Windows 11 Network Sharing Issues

Question

Windows 11 Network Sharing Issues

John Ziraldo 55

I am looking for solutions to Windows 11 Network Sharing Issues between my Win 11 laptop and my Win 10 PCs.

Alan Whitten 0 Reputation points

2026-03-07T23:48:28.97+00:00

On one laptop we created a shared folder using procedures described above. On a 2nd laptop we are able to access that shared folder, again using above procedures. On a 3rd laptop (all 3 run Win11, host and 3rd laptop are identical make and model) the shared folder is not accessible. On that 3rd laptop using File Manager the host laptop is visible under Network but cannot be accessed.

Answer accepted by question author

Ivan B 122.5K Independent Advisor

Hi ,

On both computers, you can enable these options.

If you're using the same Microsoft account to try to access the folder, you'll need to add security to the folder you're sharing.

Go to the start menu > settings > network and internet > ethernet or wifi network > select Private mode.

Then go back to the previous menu and select advanced network settings > advanced sharing settings.

Mark Network discovery File and printer sharing.

In the Tab all networks Check Share public folders.

Uncheck Password protected sharing.

All that has already been done.

Are you using the same Microsoft account on your desktop and laptop.

Test

Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters.

If the AllowInsecureGuestAuth entry does not exist, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it AllowInsecureGuestAuth.

Set the value of AllowInsecureGuestAuth to 1.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

If it fails, type "Enable or disable Windows features" in the search bar > Search for SMB 1.0 in the list and select "OK." Restart the PC and test.

Credits.: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2189515/windows-11-24h2-and-insecure-guest-logins-settings

Give feedback if the information was useful or not.

Thanks

John Ziraldo 55 Reputation points

2025-11-18T13:36:58.22+00:00

The Regedit parameter did the trick. My Windows 11 Laptop can now access all my Windows 10 PCs. Thank you for your skill and response.
Сергій Коваленко 0 Reputation points

2025-11-22T15:20:23.0133333+00:00

Після апгрейду до Віндовс 11 мав проблему з доступом до файлів на інших ПК. Цей метод все вирішив. Дякую
evg aa 0 Reputation points

2025-11-24T11:18:55.07+00:00

You're all just like Apple, because Windows 10 doesn't have this problem, and everything works fine when connected to a domain, and Windows connects to Samba, and everything works fine. The public or private network access checkboxes affect access. It's likely that in Windows 11, when connecting to a domain network, access to other networks is permanently disabled. I don't care, but it's just a rotten topic when everything seems to work in Windows 10, and then here comes the stupid nonsense.
Gaz 0 Reputation points

2026-01-28T02:10:14.6333333+00:00

Why should you have to go through all this when Microsoft can just undo what they did to create the issue with failed previous network shares in an Update to fix the issue. And the problem is solved....
Uğur Özkan 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T05:52:01.3366667+00:00

Yaklaşık 1.5 aydır bu sorunu yaşıyordum. Windows 11 güncellemesinden sonra bir türlü ortak ağ klasörüne erişemiyordum. Bundan dolayı şirkette çalıştığım kısımda çok zorlandım. Yapay zekadan yardım aldım her şeyi denedim fakat olmamıştı. Son çare olarak bilgisayarımı Windows 10 a tekrar geçiş yaptıracaktım ama bu cevap çok işime yaradı. Gerçekten çok teşekkür ederim. İyi günler diliyorum.
Glen Fullmer 0 Reputation points

2026-04-04T16:34:55.86+00:00

It worked, unlike a number of solutions to this problem that didn't. Thanks again!
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

3 additional answers

Your answer

Alan Whitten 0 Reputation points

2026-03-07T23:48:28.97+00:00

On one laptop we created a shared folder using procedures described above. On a 2nd laptop we are able to access that shared folder, again using above procedures. On a 3rd laptop (all 3 run Win11, host and 3rd laptop are identical make and model) the shared folder is not accessible. On that 3rd laptop using File Manager the host laptop is visible under Network but cannot be accessed.
John Ziraldo 55 Reputation points

2025-11-18T13:36:58.22+00:00

The Regedit parameter did the trick. My Windows 11 Laptop can now access all my Windows 10 PCs. Thank you for your skill and response.
Сергій Коваленко 0 Reputation points

2025-11-22T15:20:23.0133333+00:00

Після апгрейду до Віндовс 11 мав проблему з доступом до файлів на інших ПК. Цей метод все вирішив. Дякую
evg aa 0 Reputation points

2025-11-24T11:18:55.07+00:00

You're all just like Apple, because Windows 10 doesn't have this problem, and everything works fine when connected to a domain, and Windows connects to Samba, and everything works fine. The public or private network access checkboxes affect access. It's likely that in Windows 11, when connecting to a domain network, access to other networks is permanently disabled. I don't care, but it's just a rotten topic when everything seems to work in Windows 10, and then here comes the stupid nonsense.
Gaz 0 Reputation points

2026-01-28T02:10:14.6333333+00:00

Why should you have to go through all this when Microsoft can just undo what they did to create the issue with failed previous network shares in an Update to fix the issue. And the problem is solved....
Uğur Özkan 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T05:52:01.3366667+00:00

Yaklaşık 1.5 aydır bu sorunu yaşıyordum. Windows 11 güncellemesinden sonra bir türlü ortak ağ klasörüne erişemiyordum. Bundan dolayı şirkette çalıştığım kısımda çok zorlandım. Yapay zekadan yardım aldım her şeyi denedim fakat olmamıştı. Son çare olarak bilgisayarımı Windows 10 a tekrar geçiş yaptıracaktım ama bu cevap çok işime yaradı. Gerçekten çok teşekkür ederim. İyi günler diliyorum.
Glen Fullmer 0 Reputation points

2026-04-04T16:34:55.86+00:00

It worked, unlike a number of solutions to this problem that didn't. Thanks again!
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

terrycrayton-7612 20

just let me get back to what i was doing

0 comments

Answer 2

For resolving network sharing issues between Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices, consider the following steps:

Check Network Settings: Ensure that both devices are on the same network and that network discovery is enabled. You can do this by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Network discovery.
File and Printer Sharing: Make sure that file and printer sharing is turned on. This can be found in the same network settings area.
SMB Protocol: Windows 11 has introduced significant security updates, including mandatory SMB signing by default. Ensure that the SMB protocol is properly configured on both devices. You can check this in the Windows Features settings.
Firewall Settings: Check the firewall settings on both devices to ensure that they are not blocking file sharing. You may need to allow File and Printer Sharing through the firewall.
Update Windows: Ensure that both devices are running the latest updates for their respective operating systems. Sometimes, updates can resolve underlying issues with network sharing.
Use Local Accounts: If you are using Microsoft accounts, consider switching to local accounts for both devices, as this can sometimes resolve sharing issues.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to look into specific error messages or behaviors that occur when attempting to share files, as these can provide more insight into the problem.

References:

Server Message Block file services

Answer 3

Deleted

This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Comments have been turned off. Learn more