[SOLVED] Windows 11 / Windows 7 network file-sharing problem ?

[slwhite]

I have a network file-sharing problem. I have 2 PCs, one running Windows 11 and the other running Windows 7. I can freely share files between the two PCs as long as I access files that are located in the "public" folder on the Windows 11 PC. If I try to access files on the Windows 11 PC that are not in the "public" folder from the Windows 7 PC I get the "Network Error" message which states "You do not have permission to access (folder name here on the Windows 11 PC). Contact your network administrator to request access."

I have tried everything related to sharing that I can find. I have enabled network discovery and disabled password requirements. The Windows 11 folders that I want to share do show up on the Windows 7 PC but I can't access them without getting the previously described error message. I didn't have this problem when I had all Windows 7 PCs. This problem has only appeared with this new Windows 11 PC.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to correct this?

 

[punkncat]

A couple of things I would mention.

The Public folder comes default as a shared folder. You could check properties of the other folders and see if you need to click anything for them to share.

Another thing I have found useful is to set the Network and Sharing to name/password rather than "let Window's decide". In order to use the private user files, you would need to be logged in as that user.

I personally prefer to create a folder on another drive and share it globally. If you are on the Pro version on the PC you are trying to access you can also Remote Desktop into and change settings there while on the other PC.

 

[slwhite]

I tried enabling passwords as you suggested. It still failed, telling me that my password is incorrect even though it is correct.

 

[Grobe]

I tried to paste this in the relatively new Perplexity search engine, so it came out with this:

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/How-to-share-o9hFW05dQx2Zoozo96ixKA?s=u
You may want to have a look in the "Related" section on bottom for similar searches. Also feel free to rephrase the search.

 

[35below0]

Try this:

In Win 7, right click a folder you want to share, select Properties.
Go to the Sharing tab. Click on the Share button.
Make sure you add Everyone to the list, and set their acces to Read at least.
Next look below the Share button where it says something about password protection.
Click on the link there to change so that sharing is allowed without an account and password.

I've had a similar problem until i added Everyone. Sometimes i had to set the account and password rule twice to make it stick. Win7 can be finnicky about this thing.
You have to share Win 11 folders in more or less the same way, but most of the process is automated. If you're having problems, add Everyone to have rights to read files. That way you can copy them.

On the Win 11 side, i have trouble accesing the Win 7 machine directly, but i can access it's shared folders as long as they show up in File Explorer.
On the Win 7 side, i can "open" the Win 11 machine as if it were an external device.

You might try enabling the Navigation Pane in File Explorer if it's disabled. Makes it easier to see shared drives/folders on the Network.

 

[slwhite]

Try this:

In Win 7, right click a folder you want to share, select Properties.
Go to the Sharing tab. Click on the Share button.
Make sure you add Everyone to the list, and set their acces to Read at least.
Next look below the Share button where it says something about password protection.
Click on the link there to change so that sharing is allowed without an account and password.

I've had a similar problem until i added Everyone. Sometimes i had to set the account and password rule twice to make it stick. Win7 can be finnicky about this thing.
You have to share Win 11 folders in more or less the same way, but most of the process is automated. If you're having problems, add Everyone to have rights to read files. That way you can copy them.

On the Win 11 side, i have trouble accesing the Win 7 machine directly, but i can access it's shared folders as long as they show up in File Explorer.
On the Win 7 side, i can "open" the Win 11 machine as if it were an external device.

You might try enabling the Navigation Pane in File Explorer if it's disabled. Makes it easier to see shared drives/folders on the Network.

 

[slwhite]

I have tried all of those things and none worked. I looked at the public folders, which work, and matched all of the settings. Still no success.

 

[punkncat]

I tried enabling passwords as you suggested. It still failed, telling me that my password is incorrect even though it is correct.

