Accessing Windows 10 laptop from Android VR headset

I've just joined this forum, so Hi!

I have an Oculus Go VR headset (Android). As it has limited storage, I like to store videos on my Windows laptop and view them across my network.

With my old Windows 7 laptop this worked fine, without me even needing to enable anything. In an app called Skybox VR on the headset, I saw two folder icons representing the laptop – one had a Windows logo, the other had an SMB logo. Clicking the former just said “No videos”, but on clicking the latter I just had to log in with the same user ID and password as on the laptop, and then I saw the whole disk.

But I've now replaced my Windows 7 laptop by a Windows 10 one.

At first the headset didn't see the new laptop at all. So I thought I needed to enable SMB. I did this in Settings, turning on SMB Server. The headset still didn't see the laptop, so, on the laptop, I did right-click > Properties on a folder I wanted to view, and enabled sharing and gave permissions in Advanced Sharing. I didn't really know what half of these settings were, I just followed a tutorial on YouTube.

Then the headset saw the folder, but I was surprised to find I didn't have to log in to see it. So I gradually turned off things I had set in Properties, including permissions for Everyone. Finally I went into Settings and turned off SMB Server. The headset now still sees the laptop, still doesn't need me to log in, and the folder displayed still shows the SMB logo!

So then I looked at the help on Windows 10, and saw that you can set sharing via Settings > Network & Internet > Sharing Options. I also see there is something called Media Streaming that I could turn on.

So yes, it's working. But please can someone tell me which of these different file sharing mechanisms I should be using – and in fact, since I've turned off SMB Server, which one am I using?!”

Hi Ztruker, thanks for your reply.

When I first looked at the SMB settings under "Turn Windows features on or off", Client was on. Later I experimentally turned it off, and it made no difference - the headset still sees the laptop, even with both Client and Server off.

There is a third thing under SMB settings, called Automatic Removal. That was on, and having no idea what it does I have left it on.

(I'm saying SMB for short - what the Settings dialogue box actually calls it is "SMB 1.0/CIFS".)

Thanks SoFine409 , that's useful to know.

As per my original post, my problem, or rather mystery, is that it's working and I don't know why, since I have SMB (both Client and Server) turned off!

Thanks again SoFine409 , that does seem to explain it.

So that just leaves the problem that I don't know how to get it to require a log in from the headset.