I can connect to a network share on my PC (let's call it PC A) perfectly fine from a Mac, but when trying to do the same from another Windows machine (PC B), I'm hit with a credentials error. I'm certain I'm using the right credentials. Is there a way to force it to allow guest or anonymous access? Just for context, I ended up creating my own file transfer helper using the SMB .NET library, and that worked, which is frustrating in a way.
3 Answers
Just to clarify, when you're trying to access PC A from PC B, are you entering the right credentials that are on PC A? Sometimes people mistakenly use saved credentials stored on PC B instead. Check that!
You might want to check your Windows sign-in settings. If you use a Microsoft account with a PIN or biometrics, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and make sure password sign-in is enabled. This is necessary for network sharing and Remote Desktop to function properly.
Windows networking can definitely feel rough compared to macOS. Try running `net use * /delete` on PC B to clear any cached credentials. If that doesn't help, check if the workgroup names on both machines match; mismatched workgroup names can cause connectivity issues without any clear errors.
I actually use a local account, so no PIN or biometrics for me.