What "credentials information" do I enter to access network files?

I have a laptop and a desktop, both running Windows 10 v. 1903, with files that I want to share. I have set up a home network. With both computers I have set folders to share with full control to Everyone. With the desktop I can view and open files on the laptop. However when I try with the laptop to view files on the desktop I get the message

Enter Network Credentials
Enter your credentials to connect to [desktop]

and it asks for User Name and Password.

What does it mean by "User Name"? I entered the name of the network and it accepted it as an account. And I entered the password I set up to access the network, but it says it's incorrect!

Since the desktop can access files on the laptop, isn't the laptop *already* on the network? Why can the desktop access laptop files but not v.v.?

What credentials information should I enter?

Welcome to Ten Forms @coffent

When you are challenged for credentials, the name and password it wants are those for any account that exists locally on the PC you are trying to connect to.

When accepted, the permissions to see files on the computer are those of its local account that you used.

Sharing any folders in a user's profile is not simple as these folders have special permission set even on the PC you can't access another user's folders. To access it you need to enter the owners username and password for that user. When you share folders you also have to set NTFS permission on the folder

Thanks Bree and Samuria for your replies. I really appreciate your taking the time to read my posts and answer them.

See my reply to Bree's suggestion above.

Re Samuria's comment, I'm not sure what you mean by the folders in a user's "profile". At the moment I have a single C: drive on the desktop containing both the operating system and data (though I plan to add a second drive later). However at this point I can't even access the computer, much less individual folders within the C: drive.

Things seem to be getting worse rather than better. In my earlier post I said I could access laptop folders from the desktop but not v.v. Now I can no longer access folders in either direction. When I now try to access the laptop from the desktop, I get the message "Windows cannot access \\{LaptopName}. You do not have permission to access \\{LaptopName}. Contact your network administrator to request access." As far as I know, I've made no changes in the laptop.

My "network administrator" is, of course, me!

What exactley are the folders you have shared as some are special. Did you set NTFS permissions or you cant get in?

Try this open a cmd prompt then type

net use s: \\pcname\c$ /user:HTG password
if pcname doesnt work use IP htg is a user on the pc your connecting to and must be admin and password is that admin users password

I was always under the impression you had to setup a user and password on both machines. Goes back to Windows 2000 and very similar, otherwise the network wont work. Without a password you havent actually created any permissions or even a network.
For 2 machines I would just set the same username a password for both comps, you can still share this way. Plus there wont be any permission confusion then.
Hope you manage to get all linked up

Edit: Once youve set that lot up. Its always good practise to create your own Workgroup name. So change both machines to a new group name, whatever you like

Pluginz said:

I was always under the impression you had to setup a user and password on both machines....

No, a password is not a requirement. On all my machines (W7 & W10) I use the same name for my main account (a local account) and on all bar one it has no password. The one that does have a password is my 'holiday/travelling' netbook. As the only machine that ever leaves home I want it password protected.


On all machines I have created a C:\Temp folder, set its file permission to Everyone, Full control, and shared it for Everyone, Full control. I also turn off Password Protected Sharing.

All machines can access any other machine's Temp share. The only time I ever get challenged is when the 'holiday' netbook is one of the machines involved. When it tries to access a machine with no password, the challenge will happily accept a blank password and let me in. When a machine with no password tries to access it I have to give the password. In all other cases (where both machines have no password) I go straight into the share without challenge.

Right, sounds like you have a nice little setup going on there

At home with multiple machines all scattered over the house is what i like ! I like using the Devolo adapters plugged in various rooms. Have them spare so when needing a fast connection in the kitchen on Laptop, its there !

I need to get back into my networking, kinda miss it. I do remember some years ago being able to access some network files without a password but these always seemed like the default shared folder or Public folder like.

For a true accessible home network, the password option might be abit overkill and just annoy you after a while. Its like my bios, i have a password on there and i live on my own hehe. When not in my house i just turn my network switch off. Keeps my router alive and pests out of my network ports.

Peace

Samuria, I don't know what the command you suggested is supposed to do, but nevertheless at the command prompt I tried typing verbatim "net use s: \\pcname\c$ /user:HTG password", where the only substitution I made was to enter the desktop name instead of "pcname". That brought the message "The network name cannot be found."

Things keep getting worse rather than better. I tried yet another guess at what the desktop username might be. This time I got the message "\\{Desktop name} is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Account restrictions are preventing this user from signing in. For example: blank passwords aren't allowed, sign-in times are limited, or a policy restriction has been enforced." Further, whenever I now try to access the desktop, I get this message with no ability to change accounts or try a different password.

As I've said, I don't use a password with the desktop, but I haven't knowingly forbade use of blank passwords. (Is there some default that does prevent them that I have to clear?)

And as before, when I try to use the desktop to access the laptop, I get the same message as before, "Windows cannot access \\{LaptopName}. You do not have permission to access \\{LaptopName}. Contact your network administrator to request access."

I'm at my wit's end. I don't understand why setting up a simple home network should be so complicated! Any suggestions as to what to do? Thanks for any help that can be offered!