Can't access any of my shared folders on my desktop from my laptop

[Tom Barkoukis]

All of a sudden as of about a week ago when I click on my Network icon in Windows (file) Explorer or elsewhere, the icon for my desktop doesn't appear and I can't get to my shared folders. Strangely enough an icon with my desktop name appears under "other devices" (but if I click on that all I get is an xml file that opens in my browser), but the main one I use to access my files is no longer there. I tried changing some of the network settings on both computers, but still nothing! Is this another casualty of Microsofts brilliant updates?!? Like the way they keep turning off my media streaming so I can't access movies on my pc from my tv? What the heck do they think they're doing?!? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Tom,

does these links help at all?:

http://www.geeksquad.co.uk/articles/how-to-set-up-file-sharing-on-windows-10

http://www.howto-connect.com/view-all-shared-folders-in-network-windows-10/

 

[Tom Barkoukis]

Thanks 4 the response. Sorry 4 the delay - been having a lot of trouble with my back and haven't been able to sit at my desktop for more than a few minutes.
Yeah, read through these, but nothing new here. Already did all that. It did give me an idea though. I checked my shared folders on my desktop - they're still set to share and my laptop appears on my Network page as it should. The problem is my desktop icon (like in the 1st row labeled "Spacecenter") doesn't appear when I click on the Network page on my laptop ("MARS"). The idea I mentioned was to add a new user to one of my shared folders exactly as it says in the article referenced above. I chose my laptop user name "Tom" and Windows said "can't find find Tom on the Network!!" Even though my MARS (laptop computer name) icon is clearly visible under "Network!" So I try and add MARS the same way and of course I get the same idiotic message from Windows - "can't find find MARS on the Network!!" Thanks Microsoft! Great work, guys!!
Attached is what the Network page (in Wiindows Explorer - File Manager not browser) looks like on my destop (the way it should on both) and what it looks like on my laptop (Spacecenter appears only under other devices and as a different icon that is totally useless). Been through my Network settings a million times, don't see anything wrong, but the way they are worded is so unclear that I'm not sure about any of them. What could've changed anyway? It was all working before. I thought maybe because I installed Zonealarm on my desktop recently (already had it on my laptop) but I disabled it and nothing changed. Still no connection, no icon to click on. If you need to look at my Network settings I have screen shots of those too, just tell me which ones you want to look at and I'll upload them.
BTW, my best friend (who used to be Network administrator at John Hopkins University) set up my Network for me originally. He set it up as a Workgroup rather then as a Homegroup. Partly because of the trouble I had with the Homegroup I set up originally and also because I think the limitations of a Homegroup. Just fyi. Unfortunately he's having even more serious health issues than me, so he hasn't been able to drive 45 min to my house to work on it. He's in no condition to drive anyway. Hope you or someone else can shed some light on this problem. I'll need to access my archived files here eventually. Using a usb stick to transfer files and folders one at a time is a pain.

 

[Grizzly]

I know your pain. I am having the same issues with one of my laptops. Sometimes it will not see any of my other computer on the network, not even the router. The weird thing though is that all other can see that laptop and are able to access the shared folder on that one but not the other way around. Occasionally a restart and/or running the troubleshooter will give me access to the network again. Sometimes I even have to reset the router to make it work again....
This issue does not happen under Windows 7 on the same laptop (dualboot 7-10)....
I admit the laptop in question is meanwhile over ten years old so that might contribute to the problem although my nine year old laptop has not ever experienced that issue.
I know this might not help you, but to show that you are not alone with the problem....
BTW: all drivers and the BIOS are as up-to-date as they can be....

 

[Trouble]

I'm thinking that it may have something to do with Server Message Blocks, specifically SMBv1 and the recent panic over all things network related in respect to WannaCrypt attacks.
Maybe have a look here
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features -> left column -> Turn Windows features on or off.
Scroll down to SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support
IF it's unchecked then that's probably the issue. You can check it and click OK and it's going to require a reboot.
IF it's checked, maybe you could try unchecking, click OK reboot and then go back and re-check it and see if that makes any magic happen.

Regardless of what you can or cannot see via NetBIOS in your explorer / network (what we used to call network neighborhood) you.....
Should still be able to UNC to all your network shares from the "Run" dialog box by typing
\\Server\ShareName (where "Server" is the name of the machine hosting the share and "ShareName" is the name of the shared folder)
OR
\\192.168.1.222\ShareName (where "192.168.1.222" is the IP address of the machine hosting the share and "ShareName" is the name of the shared folder).

UNC (Universal Naming Convention) should not be impacted by the presence or absence of the very old SMBv1
IF you get an error using one or both of those methods then it is likely a very over zealous third party security suite.

 

[Tom Barkoukis]

I'm thinking that it may have something to do with Server Message Blocks, specifically SMBv1 and the recent panic over all things network related in respect to WannaCrypt attacks.
Maybe have a look here
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features -> left column -> Turn Windows features on or off.
Scroll down to SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support
IF it's unchecked then that's probably the issue. You can check it and click OK and it's going to require a reboot.
IF it's checked, maybe you could try unchecking, click OK reboot and then go back and re-check it and see if that makes any magic happen.

