I'm trying to share a drive between two Windows 11 desktop computers on the same local network. I created a separate local account on the host computer specifically for network access, logged into it once, and gave that account full control through the sharing and file permissions. At first, Windows reported that the credentials were invalid even though the password had just been set. After enabling SMB 1.0 and insecure guest logons, the host now appears to be unavailable entirely, despite having network access and being restarted several times. Both computers are currently connected as private networks, although Windows keeps defaulting them to public. What is the correct way to troubleshoot and configure this without weakening security unnecessarily?
1 Answer
For two Windows 11 PCs, you generally should not need SMB 1.0 or insecure guest access. Turn both back off, since SMB 1.0 is obsolete and guest access can create security problems. On the host, make sure Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing are enabled, and allow file sharing through the firewall. Confirm both machines are on the same network and that the host is actually visible by name or IP address. When prompted for credentials, use the host computer’s account explicitly, such as HOSTNAME\ShareUser, along with that account’s password. Also check both layers of permissions: the share permissions and the underlying Security/NTFS permissions. Mapping the share directly with \192.168.x.x\ShareName can help distinguish a name-resolution problem from a permissions problem.
The second computer is also Windows 11, and I created a separate local account on the host specifically for this share. I logged into that account once before trying the connection and gave it full access to the shared folder.