Sudden Loss of Sharing Tab from Folders & Drives


  1. Posts : 50
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #1

    Sudden Loss of Sharing Tab from Folders & Drives


    Hi Folks,

    I have just encountered a somewhat bizarre turn of events which has inflicted two Windows 10 file sharing PC's on my home Network with neither suddenly able to create file shares as the requisite properties tab (Sharing) has suddenly disappeared from both of these PC's.

    It has left me rather perplexed as to what I might have done to bring about this situation. Experience tells me that all too often such spontaneous failings turn out to be the result of unintended consequences arising from an otherwise unintentional and seemingly unrelated action brought about by the user! PEBKAC (Problem exists between keyboard and chair!) as they say!! LOL

    To offer some brief background I have recently completed the build of a HEDT X299 system (March 2020) onto which was installed a clean copy of Windows 10 Pro (64 Bit) 1909. File sharing (Ethernet Network) was successfully established between this new PC and my now antiquated X58 system (also 10 Pro 1909) it is ultimately destined to replace. The X299 system remained largely in 'testbed' status running only Windows 10, with just some hardware related apps and utilities so as to identify any issues prior to completing a wider install and configuration for the long term, networking/file sharing continued without issue.

    Recently (late in May) following the release of Windows 10 2004 the X58 was duly updated (by way of an "in-place" update) to the newer standard. At this point it seemed prudent to 'clean install' 2004 onto the barebones X299 which was duly completed and basic configuration undertaken including re-establishing file-sharing networking between both devices again without issue.

    The next sequence of events involved physically swapping the location of both PC's as well as a partial swap of several physical HDD's from the X58 into the X299 so as to begin to effect the transfer to make the X299 the main system with the older X58 relegated to a 'spare' workstation role. All proceeded as intended with only minor issues surrounding the cabling encountered. Both PC's continue to network and to file share successfully with the file contents visible and accessible for those drives retained in their original locations/drive letter. The partitions located on each of the transferred HDD's were each then re-configured in Disk Management to the Drive letter originally in use when on the X58. (e.g. The 'G' drive on the X58 became the 'D' drive upon physical swap so was then re-numbered to become 'G' once again)

    Clearly the next action was to share these 'transferred' drives from their new position in the X299 however there is no longer a "sharing" tab on the drive or folder "properties menu on either machine. In fact there are now NO "Sharing" tabs at all on either machine.... WTF??

    Troubleshooting steps taken

    The following actions have all been carried out or verified as functioning correctly.

    Windows services - The following related services have all been verified as functioning (all "started", all "automatically")


    • Function Discovery Provider Host (FDPHost)
    • Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub)
    • Network Connections (NetMan)
    • UPnP Device Host (UPnPHost)
    • Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRPSvc)
    • Peer Networking Grouping (P2PSvc)
    • Peer Networking Identity Manager (P2PIMSvc)
    • Server (LanmanServer)



    Control Panel/Network & Sharing settings/Advanced Sharing Settings - the following set and verified


    • Turn on network discovery.
    • Turn on file and printer sharing.
    • Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the public folders.
    • Use 128-bit encryption to help protect files sharing connections (recommended).
    • Turn off password protected sharing.

    Also verified the latter in toggled setting as below.... "Sharing" tab remains absent

    • Turn on password protected sharing


    Control Panel - Windows Features (Optional Installs)

    SMB (1.0) feature installed from Control Panel

    Control Panel/User Accounts/Change User Account Control Setting

    UAC verified enabled (as previously the case)

    Registry Values

    I have REG_SZ key of {f81e9010-6ea4-11ce-a7ff-00aa003ca9f6} value in:

    • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\Sharing,
    • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Sharing,
    • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\Sharing,
    • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\LibraryFolder\background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Sharing,
    • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\UserLibraryFolder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Sharing

    Also,

    • HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa Dword "Forceguest" Value "0" Verified


    Control Panel/File Explorer Options/View Tab/Advanced Settings

    Use Sharing Wizard (Recommended) option - Verified checked

    NB. The only Windows updates applied since installing 2004 are, to date, two related to Windows Defender and one to Adobe Flash Player plus 2004 cumulative update KB457957 on both ....just in case anyone has their suspicions!!

    Anybody care to venture a suggestion as to what I might inadvertently have done to cause this?

    Truly grateful for any assistance offered...

    Thanks in advance,

    PC Pilot
    Last edited by PC Pilot; 20 Jun 2020 at 08:26.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 50
    Windows 10 Pro X64
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Issue resolved


    Experience tells me that all too often such spontaneous failings turn out to be the result of unintended consequences arising from an otherwise unintentional and seemingly unrelated action brought about by the user! PEBKAC (Problem exists between keyboard and chair!) as they say!! LOL
    This did indeed turn out to be quite prophetic ...... LOL!!

    I have now solved the problem and wish to draw attention to the 'self-imposed' error which caused this issue in the first place in the hope it will be of benefit other users.

    It turned out to be extremely simple, as part of the PC transfer process I followed the prudent steps of updating both Windows systems (2004) as well as other programs likely to be dependent upon it to their latest version. This included the powerful tweaking software "Ultimate Windows Tweaker" which I upgraded to V4.7.1 on the X58 and installed afresh on the X299.

    I gave the UWT settings a quick inspection on the X58 revising a couple of entries to suit my usage preferences and saved them before transferring my attention to the X299 where I replicated the preferred entries set in the X58. This is where my problems began, it was now late in the day I was tired and yet felt confident to complete this seemingly routine final task of the day.

    BIG MISTAKE !! In the process of quickly reviewing the UWT settings on the X58 I had inadvertently selected a context menu tweak to "Remove Defaults" (in my tired eyes had thought this was to ADD the respective entries.... dohh!!) including ....you guessed it "Share" !! The error was of course compounded by my copying the setting across from the X58 screen to the X299 screen verbatim.

    The penny dropped during advanced registry troubleshooting which took me to check "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked" which contained three entries all of which related to "Sharing".

    The good news, normal service rapidly resumed simply by unchecking the respective entry in UWT.

    The moral of the story beware of PEBKAC !!

    Best wishes to all,

    PC Pilot
      My Computer


 

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