Regardless of what you can or cannot see via NetBIOS in your explorer / network (what we used to call network neighborhood) you.....
Should still be able to UNC to all your network shares from the "Run" dialog box by typing
\\Server\ShareName (where "Server" is the name of the machine hosting the share and "ShareName" is the name of the shared folder)
OR
\\192.168.1.222\ShareName (where "192.168.1.222" is the IP address of the machine hosting the share and "ShareName" is the name of the shared folder).

UNC (Universal Naming Convention) should not be impacted by the presence or absence of the very old SMBv1
IF you get an error using one or both of those methods then it is likely a very over zealous third party security suite.

View attachment 5813

Wow, for some reason I never got an email of this post, so I didn't see it until yesterday (having given up on getting a response). Thank you, it worked. The box was checked, I unchecked and rebooted and nothing. I re-checked as you said and voila! my Spacecenter icon is back and I can access my files directly now. Even after rebooting my desktop they're still there. It's the screwiest thing, but then again it's Microsoft (sorry, but I have the lowest opinion of their competence and policies).
In the interim, since I last posted I narrowed the problem to my desktop, since I found I had the same problem on my ASUS laptop as on the Dell. Then by accident I opened a recent file from a program that had a list of them, but that one was located on my desktop. To my surprise it opened. So after that I could access files from that Workgroup as long as I had one listed in Quick Access. I could just right click on the file and choose Open File Location and navigate through my Workgroup Network. Tedious. This will be much better now, thanks again. Even now when I click on Network in File Explorer it says at the top (even after correctly displaying my Workgroup icon) "This computer is not connected to a network. Click to connect...". And of course you can click on that all you like but nothing ever happens, not even a dialog box! Another brilliant Microsoft innovation!

 

[Trouble]

OK.
While I'm very glad that you found a solution that apparently works for you, or maybe I should say a "semi-solution".
Going forward SMBv1 is 20 years old and because of it's inherent risk factors as a potential attack vector for malicious code, Microsoft no longer supports that protocol and will not patch it in the future and it will be remove completely from the upcoming "Fall" Creators Update, coming to a computer near you sometime in very late September or early to mid October, depending on which rumor you believe.

This computer is not connected to a network. Click to connect

Makes me a bit suspicious that there might be something else going on. Perhaps an over zealous third party security suite.

 

[Tom Barkoukis]

OK.
While I'm very glad that you found a solution that apparently works for you, or maybe I should say a "semi-solution".
Going forward SMBv1 is 20 years old and because of it's inherent risk factors as a potential attack vector for malicious code, Microsoft no longer supports that protocol and will not patch it in the future and it will be remove completely from the upcoming "Fall" Creators Update, coming to a computer near you sometime in very late September or early to mid October, depending on which rumor you believe.

Makes me a bit suspicious that there might be something else going on. Perhaps an over zealous third party security suite.

The only 3rd party app running is AVG free which I am quite sure is not causing this problem. In fact during many, many troubleshooting sessions I have tried temporarily disabling it and nothing changed as far as accessing my Workgroup. I even uninstalled Zone Alarm Free for that reason (it's no longer on either computer).
So... after screwing up my computer with their infuriating updates which users now have no control over, now they're going to take away the only solution I have found to clean up their mess! My network was working fine for several months after updating to Win10 so I know it was an update that caused the problem! I am so fed up with those IDIOTS! I have been vacillating for some time about switching to Ubuntu mostly because of the learning curve, but it looks like I'm going to have to take the plunge and MS can kiss my A**!

 

[Tom Barkoukis]

The only 3rd party app running is AVG free which I am quite sure is not causing this problem. In fact during many, many troubleshooting sessions I have tried temporarily disabling it and nothing changed as far as accessing my Workgroup. I even uninstalled Zone Alarm Free for that reason (it's no longer on either computer).
So... after screwing up my computer with their infuriating updates which users now have no control over, now they're going to take away the only solution I have found to clean up their mess! My network was working fine for several months after updating to Win10 so I know it was an update that caused the problem! I am so fed up with those IDIOTS! I have been vacillating for some time about switching to Ubuntu mostly because of the learning curve, but it looks like I'm going to have to take the plunge and MS can kiss my A**!

Sorry if I got a bit carried away, this whole nonesense has made me very angry, and I have a bit of a hot temper anyway. If you know of a better solution I would very much like to hear it. I've got a 4TB external drive that I back my files up to and it is part of this Workgroup as well as all the files on my 2 HDs on the desktop that contain all my archives (work related files, fonts, pictures, media of all kinds, etc.)... Accessing them by the method I described above is hardly the intended method of any OS. Thank you.

 

[Tom Barkoukis]

Thanx 4 your attempted help, Trouble. From your lackof a response I can assume there is no solution or else I annoyed you... At any rate you were right about them discontinuing SMBv1 since your initial suggestion no longer works. Should I turn it off now or is that irrelevant? I still can't believe there is no solution!