I have found it rather tricky in the sense that when you first set the computer up and the password used then is often what network share wants. For instance, if you named it Living Room - password 1 and then changed it to Luke - password 2, sometimes it will be looking for that initial set of creds. IDK why. One of my own PC has this exact thing going on where it was originally named "Office" and then later was changed to a person's name and it absolutely will not allow me to remote into or access the shared folder/drive using that persons login information.

 

[slwhite]

I have found it rather tricky in the sense that when you first set the computer up and the password used then is often what network share wants. For instance, if you named it Living Room - password 1 and then changed it to Luke - password 2, sometimes it will be looking for that initial set of creds. IDK why. One of my own PC has this exact thing going on where it was originally named "Office" and then later was changed to a person's name and it absolutely will not allow me to remote into or access the shared folder/drive using that persons login information.

I have tried every password and user combination that I know of. Nothing seems to work.

 

[barleysinger]

I have a network file-sharing problem. I have 2 PCs, one running Windows 11 and the other running Windows 7. I
...
Does anyone have any ideas on how to correct this?

Win 7 uses SMB 1. Win 11 doesn't come with SMB 1 turned on straight out of the box. You have to enable it in Win 11.

 

[ajohnson30]

what barleysinger said. on the Win11 machine, you need to enable SMBv1.
Go here, about 1/2 way down the page, for the powershell to enable it:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...leshoot/detect-enable-and-disable-smbv1-v2-v3
Note that it's disabled for a reason. It's a security risk. It should be ok since you're just on your home network by yourself (right?), but I'm just sayin...

 

[slwhite]

I tried enabling SMBv1 as suggested. I still have the same problem. Public folders share between some Win 7 PCs and my Win 11 PC. I can't share any non-public folders or drives between Win 7 PCs and my Win 11 PC. I've also tried turning work groups on and off on the Win 7 PCs to no effect. Security doesn't concern me because this is just my home network. I never had any of this trouble when all my PCs were Win 7. I could share anything.

I am using Windows 11 Home. My understanding is that Win 11 Home supplies all networking connectivity.

 

[slwhite]

This applies to a problem networking between a Win 11 PC and a Win 7 PC. I can successfully do 1-way file sharing. That is, the Win 11 PC can access shared files on the Win 7 PC. I cannot do file sharing in the opposite direction. That is, the Win 7 PC cannot access shared files on the Win 11 PC. The Win 7 PC can see the Win 11 PC but when I try to access shared files on the Win 11 PC I get a message requesting network credentials. Any combination of passwords that I try results in a "Invalid Password" message and I can't get past this screen.

I have tried everything suggested on the Win 7 PC including anything having to do with file sharing including allowing network discovery and enabling and disabling passwords. I tried turning on SMB 1.0 on the Win 11 PC. All of these actions resulted in the same request for network credentials message on the Win 7 PC.

I am at my wits end. Does anyone have any further ideas?

 

[35below0]

No, no ideas unfortunately.

You are still able to transfer files between two computers, but you have to do it from the Win 11 machine.
Also, you can access files on both computers from either one as long as the files are saved in public folders.
At least there's that.

Since i have a similar setup, i can tell you that i also have issues with file sharing from time to time. For no reason i can understand the Win 7 machine refuses to access the Win 11 one, almost exactly like you describe. And sometimes i get told i don't have permission to access shared files on the Win 7 machine when i try to access them from the Win 11 one.
90% of the time it just works though, so i'm not too bothered. And there's no rhyme nor reason as to why it sometimes doesn't work.

 

[slwhite]

I can't access any Win 11 folders from the Win 7 PC, not even the public ones.

 

[slwhite]

I accidentally solved my problem. The confusion arises from what system account and password is being requested by the network credentials prompt. I tried every conceivable account name and password but when I finally entered my Microsoft OneDrive user name and password on my Windows 7 PC, I can now share files between my single Windows 7 PC and my other Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft needs to be very explicit about what account and password they are asking for. This was ridiculous.

 

[35below0]

Thanks for reporting. I am a little surprised.