS Client and SMB 1.0/CIFS Server. Unfortunately, I still cannot access the NAS using a local account. I can only access it when I am signed into my MS account. There is something blocking access when I use a local account.

KoprowskiT 236 Reputation points

2022-03-24T20:57:46.42+00:00
Everything that you can find as open with SMB 1.0, should be disabled. You never should have opened this kind of connection nowadays. Did you check manufacturer documentation for your NAS? You have to check if NAS support SMB 3.0 first. If not... then you have three options:

migrate your NAS to the newest system (often hardware)

migrate your content to cloud share (like Azure Files, then connect via SMB 3.0/3.x protocol

enabling SMB 1.0 is not recommended, but if you are working only offline on the local office, that could be a solution too

You have to check what credentials are necessary to access NAS, maybe only MS account credentials are granted.
KoprowskiT 236 Reputation points

2022-03-24T20:58:43.477+00:00

And you can check this place
KoprowskiT 236 Reputation points

2022-03-24T21:08:18.197+00:00

When you look for the document above, at the end you will find cmd settings:

First command check your configuration and tell you that configuration is correct
C:\Windows\system32>sc.exe config lanmanworkstation depend= bowser/mrxsmb20/nsi
[SC] ChangeServiceConfig CORRECTO

Second command disabling autostart for SMB 1.0 / in my example there is error which is expected as SMB 1.0 is completely uninstalled from the system
C:\Windows\system32>sc.exe config mrxsmb10 start= disabled
[SC] OpenService ERROR 1060:

El servicio especificado no existe como servicio instalado.

Third command confirm that SMB 2.0/3.0 is enabled as autostart by default
C:\Windows\system32>sc.exe config mrxsmb20 start= auto
[SC] ChangeServiceConfig CORRECTO

C:\Windows\system32>

Hope it will help.

Answer 5

David Birk 0

I'm in the same boat. I have a DIY NAS (two USB drives connected to my router) and I have had no trouble mapping these drives to my Windows 10 laptop. Now my Windows 11 box gives me the same error as Mr. Just. I've fooled with SMB, the Credentials Manager (using router name, router IP address, and user name (admin) to no avail. This should be easy.

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Windows 11 - Enter network credentials error for NAS

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